What fifth wheel for 5 1/2 bed

[Kat66]

I will be picking up my 5.0 in May. I have a RAM1500 5 1/5 bed is anyone using a regular fifth wheel hitch? If so slider or no slider. I was originally going to go with the Anderson but I think it will take up a lot of the bed space while traveling. Also thought I would be saving weight with the Anderson but it would still be almost 150 lbs after installing a B&W turn ball hitch under the truck.

So at this point I think I’m looking for a lightweight slider fifth wheel hitch that would work for my short bed. If anyone is doing this what hitch are you using. If I go this way I will be attaching it via a rail system.

Any input would be greatly appreciated

[davidmurphy02]

Hopefully others will weigh in, but I believe plenty of people use a conventional rail mounted hitch in a 5-7 bed with no problems and do not feel the need for a slider hitch. I have a quad cab Ram with a 6-4 bed so that there is enough room in front of the hitch for a toolbox - in the shorter bed you can't fit a tool box but clearance when turning is still fine, the 5.0TA was designed with short bed trucks in mind.

I have been very happy with the Demco Recon rail mounted hitch. Unlike most conventional hitches it has a pyramid base with a single vertical post, which makes it lighter (94 pounds) and also takes up much less space in the bed than most conventional hitches. https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel...DM8550043.html

[Chotch]

I don’t believe you can find a lighter or simpler 5th wheel hitch than the rail mount Anderson. And sliders are even heavier than a conventional 5th wheel.The hitch itself is under 40 lbs. and the frame mounting hardware is exactly the same as that used for standard 5th wheel. Pretty sure those roll over ball setups weigh more than the rails do.

[Kat66]

Hi Chotch,
How much space do you have in front of the front rail. and what are the dimensions of the base of the Anderson hitch. I want to have generater and extra propane tanks from the look of your picture I may be able to put that stuff behind the hitch and smaller stuff in front of the hitch. Thank you

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Kat66

Hi Chotch,
How much space do you have in front of the front rail. and what are the dimensions of the base of the Anderson hitch. I want to have generater and extra propane tanks from the look of your picture I may be able to put that stuff behind the hitch and smaller stuff in front of the hitch. Thank you

Can’t give you dimensions right now but as you can see I have lots of room for stuff. It is a 6 1/2 ft bed. The space in front of hitch is the same weather it’s short bed or long bed. If you can find a conventional hitch that takes less space than the Anderson rail mount I’d like to see it. As to a small generator and extra propane there is plenty of room. If it where me I’d consider the remote propane option instead of another tank.

[Kat66]

Thank you the pictures are helpful

[LoonCall]

We are on our maiden voyage with our 2020 5.0 TA. Of course, the 5.0 is wonderful. We have the Andersen Ultimate system and the F150 short bed. Towed fine, but we could not get into a tight camping spur at an Oregon State park without touching the cab. We decided to reverse the hitch pin coupling to allow more clearance to the cab. Bad idea. Now we are experiencing porpoising/a surging feel over bumps. Will be reversing the coupling today to the original. Some rigs are able to do 90 degree turn with short bed. We are not.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Kat66

Thank you the pictures are helpful

🤔I made a mistake when I said the space in front of hitch is the same for all bed lengths, it’s the space behind the hitch, actually axle to tailgate that’s the same. This is true for Fords and I think GM products.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by LoonCall

We are on our maiden voyage with our 2020 5.0 TA. Of course, the 5.0 is wonderful. We have the Andersen Ultimate system and the F150 short bed. Towed fine, but we could not get into a tight camping spur at an Oregon State park without touching the cab. We decided to reverse the hitch pin coupling to allow more clearance to the cab. Bad idea. Now we are experiencing porpoising/a surging feel over bumps. Will be reversing the coupling today to the original. Some rigs are able to do 90 degree turn with short bed. We are not.

Do you have the ball offset to back?

[Kat66]

Very good to know about the feel of the ride with the extended pin coupling. I'd be interested if anyone else is getting that same ride experience. If I went with Anderson I was thinking of running it that way.

[LoonCall]

Originally Posted by Chotch

Do you have the ball offset to back?

Yes. However, there may be another issue. When we left Chilliwack two weeks ago, I assume the tires were at recommended 50#. today in Tucson (2,300' elevation and 74 degrees) the tires were at 68 #. I deflated to 58# (accounting for deflation to possibly 50 # at cooler temps. The ride was less bumpy. Could the moderate elevation and heat raise the tire pressure that much? (I confess I was guilty of not checking more frequently.)

[Iowa Dave]

I don’t know about elevations being that great of an influence but I do know that I start hot days in hot country at 5 or 6 psi below the rated cold inflation stamped on the tire. At the end of the day we are often at 65 PSI. but by morning often back down to 59 PSI. I’m running several pounds below the max on my Michelin latitudes on the Highlander too. Tires need to be uniform in inflation and within the limits. If not there’s either too much drag (Tires low) or uneven down pressure( tires overinflated). There’s some wiggle room and “playing with the pressure” might help you find the sweet spot.
Iowa Dave

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Chotch

Do you have the ball offset to back?

We run the ball to the back on our 2019 F150 6.5' bed. No problems.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Hawkeye Ed]

Originally Posted by LoonCall

When we left Chilliwack two weeks ago, I assume the tires were at recommended 50#. today in Tucson (2,300' elevation and 74 degrees) the tires were at 68 #. I deflated to 58# (accounting for deflation to possibly 50 # at cooler temps. The ride was less bumpy. Could the moderate elevation and heat raise the tire pressure that much? (I confess I was guilty of not checking more frequently.)

Tire Pressure - Effect of Altitude and Temperature

The Tire Rack web site has a technical article, https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...jsp?techid=167, that explains the effect of altitude and temperature on tire pressure. Fortunately, this influence is relatively small and can be easily accommodated.

According to the article, a change in elevation from sea level to 5000 feet would result in a tire pressure difference of 2-3 pounds per square inch. The article also points out that tire pressures change about 1 psi for every 10° Fahrenheit change in ambient temperature.

The tire pressure measured in the relatively moderate climate typically experienced at sea level will change when exposed to the colder temperatures associated with higher elevations. This means that in many cases differences in ambient temperature may come close to offsetting the differences due to the change in altitude.

Ah, the things you learn on the Internet!

Ed (who even with help from Dave can't figure out how to make URLs into live links)

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

We run the ball to the back on our 2019 F150 6.5' bed. No problems.

Enjoy,

Perry

Ball to back and adapter to back of pin is what works good for me. With my 6.5 bed it gives me the ability to go to 90* without hitting cab. Must confess have only ever done this in a parking lot to see if I could. Have never actually needed to do it yet.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Chotch

I don’t believe you can find a lighter or simpler 5th wheel hitch than the rail mount Anderson.

I agree - any ball hitch will be lighter than a pin-and-plate fifth-wheel... and the 2" diameter pin of the common RV fifth-wheel hitch is extremely heavy because it is sized for much greater loads than necessary. The pin itself could be half the weight and more than strong enough, but the 2" diameter was established long ago for commercial applications.

The Andersen Ultimate is the only common ball hitch which couples at the height of a conventional fifth-wheel. The common "gooseneck" hitches are ball hitches which couple just above the truck bed, and they're comparable in weight and operation; however, they put stresses on the trailer frame for which the Escape trailers are not intended, and there are other issues. There is at least one other high-mounted ball-and-socket hitch, and it would be comparable in weight, but it is not common: the Pulliam SuperLite, which is basically the same as an Andersen Ultimate but inverted so the ball is on the trailer and the socket on frame mounted to the truck.

Originally Posted by Chotch

Pretty sure those roll over ball setups weigh more than the rails do.

Likely, but in a rail-mount system there's the weight of the rails themselves plus the brackets to the frame under the box, so it's not a huge difference.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I agree - any ball hitch will be lighter than a pin-and-plate fifth-wheel... and the 2" diameter pin of the common RV fifth-wheel hitch is extremely heavy because it is sized for much greater loads than necessary. The pin itself could be half the weight and more than strong enough, but the 2" diameter was established long ago for commercial applications.

The Andersen Ultimate is the only common ball hitch which couples at the height of a conventional fifth-wheel. The common "gooseneck" hitches are ball hitches which couple just above the truck bed, and they're comparable in weight and operation; however, they put stresses on the trailer frame for which the Escape trailers are not intended, and there are other issues. There is at least one other high-mounted ball-and-socket hitch, and it would be comparable in weight, but it is not common: the Pulliam SuperLite, which is basically the same as an Andersen Ultimate but inverted so the ball is on the trailer and the socket on frame mounted to the truck.


Likely, but in a rail-mount system there's the weight of the rails themselves plus the brackets to the frame under the box, so it's not a huge difference.

😳🤔 Yeah......right.