What Options Are There for Towing a 5th Wheel Trailer with a 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Question:

We have a 2015 Ram 1500 eco diesel that did not come with factory air BUT weve added air bag suspension after market so we do now have air suspension on our 5.5foot short bed Lone star edition. We just have a plain short bed but want to tow 5th wheel trailers. What parts are needed for this conversion?

asked by: Jim C

Expert Reply:

In order to tow a fifth wheel trailer using a 2015 Ram 1500 with 5-1/2' bed you really only have a few options. This is due to the bed length and limited turning clearance between the truck and trailer. Therefore, in order to prevent any accidental contact you'll need to choose from either a rotating pin box on the trailer or an auto-sliding fifth wheel hitch on the vehicle. I recommend the auto slide option since you won't have to deal with changing the pin box on the trailer or worrying about the special wedges needed for the pin box. The auto slide fifth wheel hitch will also not require you to get out of the truck and engage the slider each time you need to make a tight turn as it will slide the trailer away from the cab for you.

I recommend the Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch part # DM8550040 and Demco Premier Series Above-Bed Base Rails and Custom Installation Kit part # DM8552030-71. The only downside of this option is that the hitch is heavy so it's not something you want to remove from the bed very often but I just recommend using a tonneau cover to protect the hitch while not in use, the BAK Revolver X2 Hard Tonneau Cover part # BAK39207.

expert reply by: Conner L