Hitch Recommendation For 2011 Ram 2500

Question:

Ill be pulling a 2012 Dutchmen Denali thats 30foot long, 8foot wide, and 7500 lbs dry weight with a rounded front cap with a 2011 Ram 2500 with a 6foot 5inch bed. Do I really need a slider hitch or would a stationary hitch work since the trailer has a rounded front cap? What hitch and rails would you recommend? Thanks!

asked by: Wade

Expert Reply:

Slider hitches give you a better turning clearance but are not mandatory for smaller beds. If you wanted to use a regular hitch you could but could face some issues when trying to make tighter turns that a slider could help you avoid. Below I've attached a formula we use to determine how much clearance you'll have:

(A + B) - C = Clearance

A = Distance from center of fifth wheel hitch jaw to truck cab (The length of the slider fore/aft travel will increase this number)

B = Length of the pin box on your camper

C = Width of trailer divided by 2 (to get half)

You'll want to have a minimum of 4" of clearance when making a 90 degree turn.

I highly recommend using a slider in all beds under 8' to help avoid any damage to the camper or cab of the truck.

I recommend the Curt A16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ R16 Slider - Dual Jaw - 16,000lbs # C16521 and the Curt Semi-Custom Fifth Wheel Installation Kit for Dodge Ram 2500/3500 - Carbide Finish # C16420-204 as it will give you the longest fore/aft travel at 12" in the 16K weight class.