Recommended 5th Wheel Hitch for 2018 Ram 1500 Rebel with 5-1/2 Foot Bed  

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Since your 2018 Ram 1500 Rebel has the 5-1/2 foot bed then you will need to go with a fixed 5th wheel hitch on the truck and a pivoting pin box on the trailer in order to gain enough cab clearance to make sharper turns when towing.

For your Ram I highly recommend the Reese 16K 5th Wheel Hitch # RP30047 along with the Quick-Install Base Rail Kit # RP50142-58. This is an excellent hitch that features a 2-Jaw locking system for a really secure connection with the trailer and smooth, quiet ride. Its 4-Way pivoting head eases hookup and its 3-1/2 inch height adjustment will allow you to keep a level setup when connected.

The Quick-Install Base Rail Kit includes custom brackets that will use existing holes in your Ram's frame rails so you don't have to drill into them during install. I have attached a couple short video reviews along with the written install instructions that you can take a look at.

Then if your trailer isn't already equipped with a pivoting pin box you will need to replace it with one like the Reese Sidewinder. This will extend the pivot point 22 inches back from the king pin to give you the required clearance with your short bed truck.

These are designed to replace the factory pin box so to obtain the correct model you will need to locate the existing pin box model on the trailer. This is typically located with a sticker or tag right on the pin box itself. For example the Reese Sidewinder # RP61422 is designed to replace the Lippert 0719, 1621, and 1621HD pin boxes. If you can tell me what model pin box is on your trailer I will be happy to make a specific recommendation.

I have included a link that will take you to our available selection of Reese Sidewinders and an article on the subject that you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Chris R

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