HAROLDE
FLORIDA
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Joined: 09/17/2002
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I don't need a slider hitch with my setup. but I have always wondered what you do when in city driving and you must turn right on to a two lane street and another car is using the other lane. I swing out real wide and don't have to worry about the cab hitting. What do you do with a slider?
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Mmaxed
Montana
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Joined: 02/08/2007
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Thanks for the info. Is there a big difference between units as far as ease of removal? I have to take it in and out a lot. Does Valley have a hitch that leaves the bed clear when it's out?
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davelinde
Freehold, New Jersey
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Joined: 11/02/2003
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HAROLDE wrote:... I have always wondered what you do when in city driving and you must turn right on to a two lane street and another car is using the other lane. I swing out real wide and don't have to worry about the cab hitting. What do you do with a slider?
I can easily make 90 degree turns with the truck turning on it's tightest radius. If you swing wide (as you usually must in tight streets) there is even more truck/FW clearance. I have never (so far) been in a situation going forwards where the truck and FW came too close. Now backing up is a different story and I always slide to be safe.
For the OP... I don't get bedrail clearance from my slider - it's clearance from cab to FW?
Dave Lindemulder
Tammy, Mark & Kirsten
04 Dodge 2500 4x4 SLT QC/SB
HO-CTD/48RE - Graphite: Raptor SS nerfs, Prodigy, Reese 16K Kwik-slide, BD X-Monitor, PML Trans pan, PML Diff cover, Firestone Airbags
09 Heartland Cyclone 3210
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juzplanekrazy
Huntington Beach Ca.
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Joined: 02/18/2006
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I got to see first hand what happens when a manual hitch is not used just this weekend. The guy was trying to cut into a camp site and I just looked over when his cab and cap hit.........crunch!!! He got a nice dent and the window came out. I walked over and looked in the back of the bed and there was a nice new Husky slider hitch in the front locked postion.
The guys wife took control of the truck drove around the camping area, got out slid the hitch back and came around and parked the trailer. I never saw the guys face he was looking at the ground to much.
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Mmaxed
Montana
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[quote=davelinde][
For the OP... I don't get bedrail clearance from my slider - it's clearance from cab to FW?[/quote]
We go into off road camp sites that we have to drop off tyhe road to get into. Much like turning off the road into a gradual side ditch. When we are heading back onto the road and the pickup is more or less on the level the 5er is just coming out of the ditch so to speak. At this time the rear corners of the pickup bed are very close to the underside of the trailer. By being able to slide the hitch back it will give a little more room in these situations as there will be less bed behind the hitch. Did I explain that well??
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davelinde
Freehold, New Jersey
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Mmaxed wrote: By being able to slide the hitch back it will give a little more room in these situations as there will be less bed behind the hitch. Did I explain that well??
gotcha.
I had to draw a picture to convince myself you were right. I think you are right, slid back give more effective clearance on uneven terrain. Do be careful about the pinbox and tailgate though - slid back there's less room there.
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HAROLDE
FLORIDA
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Thanks for answer by davelinde--- but I'm confused-- If you can turn 90 degrees under the camper, why do you need a slider hitch? Why is going forward any different than backing up? Just wondering?
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husker 2
Sequim WA
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Joined: 02/05/2005
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The only noise our slider makes is when it gets to the end of travel and the locking pawls drop into place. Then loud clunk!
2004 GMC 2500 6.0L CC SB Reese 16K Slider Prodigy BC Jayco 24 ft 237a Quest 5er
A decrepid old driver a foxy navigator and one cranky Griff puppy named Bandit. Look for a "Big Red" license NEBR 1
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davelinde
Freehold, New Jersey
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HAROLDE wrote:Thanks for answer by davelinde--- but I'm confused-- If you can turn 90 degrees under the camper, why do you need a slider hitch? Why is going forward any different than backing up? Just wondering?
yes... I didn't explain this so well and the terms and how you are measuring angles matters.
I mean that I can turn my truck 90 degrees relative to the direction of travel of the truck before I start the turn. eg - I'm going straight and want to make a right hand turn so when I'm going straight again I'm now oriented at 90 degrees to the road I left. I can do this.
What matters is how the FW will track relative to the truck and while I'm going forwards it follows the truck and won't get anywhere near 90 relative to the truck. What actually matters going forward is how tight I'm turning the truck. In fact, if I don't turn the truck tight I can make 180, 360 or more turns and never have the FW get close. Of course if I turn the truck hard, sometime just before I've gone 180 the FW will get around 60 and bang... So I don't do that.
In tight streets, as you mentioned, I will need to J-turn a bit to stop from running my FW over curbs or worse. So then I'd turn a little left and swing wide before I go right - this makes my effective turn bigger - maybe 100, 110 or 120 degrees. Still the FW does not get close to hitting.
Now... backing up is a whole 'nother deal. If I'm not chasing or backing up straight, the more I back up the closer the FW will get. Here it has nothing to do with how the truck is turning -- so if I'm not straight on and I'm backing up with the truck wheels straight the FW will swing and if I just keep going back.... BANG. Of course this can be avoided by beginning to chase the FW but if I'm watching something else as I back up I may not notice - so for backing up I always slide the slide.
makes more sense?
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riddellr
Belleville, IL, USA
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Joined: 08/03/2004
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benb21601 wrote:my brother in law has the Reese slider also. seems to me to be a good hitch. He doesn't drop the landing gear either, but it does make a hellacious noise when its actually sliding. I don't have any experience with that, so I guess its normal?
The slider shouldn't make any, or very little, noise when sliding. The first time I slid my Reese 16K slider, it made that same noise because I slid it before lubricating the sliding mechanism. Once the slider was properly lubed, it has been very quiet since.
Bob Riddell
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