Still trying to figure which hitch!

[donandlin]

Thanks for all the opinions on my earlier post. After lots of research we had a hitch man tell us we don’t need a sliding hitch for our 2024 GMC3500 Denali. He said they reconfigured the puck system on these newer Chevy/Sierra trucks and the hitch sits back further. He even said if you put the slider in the maneuvering position it would be too far back in the truck and wouldn’t work. ??? Now we don’t know what to think. We are looking at the 20K B&W non slider now. We just don’t want to make a mistake! Our 5th wheel is a 41’ Columbus 383RLH and has a curved front.

 

[Foothills Jim]

Not sure about the puck position on your GMC but with my F350 I found I never needed my slider. I had a short bed F350 and a 36' Grand Design Momentum. I did some pretty sharp turns backing in places without having to move my slider to the rear. If I had to do it again I wouldn't get one because they cost considerably more and weigh quite a bit more too. For me, weight was a consideration because my 63 gallon RDS diesel tank added a bit of weight when full. I'm sure there are some people that need sliders but I didn't. I had the B&W slider and it was a great hitch. There are lots of hitches on Facebook Marketplace that have little use for decent prices.

 

[TonyL]

Go with the B & W, you will not be disappointed.

 

[Derby6]

I have B&W with Ford puck system. Works great.
It’s solid. Non slider. But I do have long bed.

 

[TonyL]

6' 8" bed, no slider, puck system F350. No issues at all!
We've only got 6 years experience with it though

 

[donandlin]

Can you do a 90° angle with it not hitting the cab?

 

[TonyL]

Can you do a 90° angle with it not hitting the cab?

Not quite but we've not needed to yet.
If it gets tight the other half gets out and keeps a watchful eye and tells me when to stop.
We've had fifth wheels in the UK for 14 years on the equivalent to Nissan Frontier with a fixed hitch and only once hit the cab, but that was temper on my part. Lesson learnt

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Whether a slider is necessary or even helpful depends on several variables:

• The location and type of pin box on the trailer
• The shape of the trailer nose, i.e. straight or curved back and how much
• Location of the hitch in the truck bed
• How much turn angle you need, which is another way of saying where you have to maneuver that trailer and how much angle you are comfortable with.

The point here is that whether you "have issue" or not is a function of your particular trailer & truck as well as where you go and how you drive it.

 

[richclover]

Short bed Ram, Andersen hitch. Coachmen Chaparral 36’ 5’er. Never a turn problem. As Gary pointed out, the camper shape matters. Mine was designed with “Turn Tec Engineering”.

 

[richclover]

Can you do a 90° angle with it not hitting the cab?

I never got into a situation where I needed more than 45 degrees max. My storage lot was a dirt and gravel surface which mitigated the tire side loads during sharp turns. The tighter turns on dry pavement puts more stress on the camper tires. Just something to consider.