William R. Waind
Fayetteville, Arkansas
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Joined: 11/14/2001
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I have a 2002 Ford F250SD Diesel, Crew Cab, Short Bed and just bought a Titanium 29E34RL. My dealer has offered either a Reese 16K Slider or a Husky 16K Slider. A month ago, I was reading this form and saw SEVERAL RVrs complants about the Reeses' poor sliding qualities. I am leaning towards the Husky (looks well built). I need some of your expertice... which is best? Husky or Reese ?
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Grandpaw
Amarillo, TX
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Joined: 11/07/2001
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I have the Reese 16K with slider and have had no problems. If it is kept lubricated it operates just fine, but wont move by hand, has to be loaded. I am not real familiar with the Husky, but the full pivot head on the Reese is a real good feature. If you go husky, be sure and get a pivot head if available. Enjoy ![[emoticon]](http://www.rv.net/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
U.S. Air Force Retired
04 Chev K2500HD D/A 4X4 ext cab short bed
02 Gulfstream Mako 29'FW - Reese 16K slider
Have a GREAT Day ! ">
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wenslaw
Clayton,CA USA
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Joined: 02/09/2002
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I am a novice and will be getting a fifth wheel soon and have been reading the forum for help. What is meant by a full pivot hitch? I too have been considering the Reese 16k slider, only because many people on this forum have said it works for them.
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wittmeba
Virginia
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Joined: 02/02/2001
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There can be potential sliding problems with any hitch. The problem is when they are not mounted square and cause binding. I can slide mine from outside the truck with 1 arm and if I set the lever in the middle it will slide when I accelerate or brake.
The full pivot is a hitch that has side to side tilt (head tilt) as well as front to rear tilt. This helps reduce stress on the truck/hitch/trailer when hitching when the truck and trailer may not be on the same plane.
I love my Reese 16K slider.
Check prices here:
http://www.hitch-web.com
Watch shipping .. it can be significant. Some are getting the 16K Reese installed for about $750.00.
*This Message was edited on 20-Feb-02 05:54 AM by wittmeba*
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texatDurango
Show Low, Arizona
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Joined: 02/10/2002
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wenslaw,
I would like to mirror the sentiments of wittmeba.
I just had the Reese 16k slider (with pivoting head) installed but shopped the internet for bargains first. I found some good prices but when freight was added it changed the picture dramatically. I found a local hitch dealer who would match my internet price plus $110 for installation which was well worth it unless you are good at welding and have a whole Saturday to kill.
By the way, three of the RV dealers in my area were all over $900 to install the exact same hitch..... if money is a concern, shop around!
*This Message was edited on 20-Feb-02 06:44 AM by texatDurango*
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Michigander
Cedarville, Michigan
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I had the same concerns about the ease of sliding and it appears the old reese slider could be trouble at times. The new ones have rollers to aid the slide and we have one on order that should be here in a week.
Just my .02.
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LLeopold
Windsor, CO USA
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I have the Husky 15K hitch with the slider as I have a short bed. I haven't experienced any problems that others haven't experienced using any other FW hitch. I actually like the fact that there is one "claw" that wraps around the kingpin and secures back into the hitch. The second thing I like is that there is a pop-out "indicator" that tells if the kingpin is properly secured vertically. If your kingpin is positioned up too high, it may not be properly positioned in the hitch even with the handle popping out then in resulting in faster wear on the pin and claw rather than on the plates.
I have yet to need to use the slider in the maneuvering position, but I suspect there will be a day when I will and be thankful I have it.
The only "con" I see on the Husky hitch is that it does not have a side-to-side rocker, meaning if the truck and FW are not level, it can be difficult to hitch and unhitch on uneven surfaces. The only place where I found this to be a problem to date was in the Kings Canyon National Forest where the sites were pitched and angled on the side of a hillwhere it would be a real pain to level the FW anyway (the national park was more RV friendly than the national forest and I ended up staying there). Otherwise any roll movement between truck and FW was minimal and handled by the hitch as it is.
I've been happy with my Husky hitch for the past year's use (over 20 driving days and 2300 miles).
Oh, I just bought a standard Master lock with a 2" lock shaft that fits in the handle where the latch pin would normally go and will secure my trailer while hitched. I have heard that there are those who will pull the handle of your hitch while at a rest stop for the fun of seeing your FW detach from your truck as you pull out. This prevents that from happening. I think that the same lock will work on the Reese hitch handle also.
Now I just need to locate a pin/lock combination for the pins that secure the hitch to the bed of the truck so that the pins cannot be removed.
Hope this helps.
*This Message was edited on 20-Feb-02 12:54 PM by LLeopold*
Lou Leopold
Between RVs at this point
but I continue to tent camp!
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davea
Sulphur Springs, TX USA
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textatdurango, you said "good at welding" in your reply.....you should not weld anything to your truck...in fact, if anything is welded to the frame of a new truck the entire truck warranty is voided...one of the truck dealers near here (Ford) was installing gooeneck and fifth wheel hitches and welding part of the brackets to the truck frame...the dealer ended up GIVING a NEW truck to at least four people who questioned the warranty and the welding to the frame...the dealer no longer uses a welding setup...all bolts...good luck
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bobkat21
Acworth, GA
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Joined: 01/15/2002
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Husky now has a 16K 4 way pivioting slider hitch. It has the same features as the 15K with the addition of the pivoting head.
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cougar5th
Walker, LA
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Joined: 12/12/2001
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I have the Reese 16k with Kwik Slide. I like it. The only times I have had any slider problems is when the truck/trailer were not in good alignment. I would buy the Reese again.
2002 Ford F250SD Crew Cab, PSD, auto trans, 3.73, Bright Red Lariat
2002 Cougar 278EFS (RK)- love it
Yamaha YG2800i generator
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