I was told I could use a regular 5th wheel hitch on my short bed truck

Need help, I finally bought my truck and 5th wheel trailer now I need a hitch. I just had a hitch guy come out and after looking at the set up he said I didn't really need a slider hitch. He said the hitch could be a little farther back but the weight would be right over the axle. I am a little nervous about this. I have a 2008 GMC K2500 diesel. Trailer is 04 Jayco Designer w/ a MORryd kingpin. Where it attaches to the trailer it sticks out about 5 1/2". The front of the trailer is not straight up and down, about 15" up from the kingpin it is even with the front of the kingpin. There is a BW turn over ball in the truck so I was looking at a Companion hitch. I am a short lady and so having to get out and unlock or lock the slider is going to be a pain.
I noticed some people said they have a short box without a slider. I don't want to damage the truck but don't want to spend a ton of money. Any suggestions would be welcome. Cathy

Look into the Andersen Ultimate 5th wheel hitch. Is only weighs 35lbs.

Look at an automatic sliding fifth wheel.

I have a slider but have never used it. You just have to be careful backing up.

i will depend on wether the 5th wheels nose is straight or if the corners are convex looking online it looks straight but at an angle you may be close ( i have a 2013 shortbox but my trailer has convex corners) a Reese or Curt (my choice) hitch with a slider installed is around $1000.00

http://www.curtmfg.com/


http://www.reeseprod.com/

Thanks for the input. I thought about the automatic but the hitch guy that was out said they were over $2K could you give me some brands to look at. How automatic are they? I saw also where you could buy sliding rails for a regular 5th wheel hitch. Would still have to get out and release to have it move. Not really sure how that works.  My boss has a hitch he will give me it is older but in good condition. But I would have to put rails in.
Steveblonde the front does have a little curve but not really convex.
Thanks again, if I could get names for some that are automatic I could see how much I need to spend. Cathy

This is always a difficult thing to answer. First of all, you don't absolutely need a slider at all.  A "cab strike" on a standard or short bed truck occurs only in extreme turns, typically when backing into a really awkward spot that requires a "jackknife" turn. You could go through your whole life and never do that, especially if you are not aggressive about getting the trailer into tight places.  As somebody already said, "you just have to be careful".

It may be possible to mount the 5W hitch far enough back that a strike won't happen. Sometimes an inch or two is all it takes. The "normal" position for a 5W hitch is several inches in front of the truck rear axle, but there is no fixed rule. The further forward it is, the better the massive 5W pin weight is distributed between front and rear axles, and the easier it is to turn the 5W when backing.  Your hitch guy may well be right, but it's a delicate balance between opposing factors. I would ask him to take careful measurements concerning the possibility of a cab strike, since it would be awful if you decided to push the hitch back and still risked the problem.  I had a 5W on a short (6.5 ft) bed truck and did just what he suggests. Had no problem, but I was always careful as well.

The advantage of autoslide vs manual is that you don't have to remember to use it. As I already stated, a cab strike occurs only in very limited situations, coupled with inattention by the driver. You get so focused on positioning the trailer that you forget to watch the front end by the cab, and then "crunch!". An automatic deploys whenever you back up, so no worries.

As an alternative to a slider, consider the Reese Sidewinder, which is an articulating pin box that moves the trailer pivot point back for wnough that a cab strike cannot happen. This video explains it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I6w04tAnm8

Price: an autoslider 5W hitch runs about $1100-$1200 plus installation. Here are a few:
https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Demco-RV/DM8550034.html
https://www.amazon.com/PullRite-4400-SuperGlide-Wheel-Hitch/dp/B000U5WGH0

Depends on the design of the front of the 5er.  I pull our 5er with a standard hitch in standard location with no problem.

Since you already have the B&W ball in the truck, take a good look at the Andersen Ultimate hitch.  It only weighs 37# so you can handle it yourself.  You can install it yourself in 15 or 20 minutes.  The FW latches with a handle mounted under the FW, with no need to get in the bed to hook up or unhook.

http://www.andersenhitches.com/Catalog/ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx

As others have said, with the tapered front of the FW, a little care should prevent any problems.  The slider is likely not needed.

I have a Curt with a slider that i used first on a short bed 2500 Chevy and now in a 3500 RAM short bed.  I have not used the slider in either truck yet.

Thanks for all the input. I looked at all the options and prices. I really like the sidewinder but that is a lot of money. Even the sliders with all the other things that go with them are up there.
My boss has a regular hitch from around 2000 he will give me but I think that won't work in the newer trucks. Anyone know if it would? If That would work I might go for the sidewinder.

An older hitch will work in a 2008 truck there are some newer trucks with a factory installed hitch prep but that didn't start until 2011 or so . You will need mounting rails in the bed they are about $450 installed.

I looked at the Andersen hitch but can't figure out how it works. It is just a ball like a goose neck do I need to change out the king pin to a goose neck?
Glen for a regular 5th wheel hitch do I need to remove the goose neck stuff or can I attach the rails to that? Is there more to a regular hitch than the rails that sit in the bed?

Check this out to see how it connects to your existing Kingpin.

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Andersen/AM3225.html

Ok that helped, how hard is it to be able to get the ball in the slot? I guess not any worse than a TT It sure doesn't look like it would be strong enough but I watched the crush test on it so I guess it is good. Would I have to take off my Morryde king pin box? I kind of like the idea of the cushion effect of that box.

Mud Puppy - I'm new to the 5th wheel world but I went with the Andersen (aluminum, goose neck mount) and love it. I have no traditional 5th wheel towing experience so I can't compare the ride but this thing is smoooooth! As far as lining it up goes, the first few times took me a while but now I can almost always hit it on the first try. Side-to-side is easy since you can either use the rear-view mirror or just look back through the window just like with a traditional 5th wheel hitch. How far back to go is a little tougher but with their new "funnel" device attached to the adapter block, it's pretty easy to get good depth perception with the contrast in color (black/aluminum). I'm usually no more than an inch off front-to-back.


From what I remember,  the Mor-Ryde pin box is ok but can't say for sure. I think the only one that could not be used was the Sidewinder. Email Andersen. I sent them several emails prior to purchase and they were very helpful and timely with their replies.


And if you have any other questions about the Andersen, post them or PM me - I'd be happy to help.


On a side note, it's a great conversation starter - just leave the tailgate down and someone will be asking you questions in a heartbeat...although it's always just guys, never the cute ladies.  ;D

That's OK I prefer the cute Guys

Nice. 

I could not find the funnel device on the website. Does it come with the FW attachment?

Yes, it now comes as a standard component and is attached to the king pin adapter block. Here's a link to a photo (the block is upside down in the photo): http://tweetys.com/andersen-3244-ultimate-connection-ball-funnel-for-kingpin-coupler-block.aspx?gclid=CL3t-4LTuc4CFYpahgodLTwHYQ