What is Needed to Use Fifth Wheel Hitch on Short Bed 2014 Ram 2500 With Rambox?

Question:

I own a 2014 2500 dodge ram with a six foot bed and rambox. There are no rails. What is everything that I need to buy in order to hook up a 30 foot fifth wheel trailer? If it makes a difference, I will be driving on lots of dirt roads. I know absolutely nothing, and am worried that a shop will just sell me whatever is easiest for them. There is an electrical plug in the back that I plug my bumper pull 2 horse trailer so that it gets brakes and lights. There is a button on the dashboard that I push that says "tow" that I push when towing the horses. When I bought the truck my only concern was pulling a horse trailer. I don't even know, what I don't know. I have no idea the kind of suspension it has. I am recently widowed and no longer feel safe camping in a tent, but I don't want to give up the outdoors. I need something reliable and simple enough for me to hook up on my own.

asked by: Mary F

Expert Reply:

I'll be happy to let you know what you are going to need to make a purchase so you can tow a fifth wheel trailer. I will also provide links to a number of help articles for you which should be useful in making the best decision for you about what to purchase.

The first thing to address is that with a short bed 2014 Ram 2500 and Rambox, you are going to have to use a Sidewinder to replace the king pin on your fifth wheel trailer so it doesn't come into contact with your truck. Without a Sidewinder there is no way for you to have the proper clearance when you have to make sharp turns. They replace the king pin on your fifth wheel so you will need to find the make and model number, which should be on a sticker somewhere directly on the king pin itself. I've added a link that will take you to our page with each of our Sidewinders for you to look through.

For a fifth wheel hitch you'll want to use something that is reliable, appropriately rated in terms of weight and makes hooking up as simple as possible but is also compatible with a Sidewinder. For that I recommend the Reese # RP30928 and base rails # RP50054-58.

The other thing you are going to need is a wiring harness. Since you mentioned a plug on the back of your Ram that gives your horse trailer lights and brakes, you have a factory 7-way. So you are going to want to use fifth wheel harness # 50-97-410 to make wiring your up your fifth wheel easier.

expert reply by: Kyle S