Adding Turning Clearance With a Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch

Question:

I have a 2021 Ford F-350 4x4 with the 6.75foot bed that we are trying to figure out if the Demco DM8550038, 21K hitch will give us the clearance we need with a 102inch wide camper. The camper is a Jayco Pinnacle. Thank You

asked by: David D

Expert Reply:

The Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Ford Super Duty Prep Package - 21K Item # DM8550038 has a 14" slide to allow you to make sharper turns without the camper hitting the cab of the truck.

If a short-bed truck will be used, it is recommended that a slider fifth-wheel hitch and an extended pin box be used to help compensate for the reduced turning clearance. Without the slider or pin box extension, the trailer can strike the cab on sharp turns. The Slider allows the vehicle to make normal turns during low-speed maneuvering. The extended pin box (minimum 13") creates even more space between the truck cab and the trailer.

The formula for determining the amount of clearance you have is the distance from the center of the fifth wheel hitch jaw to the truck cab plus the the length of the sidewinder arm (using the slider will add an extra 14" here) minus half of the width of the trailer (in your case it would be 51").

If you can send me back the exact measurement from the fifth wheel hitch jaw to the cab we can determine the exact number here.

Even with an exact measurement both Demco and I still highly recommend taking your camper out to an empty parking lot and practice sharp turns to see just how much of an angle you can get and what you feel comfortable with. Some campers have extra trim for aesthetics or to help with wind resistance that could potentially stick out further so you'll want to take those into account as well.

expert reply by: Kevin C