Fifth Wheel Base Rail Placement on 2007 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab with 5 Foot 8 Inch Bed
Question:
distance between back of cab and center pin of hitch using reese slider
asked by: Craig
Expert Reply:
According the the instructions for the Reese Universal Base Rail kit, the hitch will install so that the trailer king pin will fall directly over the center point of the rear truck axle. The rear bed rail will be 25-1/8 inches forward of the rear of the truck bed (not the end of the tailgate).
Since your 1500 series Crew Cab has the 5 foot 8 inch bed, Reese STRONGLY suggests using a Sidewinder replacement pin box on your fifth wheel as a slider will not provide enough clearance to allow a 90 degree turn without the trailer loft striking and damaging the rear of the truck cab.
A Sidewinder may be used in conjunction with a sliding hitch, but the hitch should be left in the forward most position during towing. Sliding the hitch rearward while towing will place too much weight behind the rear truck axle, which can lead to diminished steering response.
A Sidewinder relocates the pivot point between the hitch and the trailer 22 inches rearward from the king pin to the point where the pin box connects to the trailer, providing additional clearance between the trailer and the rear of the truck cab. The Sidewinder is pin box-specific, so you will need to get the model or part number of your existing pin box. I will link you to the install instructions for the Base Rail Kit (see page 5 of the instructions), as well as our FAQ page regarding the Sidewinder. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see a listing of OEM pin box part numbers and which Sidewinder is compatible with which pin box number.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Reese Universal Base Rails and Installation Kit for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches - 10 Bolt
- Fifth Wheel Installation Kit
- Universal
- Above the Bed
- Reese
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on Fifth Wheel Installation Kit
