Fifth Wheel Hitch Recommendation for a Flat Bed Truck to Use Sidewinder

Question:

trying to figure out best hitch combination to tow 36ft. raptor toy hauler with CM short flat bed with recessed ball need to get as much offset or setback as I can get . was thinking of replacing king box with a sidewinder #st400-sw19k because of the 22inch setback but can I use a gooseneck adaptor with that to fit to ball on truck bed

asked by: Mike S

Helpful Expert Reply:

The only way you will be able to use a Sidewinder on your flat bed truck would be to have a fifth wheel hitch installed on it.

For a fifth wheel hitch you would want the Demco Hijacker SL Series Flat Deck 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # DM6076SL-FLAT. This is a hitch specifically designed for the taller beds of flatbed trucks.

For rails you will need the # DM6012. The install of these rails will have to be a custom install done by a qualified fabricator in your area. The rails will need to mount to the frame of your truck and not just to the bed.

Sidewinders cannot be used with fifth wheel to gooseneck adapters so this would be the only route to accomplish this.

You will need to remove the pin box of the trailer and replace it with a Sidewinder pin box. Sidewinders are pin box specific so you will first need to know what pin box you have now in order to pick out the correct one.

There should be a sticker or a stamping on the OEM pin box of the trailer that will list the pin box number that is on the trailer.

Once you figure out which pin box you have you can check the FAQ I attached that has a chart that shows the correct Sidewinder to get based on which pin box you have.