Recommended Fifth Wheel Towing Setup for 2016 Toyota Tundra 5.5 ft Bed

Question:

Hi, I’m looking to purchase a Chaparral x-lite fifth wheel that’s made for 1/2 ton trucks. I own a 2016 Toyota Tundra with a 6 in pro comp lift. The sales person has told me that they will need to changeout the pin box to a sidewinder and that I need to purchase a Reese or similar slider hitch. Does this all sound right to you and what do you recommend? Thank you very much for your help!

asked by: Chris P

Expert Reply:

Sounds like your 2016 Toyota Tundra has a 5-1/2 foot long bed which will require a Sidewinder pin box installed on the trailer to give you the needed turning clearance. Your truck bed is so short that there isn't a different way to get the clearance you'll need. So you would want a Reese stationary hitch and rail kit installed. For that the Reese 16k part # RP30047 would work great as it has a great jaw design and a 16k capacity. Then for a rail kit you'd want the part # RP50084-58 which is a custom fit rail kit for your truck. Custom fit is the way to go as install time is minimized as well as drilling.

The correct wedge to use for the hitch and Sidewinder then is the part # SWW-03.

Sidewinders are pin box specific so you will first need to know what pin box you have now in order to pick out the correct one.

There should be a sticker or a stamping on the OEM pin box of the trailer that will list the pin box number that is on the trailer.

Once you figure out which pin box you have you can check the FAQ I attached that has a chart that shows the correct Sidewinder to get based on which pin box you have. Most likely you'll see Lippert 1621 or 1716 as these are very common.

You are going to remove the lift kit though. Your truck would sit too tall to be able to tow the trailer level and also lift kit manufacturers don't normally rate their kits for towing applications either.