Replace the side plate assemblies that came with your Demco Autoslide above-bed fifth-wheel trailer hitch (DM8550040, DM8550034 or DM8550035). Bolts onto the hitch base so that you can attach your hitch to your universal above-bed rails.
Features:
Repl Side Plates for Demco Hijacker AutoSlide - Above Bed:Specs:
[LTL]Head/Base Asmbly Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5W - 13K:Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Jeff Hello, everybody. This is Jeff at etrailer.com. Today, we're gonna take a look at the replacement side plates for the Demco Hijacker Autoslide above bed mount fifth wheel trailer hitches. Now these will replace the side plates that came standard on your Demco Hijacker Autoslide above bed fifth wheel trailer hitches. It is designed to fit the Demco 13,000 pound, part number D-M-8-5-5-0-0-4-0 model. Fits the 18,000 model, part number D-M-8-5-5-0-0-3-4.
And it also fits the Demco 21,000 pound model, D-M-8-5-5-0-0-3-5. All three of those models we do sell separately on our website. Now when these side plates are attached to your Autoslide assembly it'll allow you to install your fifth wheel hitch in to your universal above bed base rails. These are a simple bolt on installation tier hitch base. You can see it does have multiple rows of bolt holes.
And the reason they do that is it let's you adjust your hitch height that you need for your application. It'll give you three different hitch height settings. Either 15 1/4 inches, 16 1/2 inches, or 18 inches. And the hitch height is critical because you wanna be able when you're towing your fifth wheel to be as level as possible. And the hitch height is always measured from the bottom of the truck bed to the top of the hitch head.
Now the finish on these, they have a nice rust resistant black powder coat finish on them. It is a steel construction. Does include everything shown here. Includes all the mounting hardware. All the pins and clips that'll attach it to your base rails.
And the nice set of instructions that'll describe how these install. And how it operates. But that should do it for your review on the replacement side plates for the Demco Hijacker Autoslide above bed mount fifth wheel trailer hitches..
Wow, where to begin. I can't imagine towing a 5th wheel trailer in a shorter bed truck without an autoslide setup. After the initial install I noted on the 2nd(?) trip a clunking noise during acceleration after a stop - a couple emails back and forth with Demco support, as well as a quick phone call, and it was all sorted out (user error) with no further issues - Thank you Demco!
I tow a short & light Jayco 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton shortbed and having the ability to drive, turn, and park the camper without having to get out of the truck to manually engage or disengage a slide on the hitch has made for much more relaxing weekends away. The Hijacker autoslide gives PLENTY of space between the camper and cab and I've never had to worry, but I did my homework and ran the numbers well before I purchased my hitch so I wasn't surprised.
I would say the only downside for me would be the weight and bulkiness of the hitch. Not having the means to easily remove and store it between trips, the hitch is forced to live in the bed of the truck right now, but I did know about the weight going into the purchase.
All in all, for the peace of mind the Demco autoslide gives me, I'd spend the money all over again.
Hitch works great, my truck has a 5’7” box, I can back up turning 90 degrees if I need to. It’s very important that your pretty straight when you unhook or you can’t hookup. You have to be more accurate when hookup. The first few times it seemed like it was going to be a hassle, you just have to pay a little more attention. Hitch is worth it
Your team was very helpful getting me the hitch that I needed, and it arrived a little sooner than expected. In fact my truck is still in the repair shop for the damage caused by the other hitch, so I have not installed the new one as of yet.
Thanks for all your help.
Everyone that I spoke to on the phone were very helpful. I haven't hooked up my hitch yet but I like what I see so far.
everything i have bought i am very happy with and will buy again.
Well built fifth wheel hitch. Haven't got a chance to tow our new Montana High Country 295RL. But I know a guy that has towed his fifth wheel with this same hitch. I'm sure this 18K hitch will be excellent! Or I wouldn't have bought it. I recommend e trailer for everything.
Demco auto slide hitch works very well with my crew cab short bed Ram. Fits under my tonneau cover nicely. Trouble free thus far. Had to purchase a Demco plate for the camper to make the Rhino box hitch work. etrailer personnel were great in helping ensure I had the right products and kept me well informed of shipping dates.
A very nice hitch. If you have a bed carpet or a bed liner it may require Un shimming the locking pins. I have a bed carpet and I had to stand on the back corners to get the pins to engage the bed pucks. Not really a big deal. It is very heavy so I assembled it in the bed of the truck. I would highly NOT recommend doing it this way except if you are by yourself. Get a chain hoist or maybe an engine hoist because it is very heavy as an assembled unit. It is flawless in its operation. Very well made. I am very happy with it.
After a year, I still like my Demco autoslide. It works great. I have pulled my trailer quite a few times and have had no issues at all. I know quite a few people that pull 5th wheels and one actually went out and purchased a autoslide after watching mine work.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. I purchased 2 different 5th Wheel Hitches before I purchased this one. After hitting the cab of the truck, I wanted to get a slider. I did my research for several months and just kept coming back to the Demco. This hitch automatically makes the adjustment when I need it, even when I don't realize I need the extra room. I never have to get out of the truck to release the hitch to slide back. I put the hitch together with no problems, of course it came about put together anyway, and the Instructions were good. the locking down ont he truck seems to be easier than other I had. The only regret I have is that I didn't buy this one sooner.
Item works exactly as described. I have a shortbed (6.5') Ford F350. Probably towed our 5th wheeler 5000+ miles with no problem. Then last year it happened! We were making a sharp turn in an uneven lot and POW, the 5vr hit the rear window and it exploded. After that I became gun shy about turning with the 5vr attached so I started looking at sliding hitches. A slider that you had to get out and unlatch to make work, didn't make sense to me. At what point do you get out? So, an auto slider hitch was purchased. Now when I get to a certain degree turn the auto-slide hitch moves back in its carriage and then auto-slides to the normal location once straightened out. Not gun shy anymore.
Pro:
Well packaged
Well made
Easy install
It WORKS.
Cons:
Price
Very heavy
Some clunking after it straightens out from a turn
Very happy with my Demco Autoslide hitch after one year. We pull a Montana 3120 35 ft 5th wheel with a 2019 Ford F-350 short bed. Took a month long 6,000 mile trip from Colorado to New England/Canada this Summer. Lots of hilly/curvy roads and some remote campgrounds with tight corners and some near 80 degree back ins. Never came close to trailer contacting the truck. I’ve had no jerking or other issues when turning or stoping/starting. Works great. The only drawback is there isn’t much room for error when you back up to hook up the trailer, so it takes a little practice to get used to correctly lining up your Demco Hitch to the trailer. The first couple of trips, it took me 3 or 4 attempts to properly line it up. No longer an issue for me after a few trips and you get used to the angles. It weighs about 300 pounds. I got a small chain hoist which I installed in my garage rafters and easily lift the hitch in and out of my truck and just let it hang front he rafters until I need to use it.
This 21K unit is very well built. It does have some weight to it so some help installing would be much easier.my installation was completed solo and took approx 1 hour in a GMC 3500 Denali.
The Demco Auto slide takes the worry out of towing my fifth wheel trailer with a short bed F-350. I have had no problems with backing into tight camping spots. And since everything is automatic I have one less thing to worry about while traveling with a fifth wheel.
The only problem is that it is a little on the heavy side, so I just leave it in the truck when not towing. Problem solved.
I am extremely happy with the product.
Solid hitch and fits as expected. Only 4 stars due to the limited hitch up angles. You really have to be within about 5 degrees of straight with the hitch in order for the system to function. Did not have this much of a problem with my other auto slide hitches, but this is the only one I could find with the weight rating I needed for my combo.
This review is for the Demco Autoslide 21k and accompanying OEM rail adaptor I purchased for a 2020 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW. I've owned it one year. Overall, the hitch performs as I expected. It is high quality, very sturdy and seems like it will last for a long time. I had it installed at the dealer when I purchased the truck. It automatically slides to protect the cab in my 6'4" bed without any incidents. I tow a standard fifth wheel RV. There are a few negatives, which are not necessarily shortcoming of the product but, instead, necessary evils to allow me to have a short bed. First, it is BIG and BULKY. I believe this is just a function of the mechanism required to allow the autosliding feature and I am not really sure there are any other lighter alternatives with this feature. The fact it requires two parts (OEM Puck Rail and hitch), make it even more bulky. It takes up almost the entire bed and prevents most auxillary tank / tool box combos from fitting. Even standard size storage bins will not fit in my bed. I would prefer if they had a custom OEM all-in-one hitch for my truck like they do for the Ford. It adds significant weight, which decreases carrying capacity, which can be at a premium in hauling a heavy fifth wheel. I've never even tried to take it out of the bed due to the weight and difficulty. I also am not very happy with the adjustable catch plate design. It requires significant manipulation loosening and tightening 8 nuts when hitching and unhitching. This requires a step ladder to reach the nuts. I also found out after the fact that it does not come with the right size catch plate attachments for my hitch and I had to purchase a separate part, which added unexpected expense and delayed my taking the RV on its first trip. Overall, I am satisfied with the hitch.
I INSTALLED THE DEMCO HIJACKER AUTOSLIDE FITH WHEEL HITCH IN MY 17 F250 WITH THE FACTORY PREP PACKAGE. THE HITCH FIT PERFECTLY INTO THE FACTORY PUCK SYSTEM. DID NEED A FRIENDS HELP DO TO THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIT. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE OPERTION OF THE AUTOSLIDE AND THE FACT THAT I DON'T REALLY HAVE TO WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT THE TRAILER CONTACTING THE CAB OF TRUCK SINCE I HAVE A 6 FOOT BED. THIS IS THE FIRST FIFTH WHEEL HITCH I HAVE EVER USED BUT WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT HAS A TRUCK WITH A SHORT BED. ONLY 4 STARS BECAUSE OF THE LEARNING CURVE OF HITCHING UP AND THE THING IS PRETTY HEAVY. ONCE I LEARNED THAT THE HITCH AND THE TRUCK HAVE TO BE PRETTY STRAIGHT IN LINE DUE TO THE CAPTURE PLATES HITCHING UP HAS BECOME A NONE ISSUE. I DID PURCHASE AN ENGINE HOIST SO THAT I CAN REMOVE THE HITCH FROM THE BED OF MY TRUCK BY MYSELF IF I NEED TO, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT JUST STAYS MOUNTED. I ALSO LOVE THE FACT THAT IT HAS A HIGHT ADJUSTMENT WHICH ALLOWED IT TO STILL FIT UNDER MY BEDS TONNEAU. OVERALL VERY SATISFIELD WITH PURCHASE
My wife and I are full-time RVers, and have used this slider hitch from the get-go while traveling around seeing the country over the past year. We are happy with our purchase, which has proven to be both easy to hook up, adjust, and functions well, as advertised.
The only matter I think you may want to address are the thick plastic removable maintenance access covers which tend to bow, and the areas around the attachment holes have melted, in the hot weather. Perhaps instead using a light metal for the covers would be better solution.
We are very happy overall with this hitch, and plan to keep it . Thank you.
I have a 2017 Ford F-250 (Crew Cab, short box), and a 40’ 14,000lb 5th wheel. I’ve owned this Demco Autoslide for 1 year, and I absolutely love it. I purchased a 5th wheel for the maneuverability, but my expectations were blown away with this Autoslide. I also have the Extang Xceed hard tonneau cover, and when folded up (laying flat on the panel closest to the cab) I can maneuver however I want without removing the tonneau. If im going to make a really sharp turn on uneven ground I’ll stop and flip my tonneau all the way up, but very rarely do I have to do that. Also removal & install of this hitch is about as easy as removing & installing a 5th wheel hitch can possibly be. I use a rope, pulley, & my side by side. Highly recommend this Demco hitch.
Very high quality product. Used on a extended cab short bed F250 and the sliding mechanism provides plenty of clearance between the Fifth Wheel front and the truck's cab. Fits Ford's factory fifth wheel bed mount holes perfectly. Used to tow a 42' fifth wheel regularly. Foot print is small enough to allow me to retain my tool box in the truck during towing.
The hitch is heavy! Do not plan to try to install with one person with out an engine hoist or gantry crane. Two strong people can, but extreme caution should be taken as the hitch weighs nearly 300lbs and is awkward.
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