More Turning Clearance Needed to tow a Forest River Salem With 2016 F-250 Short Bed and B&W Hitch

Question:

I am towing a 2018 Forest River Salem 5th wheel with a 2016 F-250 with the 6foot bed on a B & W slider hitch. There is just not enough room between the trailer and the cab during normal towing. I have to be very careful on my turns in tight spots like gas stations. I would like to get some additional space and am looking for recommendations. I do not want to slide the hitch every time I pull into a gas station. I have a B&W Companion Slider with the single point connection to the bed.

asked by: Brian H

Expert Reply:

The only way to get more cab clearance with your 2016 Ford F-250 and your Forest River Salem 5th wheel will be to use a Sidewinder pin box and a fixed 5th wheel hitch, but this will require you to remove the B&W gooseneck hitch in the truck that your B&W Companion hitch uses and replace it with 5th wheel hitch base rails. There are some cases where people have had extensions welded to their pin box for more clearance, but this adds stress to the trailer frame, voids the trailer's warranty and it doesn't add much to the turning clearance problem.

A Sidewinder will move the pivot point back 22 inches to the mounting brackets at the trailer which will dramatically increase your turning clearance when compared to a sliding 5th wheel hitch.

If you want to go this route, I recommend using the Reese Elite Series Install Kit, # RP30126, along with the Elite Series Gooseneck Head, # RP30138, because this kit will give you the 5th wheel hitch base rails that you need to support a Sidewinder pin box and the gooseneck head will cover the hole from your B&W gooseneck hitch and you will retain the gooseneck option if you were to ever tow a gooseneck trailer.

For a 5th wheel hitch, you will want to use the Reese M5 Series 20K, # RP30921, because it is designed to work with the underbed pucks of the Elite Series base rails. Sidewinders are brand and model number specific, so if you can send me the brand and model number of the pin box on your trailer, I'd be happy to make a recommendation for you. This information will be on a tag or ID label on front or side of your pin box.

expert reply by: Timothy G