Can I Pull a Fifth Wheel Trailer With My 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 With a 5-1/2 Ft Bed and RamBox

Question:

I am interested in buying a 5th wheel trailer to pull with my 2014 Ram 1500 Crew Cab SWB Hemi and Ram boxes tool boxes . Can you tell me if this is possible or do I need to stick with a bumper pull trailer?

asked by: Stanley

Expert Reply:

Yes, it's possible to pull a fifth wheel using your 2014 Ram 1500 short bed with RamBox. However, before you purchase anything you will want to take some measurements and make sure everything will work.

For starters you'll need a trailer that has as Sidewinder or Revolution pin box. If you buy a trailer without one it's possible you can replace it. Check out the article I've attached to see if a specific pin box is compatible. You'll need the pin box number currently on the trailer. The article also has some great information on Sidewinders. A Sidewinder moves the pivot point of the pin box back 22 inches, giving you that much more clearance around turns. This is essentially because with a 5-1/2 foot bed, and ever more so with a narrow bed due to the RamBox, your truck doesn't have a lot of room and there's a large risk of contact between the trailer and your Ram.

To find out if your truck will have enough clearance with the Sidewinder You'll need to do some measuring. You need to determine where, in your truck bed, the jaw of the hitch will be. This spot will vary depending on the hitch you get.

Once you find where the center of the hitch will be in your bed measure from there to the back of the cab. Then add 22 to that.

That number, minus half of the width of your trailer, in inches, will tell you how much clearance you have. You want at least 4 inches of clearance. If you don't then a bumper pull trailer is your safer option.

So your formula looks like this:

Measurement from cab of truck to center of fifth wheel hitch = A
Length of sidewinder = B (Which is 22)
Width of fifth wheel trailer divided by 2 = C

(A + B) - C = Clearance

Once you've figured out if you have the clearance the install brackets for your Ram is part # RP50142-58. I also recommend a Fifth Wheel Wiring Harness # 50-97-410.