Can B&W Companion 5th Wheel Hitch BWRVK3400 Be Used In 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 W/ 5-1/2' Bed?

Question:

Can this adapter be used with my 2017 Silverado Z71, 6.2, 10-speed at, trailer tow package with the short bed 5 1/2’? The truck already has a BandW gooseneck hitch. I’m looking at shorter, 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel tt - reluctant to spend the $$$ on a larger p/u. Thanks!

asked by: Tim

Expert Reply:

I reached out to my contact at B&W and the B&W Companion Sliding 5th Wheel Hitch # BWRVK3400 you were looking at will indeed work just fine in the B&W Turnoverball # BWGNRK1057 in your 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 with a 5-1/2' bed.

This will give you 12" of front to back travel for additional cab to trailer clearance when making sharp turns, but I recommend taking the truck and trailer to an empty parking lot with a friend and making sharp turns while your friend checks the cab to trailer clearance so you can get comfortable with how much you can turn before you have issues. Due to your bed length you will likely not be able to make a full 90 degree turn which is why I recommend getting familiar with this setup.

My contact mentioned that you will also likely need to lower or remove your tailgate when sliding the hitch back to make sharp turns so keep that in mind.

There is no reason to go to a larger truck unless your trailer exceeds the towing capacity of your truck.

Lastly to allow you to connect your 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel trailer to your truck you may also be interested in the 7-way connector # C56070 which plugs in in-line of your factory connector and allows you to to easily add a connector to the bed of your truck so you can connect your trailer.

I included videos of the products mentioned for you to take a look at.