Determining The Correct Hitch Height For A Reese M5 5th Wheel Hitch In A 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500

Question:

I read your article about distance from the ground to the bottom of the pin box mine = 50/inches. Distance from the ground to the top of the bed rails mine = 53/inches Equals 3/inches??? My truck is a 2020 1/2 ton Chevy crew cab short bed 5/ft 10/inches long. My RV dealer has installed a Reese sidewinder hitch pin on the 2020 Jayco 25.5 eagle HT REOK that i am soon to pick up. He sent me pictures w/measurements on them and he shows 50/inches from the ground to the top of where the hitch pin is connected to the bottom of the sidewinder. He shows another picture from the ground to the bottom of the RV equals 64/inches. The company i had install the Reese M5 5th wheel hitch 20K and matching reese mounting kit which i ordered from yall was installed by them at what looks like to me is in the very lowest position the M5 will go.Your honest opinion do you think this is all going to work? I also realize that the wedge is going to have to be installed and the lockout bolts removed from the sidewinder. thank you. JMB also i ordered this truck w/the 3.0 turbo/diesel and it has run greatand great fuel mileage.

asked by: John B

Helpful Expert Reply:

When measuring the pin box height you'll need to have the trailer level and the measure from the ground to the base of the king pin (pictured below). I recommend rechecking this measurement yourself since the dealership probably has zero clue what they're doing.

You'll also want to get the measurement from the floor of your 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500's bed. The trailer measurement minus the truck measurement will give you the height that your Reese M5 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # RP30890 needs to sit at.

For example, if your truck measurement is 45" and your trailer measurement is 60" then you'll need to have your hitch's height set at 15" for your trailer to ride level.

Another important aspect to consider is the distance between the nose of the fifth wheel and the bedrails of the truck. We recommend at least 6" of clearance so that your trailer doesn't come into contact with the bedrails when hooking up or disconnecting. Your pin box will stick down much lower than nose of the trailer so this usually tends to be enough to offset the nose enough for the minimum clearance. If not, then you'll need to raise the hitch height and let the trailer ride a bit nose high to ensure you have enough bedrail clearance.

I've attached some pictures below that will accurately display exactly what I'm refencing here with each measurement.

expert reply by: Kevin C