Recommended 5th Wheel Hitch with 5th Airborne Sidewinder for 2011 Chevrolet Silverado Shortbed

Question:

I used the 5th Airborne Premium 5th Wheel Air Ride King Pin w/ Sidewinder and Turret 61422 with my Hensley TS3. It worked pretty good except for one thing. There was some play at the hitch head. The wedge allowed the Airborne arm to move slightly creating a sort of Dog Tracking situation. The wedge was as tight as I could get it and still allow the locking mechanism to grab the king pin. Are there specific hitches that you recommend for the Airborne? How tight must that wedge fit in the hitch head? I think I might like to try this pin box again in he future but need the bitter truth of what the best hitch is for the Airborne.

asked by: Steve H

Helpful Expert Reply:

There are certain 5th wheel hitches that are not compatible with a Sidewinder. Some Hensley hitches are not recommended for such applications due to the fit of the wedges supplied with Sidewinders.

I checked with my contact at Hensley about the TS3 and he said this hitch can be modified by addition of a welded-on part to enable them to be used with a Sidewinder's supplied wedge.

In order to determine if your hitch requires this modification (it depends on its age) you'll need to contact Hensley and provide them with the serial number and purchase date of your hitch. They can then tell you if it will require the modification.

The size of fifth wheel hitch you will need depends on the weight of the fifth wheel you will be towing. If 16,000 lbs gross towing weight will work I would recommend the Reese 16K Fifth Wheel Hitch, part # RP30047. This fifth-wheel hitch provides excellent jaw-to-king-pin contact with a 2-jaw latching system, has a wide-stance, and its 1-piece legs are stable and supremely easy to remove. You will be able to keep and use the rails you have. I am including links to the installation instructions on the hitch and the installation kit.

When installing a wedge for a sidewinder, it is important to make sure the wedge is making contact with the opening of the fifth wheel head. Check out the photo I attached showing how a universal wedge should fit in a head. Keep in mind, this is a universal wedge, so there may be a small gap, even if the wedge is all the way against the king pin.

expert reply by: Chris O