Towing a 5th Wheel Trailer with a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 5-1/2 foot Bed and B and W Hitch

Question:

I have a 2013 dodge 1500 4/4with a 5.5ft box. my trailer is a crossroad cruiser. 25ft.,aluminum construction. gvw 8330 pin box is a lipp1621, front width of the trailer is 98 inches. I recieved aBand W 5th wheel plate with the trailer But Band W says that will not be aceptable. with any slider. What do you recomend? THANK YOU

asked by: Richard S

Helpful Expert Reply:

We do have a solution for your situation. You could use a Sidewinder replacement king pin, like part # RP61422, to replace the Lippert 1621 pin box on your trailer.

When adding the Sidewinder, you will be causing the trailer to pivot at the pin box attachment wings and the pin box itself will not swing in the truck bed so you will be able to make a 90 degree turn without damage to the truck cab. We have a video showing this for you, check out the last part of the video and you can see how the trailer pivots in the new location.

With your B and W hitch, you will need to modify the installation because locking out the pivot point at the hitch will create some lateral stress on the hitch and could cause it to spin on the gooseneck ball which is the attachment point for your hitch. Reese, the manufacturer of the Sidewinder states that, the hitch itself can rotate when using the Sidewinder creating 2 pivot points and therefore a loss of trailer control. To fix this you can add two 1/2 inch, grade 5 bolts to the rear support to keep the hitch from rotating but this may void the B and W warranty. Check with B and W to be sure the addition of the bolts to the hitch base is acceptable.

expert reply by: Jameson C