Will Fixed B&W Companion 5th Wheel Hitch Give Enough Turning Clearance In 2021 Ram 2500 W/ 6-1/2 Bed

Question:

Will this hitch allow turning radius for a Dodge Ram with a 6.5ft short box?

asked by: Glenn

Expert Reply:

Since your 2021 Ram 2500 has the 6-1/2' bed the B&W Companion Gooseneck-to-5th Wheel Hitch Adapter # BWRVK3500 will more than likely not allow you a full 90 degree turning radius.

With that said it can be sometimes made to work if the trailer has a tapered nose, but a full 90 degree turn would still likely not be possible. While you can still tow the trailer like this, you will need to be very careful making turns as you do not want the trailer to contact the cab of the truck. You can verify if you will have enough clearance by using the formula A + B) - C = Clearance. In the case of a fixed hitch like this B = 0 as B is the rearward travel. A will be the distance from the center of fifth-wheel hitch jaw to truck cab, and C will be width of trailer divided by 2.

For a truck like yours with a 6-1/2' long bed it is recommended to go with the sliding hitch version, the # BWRVK3400, as it offers 12" of rearward travel to give you that extra clearance needed when making a sharp turn, so I recommend you go with this hitch instead of the fixed hitch.

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

expert reply by: Samuel C