5th Wheel Hitch Options for 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic 2500 Diesel 4X4 with 6-1/2-Foot Box  

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You have two options for 5th wheel towing with a short-bed truck such as your 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Diesel 4X4 with 6-1/2-foot box. A sliding 5th wheel hitch is one way to get around the limited trailer-to-cab clearance with such short-bed trucks and the other is to use a Sidewinder replacement pin box on the 5th wheel. Both of these products, which cannot be used together, provide additional turning clearance for low-speed maneuvering.

There are several types of 5th wheel installation kits: universal kits which cost the least but require the most drilling and installation time and custom bracket kits that require no drilling into the vehicle frame, offer the shortest install time but cost the most. The link provided will take you to our main page for 5th wheel hitches where you can select the type of installation you prefer and choose a hitch suited to your trailer gross weight and pin weight. I have linked two articles on 5th wheels and Sidewinders that will give you some useful background on both.

The Curt hitch you referenced, part # 16516, is a 16K-rated slider hitch that offers a 4-way pivoting head (for easier hitching on uneven ground), height adjustment and 12-inches of front-to-back travel to allow for adequate low-speed turning clearance. If this hitch suits your new trailer you can use the Curt Custom Fifth Wheel Installation Kit # C16418-204. This complete kit includes custom-fit no-drill under-bed brackets, above-bed rails and all required hardware and it is compatible with most industry-standard 5th wheel hitches including the Curt # 16516. An alternative is the lower-cost universal kit # RP30035 from Reese.

If a Sidewinder replacement pin box is preferred over a sliding hitch you can check for availability of a suitable replacement by using the part reference from the original pin box. The linked article includes a table of Sidewinder pin box compatibility. For example, if your trailer has a Lippert 1621, Fabex 663 or a number of other pin boxes suitable replacements include the Reese Sidewinder # RP34FR; if you prefer an air-ride Sidewinder you could use Reese # RP61422. The advantages of a Sidewinder over a sliding hitch are that you do not need to exit the truck to release the slider before making your low-speed turns and the Sidewinder provides more clearance than a slider, 22-inches of additional clearance rather than the typical 12 inches for a slider.

expert reply by: Adam R

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