5th Wheel Hitch For CMI Bed Rails in Chevy Silverado 2500 For Limited Use

Question:

I just purchased a 2015 2500HD High Country. It has a set of CMI stamped rails in the bed. My truck is a standard box not 8. Will most all manufacturers hitches mount to those rails? From what I understand, the rails are mounted to an industry standard. However, I am new to the 5th wheel towing world so I figured Is better ask the EXPERTS. I need a 5th wheel hitch for just one purpose and that is to move my 42' 15,000 lb. (loaded) RV out of my way while building my house. Since I have a short bed I was told to look at sliding hitches. However, sliding hitches are considerably more expensive than a fixed hitch. Since there is a 99.9% chance I will never tow this trailer, will a fixed hitch work as long as I don't try to make a 90 degree turn? My RV's empty weight is 12,900 lbs. Loaded it is right at 15,000 lbs. The pin weight is 2840 lbs. If I was going to tow this monster on the road, I would get a 3500HD dually and a 5th wheel rated at 30,000 lbs. (extreme overkill) but that isn't the case. Since I am only going to move this RV around my lot I think my 2500HD is enough to move it (not tow it anywhere on the road safely) with the least expensive fixed 5th wheel hitch with a 16,000 lb. rating right I can find.

asked by: Mike H

Expert Reply:

Definitely smart to ask, and we can help you out. So the CMI stands for Curt manufacturing, and you are 100 percent correct that they are just industry-standard base rails, so yes, most standard 5th wheel hitches will mount to them.

And a fixed hitch will indeed work, yes; it's exactly what I'd recommend since they are far less expensive than sliding hitches, and if you are just using this for building around your lot, there's no reason to spend more than needed. So what I recommend is a hitch from Curt:

- Curt E16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Slide Bar Jaw - 16,000 lbs # C16115

The E16 # C16115 is the perfect option for the least expensive way to just tow the trailer around your lot.

expert reply by: Kyle S