Recommended 5th Wheel Hitch for 2012 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4x4 with 6-1/2-ft Bed

Question

Question:

I recently purchased a 2013 Open Range 337rls 5er. Dry wt is 8850 lbs and Gross Trailer weight is just over 12K lbs which the misses and I wont even come close to when traveling. Requesting assistance with which hitch is the right one, slider or fixed? Would like to know the advantages of each style and which models would you recommend. I will say that when I looked at the DEMCO Highjacker 18K Auto slider, it was very impressive. I believe they also make a 13K model if that would be sufficient for my needs.

asked by: Ken

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Sliding 5th wheel hitches are recommended for towing with a short-bed pickup like your 2012 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Series with 6-1/2-foot bed. Sliding hitches from B&W and Demco are the ones I most often recommend because of their build quality (both are made here in the USA). Their products cost more because they are worth more. They are beautifully made products that inspire confidence, potential sticker shock notwithstanding.

Although you state your trailer will not ever be loaded up to its maximum 12K gross weight, there is still value is selecting a hitch rated for more trailer weight than you require since this provides both safety margin and the probability of a longer working lifespan before maintenance is needed. Since you cannot add on safety margin after the fact I suggest choosing a hitch that is rated for more than your trailer's GTW rating (even though you will not necessarily need all that capacity right now). If in the future a new trailer enters your world it will be nice not to have to worry about also changing out hitches.

Demco's 18K Hijacker Autoslide hitch # DM8550034 offers a generous 14-inches of slider travel. It installs using above-bed base rail kit # DM8552011-71. For convenience, here is the winner. No getting out of the truck to release a slider before making your low-speed turning maneuvers.

The B&W option is also an 18K slider, part # BWRVK3270, that uses base rail kit # BWRVK2506. Key differences are that this B&W is a manual slider and that it offers 12-inches of travel rather than the automatic Demco's 14-inches.

For either option you can use wiring harness kit # C56000.

Since I see from your photo (thank you) that you still have your OEM tailgate on the truck, you might want to consider a 5th wheel tailgate to avoid losing turning clearance. All such options are shown on the linked page. Stromberg Carlson's 4000 Series plastic composite tailgate # VGM-07-4000 weighs only about 30-lbs. Installation is shown in the linked video.

expert reply by: Adam R

1

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Answer 1

There are a lot of great options out there so any of the brands you mentioned are going to work well. And people are notoriously partial to what they already own so that's some of why everyone has the "best". For a slider…

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Answer 2

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 3

Choosing the right height setting for your 5th wheel hitch is a combination of a few different variables. First of all you want your towing setup to be as level as possible. With your Montana High Country 340BH level you will want to measure from the…

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Answer 4

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 5

Most fifth wheel rails are made to the same industry standard dimensions. They aren't all though. If you measure 22 inches on center between the two rails and they look like the rails of the #RP30035 that you referenced they would be the industry…

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Answer 6

To get the B&W Patriot #BWRVK3200 to work with your 2006 Dodge Ram you're going to need a set of 5th wheel rails #DM8552016-71. These rails are custom fit to your vehicle so they'll just bolt right up to the frame. It is worth mentioning…

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Answer 7

The Ram OEM 5th wheel puck system, shown in the linked photo and article, was launched in 2013 so what you have in your truck is likely to be an aftermarket installation of some kind. These newer Ram trucks with the factory prep can directly accept a…

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Answer 8

Hey Jay. It sounds like you are on the right track here because a sidewinder pin box will be your only option for pulling your 5th wheel since you have a short bed truck with the Rambox. That said, you are right that the Reese Sidewinder cannot be…

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Answer 9

Increasing the tire and wheel size can increase the height of the trailer but it's usually quite minimal. Before you do anything else you should see if the pin box can be adjusted. Although you have to be careful here since This will lower the…

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Answer 10

Thank you for the photo of your 2016 Ram 3500's bed rail which sits 59-inches above ground. You are correct that the recommended minimum clearance between a bed rail and the underside of the trailer's overhang is 5 to 6-inches, as shown in…

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Answer 11

The Patriot Slider part #BWRVK3270 might be a bit more noisy than the Companion slider part #BWRVK3400 due to the increased number of mounting points, 4 at the corners vs. 1 in the center. Probably not that noticeable and certainly not something…

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Answer 12

The B&W Companion OEM 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider for Chevy/GMC Towing Prep Package #BWRVK3775 you're looking at will work fine with your new Chevrolet Silverado. This hitch has 3 height adjustments so you'll be able to set the hitch height…

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