New 5th Wheel Slider Hitch and Replacement Pin Box for a 1997 Ford F-250 and Keystone Raptor

Question:

I have a 1997 Ford F 250 HD 4X4 short bed with overloads. a Firehawk 21000k 5th wheel hitch that the 5th wheel head comes off and exposes a goose neck ball. A Keystone Raptor 5th Wheel Toy hauler RP3612DS08 16500GW Lippert 1116 box. I want either a airborne premium 5th wheel air ride kingpin sidewinder and turret or a new hitch. Do I need 19000K or will a 16000K be ok? Is it better to just change the hitch and include a slider?

asked by: Kevin L

Expert Reply:

A Sidewinder pin box would be ideal but there isn't an air ride Sidewinder that is rated high enough for the gross trailer weight of your trailer. You do not want the pin box to have a lower capacity than what the trailer is rated for.

What you can do is use a different hitch with an air ride pin box instead of a Sidewinder. If the hitch you have now fits in industry standard above the bed rails (see picture) you can use the Demco HiJacker # DM8550034 which offers 14 inches of travel.

Then for an air ride pin box you can use # LC155943 from Lippert or # 5AB-S500-700 from 5th Airborne. Both are rated for 21,000 pounds. To use either pin box with the HiJacker you will also need a locking plate. Use # DM6095 for the Trailair or # DM6026 for the 5th Airborne.

If your current hitch does not fit in industry standard above the bed rails then the installation kit you have now will need to be removed and a different one, # DM8552005-71, installed. I have included a couple of video links for you as well.