5th Wheel Hitch Recommendation for 2015 Silverado 2500 HD Short Bed  

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Expert Reply:

First, please note that a slider hitch is recommended for your 2015 Silverado 2500 HD with 6-1/2-foot bed unless a Sidewinder pin box is installed on your 5th wheel. If you do have a Sidewinder (or Revolution) pin box then you can safely use a fixed 5th wheel hitch.

I suggest a custom-fit installation bracket kit. These reduce overall installation time and also avoid the need to drill into your new truck's frame. Universal kits cost a bit less but for a one-time effort like a 5th wheel install we always suggest making things easier with a custom-fit kit like the Curt # C16411-204. These base rails fit all industry-standard 5th wheel hitches from Curt, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Reese, Valley and Husky.

I also suggest you select a hitch with higher capacity than the 14K rating you mentioned. I say this because it is always a good idea to have safety margin in any system, and also because once you move up to higher-rated hitches you will find features not offered on lower-rated hitches, features like a 4-way pivoting head (versus a 2-way) for easier hitching, and a double jaw system (versus a single or slide bar jaw) for better king pin contact, which will reduce jarring and chucking.

I suggest the Curt E16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Slide Bar Jaw - 16,000 lbs # C16115 which is a reliable and economical hitch. To use this hitch with a sidewinder, you'll also need Custom Wedge # C16991 to keep the king pin from rotating inside the hitch.

For trailer wiring you can use Bargman custom-fit harness # 50-97-410 that plugs into your existing factory 7-way and provides a duplicate 7-way for the truck bed.

expert reply by: Adam R

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