t6_man

My last truck was a LB. I wanted something easier to park and one which would fit in my garage, so I bought a SB. I was apprehensive about pulling my 5er with a regular hitch. After much debate between a slider and a Pullrite, I went with the Pullrite. It was a lot of money, but I love it. Never have to worry if I have enough clearance or not. The only downside is it is one heavy mother! I need someone to help me when I remove/replace it.

Casey Balvert

Ultimately, each of us has a choice. To tow with a short bed has some inherent risks. If you choose to take the chance of damaging your truck or rig, great. But please don't complain when you end up paying for the damage. Lots will say no problem, but to me I like to play it safe. Casey

Dieseldude4x4

For those that don't know, what are the inherent risks?
I've seen a lot of SB trucks pulling pretty big trailers. I know one personally.

doug

After considering this for some time, talking to lots of RV repair shops and installers, and reading the materials here and elsewhere, I've concluded that the only real risk in towing 5vers with a short bed over a long bed (that is, a risk that demands significant attention and is significantly less of an issue for long bed trucks) is the trailer hitting the cab. It appears that the other towing dynamics (related to wheelbase and stability) are minor and you should pay no less attention to those for the long bed truck than you should for a short bed.

hitting the cab can still be an issue with the long beds, its just that the issue will be easier to solve and will take less effort to overcome if you tow with a long bed.

that is to say, if you're committed to towing with the SB then you absolutely must understand the clearance issue YOURSELF. you must be able to know at any moment while driving if you are at risk for hitting, what your hitch will or will not do, if you have to jump out and engage the slide, etc. There are many SB 5ver solutions out there (trailer/hitch/truck combos) that won't hit. there are some combos that will. In particular, some of the heavier trailers with bedroom slides will not have the extended pin box because of the additional weight up there, and so in those cases even a Pullrite may not completely eliminate the risk of hitting. You just have to do your homework.

I've also come to understand that for those trailers presenting a risk of hitting the cab (again, typically those with bedroom slides that are not likely to have an extended pin box) -- these are often the longer trailers where you would risk popping a tire bead before you jack-knifed sharp enough to hit the cab. So you have to understand that risk as well and, long bed or not, you don't want to loose a tire while you are trying to get it into the camp space. In other words, just because you solve the cab clearance issue doesn't mean you can do a 90 degree jacknife w/o risking somthing else (the trailer tires for example).

So the moral of the story is that pulling 5vers is not just a turn-key situation that you just cannot buy something and pull. In particular, the SB trucks have the additional risk of hitting the cab, so you gotta do some research, and take ownership of all the various parameters that govern the experience -- the risk of hitting the cab, backing into very sharp corners and popping a tire bead, operation of the slider, pin weights, GCWR, truck limitations, all of that. you may have to make compromizes -- the wife wants a particular floor plan and that may mean you have to buy a PullRite and still watch out for the cab. stuff like that.

But I've not pulled even a mile, yet -- so you experienced 5ver's, please fill in the blanks -- how'd I do?

RATTLINRAM

Sounds like you have done your homework Doug! ;D
I tend to agree with everything you have brought up. I have never pulled with a longbed, but then again,,, I had my SB before I purchased my last 5er. Having towed our first 5er with a SB F-150 and then that camper with the SB Ram,,, I had those experiences to go by before we purchased the Cougar. As you stated, it depends on the truck, trailer and hitch-type combo. Mine works out great and I wouldn't have it any other way. JMO Granted,,,,,, I can cause damage by cab-trailer contact when backing up if I jack-knife the trailer too much. But,,,, in order to do that, I'm putting way too much stress (IMO) on the whole rig before that can happen. I've also always had the motto that "If I have to bind up my rig that bad in order to get into a spot,,,,, (A).. I'm doing something wrong and need to stop and rethink,,,, or (B).. I don't need to put my rig in that spot to begin with and should look elsewhere."
This is also one of those situations where RV dealers should be more responsible when selling their products to the consumer. How many times have you heard of folks being told that their undersized truck can pull that camper or all you need is this sliding hitch and you won't have anything to worry about. I've seen folks at campgrounds fight and fight to get their hitch slides to work, only to give up and the family that comes into the campground with a 5er sporting temporary tags and the rear bumper is almost dragging the ground! : Of course, on the other hand,,, I knew of a fellow who sells used RVs tell a story where he refused to sell a rig to a guy with a 1/2 ton and told him the trailer was just too big. The guy stuck to his guns and demanded the sale final or he was going to take him to court! Go Figure! He got the trailer, but only after signing a release form.
I think that more people should do the kind of research that Doug has done before towing a rig. It would sure make their life a little easier and a lot safer down the road! ;D

k w

personally i like the sb. if you get a 4x4 i would put your fifth wheel right over the axle not in front like most recommend. i pull a 11000# 5r that way and it works great

bullfrogjim

I towed by bumper only until a couple of months ago so I am a rookie when it comes to 5vers. My truck is a shortbed and although I was nervous about hitting my cab, after getting used to the way the trailer tracked and paying attention to it I became very comfortable and didnt have to worry much so i personally dont think it should be a huge issue.