Recommended Best Truck and 5th Wheel Hitch with Added Air Bag System for Fifth Wheel Trailer Towing

Question:

Hello I was hoping you can provide a recommendation on the limits of a 3/4ton and 1 ton pick-up for towing a fifth wheel. My wife and I are looking at getting either a Grand Design 351M with the following specs: UVW* :13600 lbs Hitch Weight* :2785 lbs GVWR 16800 lbs Length** 38foot 9 Is there a recommendation on the type of truck. I would prefer a reg bed vs a long bed if possible. I am more concerned about the payload/Hitch weight. I will have myself and wife and two kids in the truck when we travel. I do not believe we will exceed 16k pounds we dont carry that much stuff when we travel. I also realize that I can not increase the specd payload or towing capacity of the trucks but do air bags help if we added? Any guidance would be great. Thank you I would also like to know what hitch you would recommend. I prefer buying from you aftermarket rather than the choices the truck manufacturers have.

asked by: ADAM R

Expert Reply:

First, thanks for your kind words. For towing your trailer, I have attached a couple of articles on best trucks for 5th wheel towing.

My recommendation is the 2017 or 2018 Chevy 2500 with factory prep package puck system. You don't need the long bed, but a sliding hitch will be needed for the 6-1/2 foot bed. I recommend the Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider # DM8550034 along with the Rail adapter # DM6194 for the best option. This will automatically slide so you don't need to get in and out of your cab to manually adjust the slider position for maneuvering around gas pumps or tight turns at the campground.

If you prefer the manual slider, then I recommend the B&W Companion OEM 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider for Chevy/GMC Towing Prep Package # BWRVK3770. This is a very strong and well made hitch which does not need an adapter for compatibility with the Chevy factory pucks.

With either option, I also recommend the Hopkins Endurance 5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness with 7-Pole Plug # 41157 to add a 7-way to the bed of your truck for easy connection access and a clean look.

Air bags in your truck will help with load leveling and I recommend the Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs # F2709 for that. It comes with the manual inflation valves, but you may want to consider adding a compressor to give you adjustability at any time. For that compressor system I recommend the Firestone Air Command I - Analog Gauge w/ Standard-Duty Compressor - Single Function - 130 psi # F2158. I've attached some videos to assist.

If you go with a different vehicle, let me know and I'll help with compatible parts.