Could Fifth Wheel Trailer with Non Extended Pin Box be Towed with Turning Clearance

Question:

I have a 6.5 foot bed on my dodge. My pin box is a Morryde but it only protrudes 3 inches past the front of my Jayco 5th wheel. Is that a sufficient distance from the cab for turning and backing. Most of the 5th wheels I have looked at the pin box is 12 inches beyond. Thanks

asked by: Jerry S

Expert Reply:

In order to determine that you'd also need to factor in the width of the nose of your trailer. If it happens to be a trailer with a lot of taper to the nose then you might be able to get away with a fixed hitch instead of a slider but most likely you would need a slider hitch like the Curt A20 slider part # C16541.

If your trailer has a tapered nose I recommend using the below formula to check your clearance:

(A + B) - C = Clearance

A = Distance from center of fifth wheel hitch jaw to truck cab
B = Offset used (slider clearance or Sidewinder offset) This is 0 since a fixed hitch is being used.
C = Width of trailer divided by 2 (to get half)

4" or more of clearance is needed to be able to make a full 90 degree turn without issues.

expert reply by: Jameson C