Anyone of you guys run or know anyone who does run the Demco Hijacker auto slide. I guess I didn’t realize how the main disadvantage for a 5th wheel is a short-bed truck. I love my truck so it’s staying! :roflmao:
Help me further my debt!
- Thread starter LB7 Lover 1994
- Start date
Is that a model where you have to also purchase a plate specific to the pin plate of your Firth wheel. What do y’all think of the Anderson’s companion. THAT seems pretty nice and even claims it’s more than enough for a short bed
IMO I would get the ball that your hitch needs and the Reese goosebox. I’ve seen nothing but good reviews on it. Expensive up front but can be transferred to other trailers as you upgrade. And I don’t see turning radius being a problem with as short of a trailer you’re wanting. There are a lot of manufacturers that offer short bed friendly trailers.
5th wheel all the way. Nothing is better to pull and park. I generally deal with really tight spots on the beach and space to get into is tough. Bumper pull always required the wife to get out and watch, while 5th wheel you can swing right in. Unless it's changed, in CA (and other places) you can ride in the 5th wheel as a passenger while you can't as a bumper pull.
I have a pull rite super glide in the L5P. Yes it does need a capture plate with the wedge on the bottom to make it work properly. Yes they are expensive up front, but well worth it. Even with the extra deep UWS box in the bed of my truck there is room when turning almost 90 (getting it backed into the driveway takes a hard cut). If you buy a new unit, see what the dealer can do for the hitch. I had them make it part of the deal.
I upgraded from a 23' bumper pull and it was worth it. There are only 2 of us, but the double rear slide almost doubles the width of the interior with most of it being floor space. I was more interested in layout than length but wanted to keep the overall length down so it would fit in the drive. At 33'4" the overall length of the truck camper combo is 2' longer than the 23' bumper pull (I think it was 26' outside length).
Honestly picking a camper I believe is gonna be easy than picking the hitch to pull it with! Soo many options and prices. Giving my truck already has a gooseneck and I wouldn’t have to pay for installation the Andersen ultimate is really appealing to me.
The Andersen ultimate is a darn nice hitch. The only thing I don't like is the overall gooseneck experience. The amount of flex/roll that my Curt has puts my gooseneck ball to shame in overall towing comfort and usability. Also, 5th wheel is nice as you don't have to be as precise when hooking up. You've got to be close but not dead on like with gooseneck. I also like with 5th wheel that you don't have to crank the trailer a huge amount. This isn't a problem for 99.99999% of campers out there but it's the main reason I converted my gooseneck trailer to 5th wheel. Hooking that thing up every weekend is a pain when its got 1000lb of plate weights at the front of the trailer plus the added tongue weight from the truck. Turns out I don't like cranking my trailer in the 90f+ heat or torrential downpours WI seems to be having lately.
If your truck already has a B&W then you have the option of getting their companion hitch in a slider which really is the cat's pajamas.
If your truck already has a B&W then you have the option of getting their companion hitch in a slider which really is the cat's pajamas.
It looks like you have the 2007 classic. Mine is an 2004 and I will bet dollars to pennies if you look on the drivers side door it will say 9200 GVWR. That is total on the truck. I would not worry so much about total GVW of the trailer but more on the tongue weight on the truck. There are 3 numbers you need to look for, Rear axle weight, GVW (truck) and GCVW (truck + trailer).
My truck weighs 7000# with just me and the stereo (2- 12" in box and two amps add up). GVWR on truck listed 9200#. However listed tow rating for my truck is 13500#. So GCVWR for truck and trailer are 22700#.
MY trailer tongue weight "DRY" is 2050#. That will put me at 9050#, now add the wife and the dog hitch and whatever else gets added in the truck I will be over on the truck. GTW (gross trailer weight) for the trailer "DRY" is 10700# + 3323# of cargo capacity to come up with MGTW (max gross trailer weight) 14023#. Lets just say I have 9400 on the truck as long as I keep the trailer weight to 13300 I will still be under GCVW listed for my truck.
I would not suggest this to anyone and it should not be done
. With a 5th wheel on a 3/4 ton you will overload truck's "listed" GVW before you have a problem overloading the trailer. You can be pulled over and checked YES, will it happen? If you get in a wreck will it be a problem YES. Overload at your on risk.
OP has already stated he has no desire to spend big money on a hitch. I paid $900 (maybe it was a grand, I can't remember) for my 20k companion slider used off of FB MP, and felt like I got a good deal. He may not view things the same way?
But I do run the B&W turnover ball with their companion slider and it is very nice set-up. The down side is the companion is heavy. I do not know the exact weight of the hitch but I'd be willing to bet it's north of 250#.
Once you start bumping up against the capacities of your truck, you begin to analyze everything you have, that is adding weight. On my new set up, my last scale ticket I was over on the truck a fair bit (but still under on the tires).
The actual pin weight between my last rig and my new one are pretty close. But the old rig I converted to gooseneck, so no companion in the bed of the truck.
New rig doesn't have the beefy AlKan pin box that the old one does, geometry is a bit different, I do not view it as a suitable candidate for a gooseneck conversion.
So I'm heavy, I run AirLift 5000 bags (always have) and will be adding a Helwig "Big Wig" sway bar, like the big truck camper guys run.
As has been said, a mid to large size fifth wheel is going to push the truck past it's GVWR. Just stay within what your tires have been rated for, you should be fine.
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It looks like you have the 2007 classic. Mine is an 2004 and I will bet dollars to pennies if you look on the drivers side door it will say 9200 GVWR. That is total on the truck. I would not worry so much about total GVW of the trailer but more on the tongue weight on the truck. There are 3 numbers you need to look for, Rear axle weight, GVW (truck) and GCVW (truck + trailer).
My truck weighs 7000# with just me and the stereo (2- 12" in box and two amps add up). GVWR on truck listed 9200#. However listed tow rating for my truck is 13500#. So GCVWR for truck and trailer are 22700#.
MY trailer tongue weight "DRY" is 2050#. That will put me at 9050#, now add the wife and the dog hitch and whatever else gets added in the truck I will be over on the truck. GTW (gross trailer weight) for the trailer "DRY" is 10700# + 3323# of cargo capacity to come up with MGTW (max gross trailer weight) 14023#. Lets just say I have 9400 on the truck as long as I keep the trailer weight to 13300 I will still be under GCVW listed for my truck.
I would not suggest this to anyone and it should not be done
Mine weighs in at 7500 with me and nothing extra other than a bed tool box with a little in it. Nothing stupid, little extra oil, coolant, and ATF just as a precaution. Couple tools a jack and my tri ball and drop hitch. I’m not an oompa lumpa. Scale screams when I step on but the needle finally settles down at 255! :roflmao:
I think for ease of sanity, money, weight, and ability to install and uninstall I’m gonna go with the Andersen Ultimate. Dealer I’m buying the camper off of is throwing it in for free and installing it at pickup. :thumb: Can’t wait to see how it handles. The camper is used, but new to me! Absolutely immaculate on the inside. Got an awesome deal on it. Brand new mattress freshly resealed roof, slide seals, doors and windows. This thing seriously looks like it’s been garage kept. I’ll post pics once I get it home!
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When I drove from central WI to Denver, Colorado and back for Diesel Power Challenge 2019 we scaled in at 23,880lb in a 2002 LB7 with my gooseneck, my LLY, 4 guys, tools, oil etc. The truck didn't squat much and honestly handled the load well. We were overloaded to 7200lb on the rear axle (GM claims 6200lb, AAM claims 10,120lb) but under on the tires which were rated for 7500lb. That was 2200 total miles towing at that weight through some nasty hills etc all in 85f+ weather.
Stay under what the tires are rated for on a SRW and you'll be fine IMO. The trailer should have brakes built to stop is weight. Drive smart and don't tailgate etc.