Recommendation on a 5th Wheel Hitch for a Truck With a 6-1/2 Bed

Question:

We have a 2015 2500 truck with a 6.5foot bed. We just bought a 2014 Carbon 327 toy hauler. Some people have said we have to have a slider type hitch and some people have said it is not necessary. What do you suggest?

asked by: Laurie G

Helpful Expert Reply:

The decision to use a standard or sliding 5th wheel hitch comes down to how comfortable you are in making certain turns with your rig. With short bed vehicles, the clearance between the cab of the truck and your 5th wheel trailer can be an issue if you are trying to make 90-degree plus turns. Most people find using the slider hitch reinsures them that they can make these turns without having any contact between the cab of your vehicle and the trailer.

With this in mind, I researched your trailer online and in photos saw that the front end of the trailer sticks out forward toward the cab of the tow vehicle. With this design of your trailer, I recommend looking at installing a slider hitch in your 2015 GMC Sierra 2500. The closer your trailer is to your tow vehicle the more likelihood you will have clearance issues.

For you 2015 GMC, I recommend the Curt A20 5th Wheel Slider Hitch # C16541 and Curt Custom-Fit 5th Wheel Install Kit # C16411-204. This Curt hitch has a 20K weight capacity and will provide you a 12 inches of slider travel from front to back. One, feature of the Q20 that I really like is the dual locking jaw. The jaw design allows for a secure 360-degree contact around your trailers king pin. This design reduces 5th chucking and helps quite down hitch rattle.

expert reply by: Jared P