TandB Canada wrote: Hi there, I just upgraded (not sure)from a class A to a 5th wheel.
What is a good hitch to buy, the trailer is light 9700 lbs the truck is a 2010 ford 1/2 ton 4x4. I'm not planning to do a lot of travelling as we lease a lot on an annual basis but the odd weekend we will go somewhere. Help, a green 5er.
Please tell us you have a F150HD with the 8200# GVWR.
Otherwise you will be way short of payload capacity of any fiver over 5000# or so.
Is that 9700# the empty or loaded fiver weight? If empty you are misleading yourself other than the trip home from the dealer.
Additionally, as you are in Canada, you could run into overweight issues if you travel in BC where it is illegal to load beyond GVWR.
As far as a sliding hitch is concerned - NEEDED if you have the 5'6" bed, a good idea (cheap insurance) if you have the 6'8" bed, not needed if you have an 8' bed.
Keith J.
1999 Sunnybrook 27RKFS Fiver.
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD CC/SB/DA 2WD, LBZ air cleaner, 52 gal Titan tank, Bilsteins, Line-X, Westin steps, Prodigy, Retrax cover, 16K Superglide, 5th-Airborne pin-box, Multi-vex mirrors, TST TPMS.
Engine cooling, transmission cooling, drive train, braking, axles, spring, wheels, tires...can all be limiting...but the manuals will give you the limits... There may be two or three different axle ratios avail...one will tow more than the others in the same truck.
Thats what I said till I crunched my corner of the cab of my dodge even though I have a manual slider. But now I have a super slider. I got a superglide slider from a guy that has a 07 GMC 2500HD but I have a Dodge 2500 short bed and couldn't use the super rails that came with it in my Dodge because I have the Industry standard rails so I bought the industry standard base rail adapter kit so I could use the super glide fithwheel hitch assy. It fits right over the the original standard rails in the truck.Now I have a Superglide railmonting kit from a 2007 GMC to get ride of plus my Manual slider. So if you have a manual slider in your truck now and want to put in a superglide hitch in you can get the adapter kit and use you originals if they are in your truck
I installed a used hitch (nearly new as it it made 1 trip). It has a manual slider and I have the "standard" 6'6 box. (see signature) The trailer has an extended pin box. I have not needed to use the slider yet in 300+ campsites although it has been close in some sites.
One important thing with hitches is that you should choose a 4-way (front/back side/side) type hitch rather than the 2 way (just front/back). This makes less noise traveling on uneven ground and makes hitching and un-hitching much easier. Many of the older hitches were only 2 way, not 4way.
Another aside off topic but good advise is:
Be sure to BALANCE you trailer tires. It makes the trailer ride smoother. less stress on the bearings and suspension.
( Do you check the spring hangers and shackles for wear regularly)
Happy camping
Bob and Marlene
2008 COLORADO 28RK 5er
2006 GMC 2500HD Crew 4X4 SRW Duramax / Alison 6spd
Reese round tube slider with 15000lb 4way tilt
Podigy brake control
Don't Buy New -- Reuse and Recycle DRIVE a HOT ROD
1946 Chev Fleetline Resto mod
MudChucker wrote: extended pin box... now that is an idea.
sorry to hijack... but does the extended pin pox change the towing charachteristics of the 5'er ?
Yep...it moves the impact point on the cab over 6 inches...
There is a solution involving the pin box v. the hitch. It's called a "Sidewinder"... it actually moves the pivot point aft...it's a very viable alternative to sliding hitches.
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