Short bed 5'ers
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New User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 17
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From: California
Short bed 5'ers
Hi, hope I'm doing this right. I didn't want to hijack anyone else's thread. I have a 2013 f-250 (diesel), Lariat, short bed (6 3/4), it came with the 5th wheel factory prep, and the camper package. I want to get a 5th wheel, something in the 9k to12k range. I am liking the look of the BW companion as well as the Reese OEM hitches. With the new 5'ers having the "cutaway" noses who thinks I will want a "slider" hitch? Who thinks I will want "airbags"? I have to think I'm not the only one wondering about this.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20,134
Likes: 15,880
From: Wisconsin
I have a short bed too and I can give you my opinions.
1. You will need Airbags if you want your truck to ride level. That's it. I could throw in some witty banter or slam on our F-250's having really bad squatting issues, but why bother. It will handle the load, but your headlights will be pointing up and doing you or oncoming traffic no good. It doesn't work well at all. Air bags allows you to adjust to whatever weight you have and is pretty much mandatory in my opinion. See my sig for what I have or search the forum. Tons of information here on air bags or ask here...don't want to tell you what you might actually know.
2.The B&W Companion is AWESOME. I love it. I don't come close to needing a slider, but this is strongly tied to the 5th wheel. Most new 5th wheels don't require a sliding hitch, but your situation WILL VARY.
1. You will need Airbags if you want your truck to ride level. That's it. I could throw in some witty banter or slam on our F-250's having really bad squatting issues, but why bother. It will handle the load, but your headlights will be pointing up and doing you or oncoming traffic no good. It doesn't work well at all. Air bags allows you to adjust to whatever weight you have and is pretty much mandatory in my opinion. See my sig for what I have or search the forum. Tons of information here on air bags or ask here...don't want to tell you what you might actually know.
2.The B&W Companion is AWESOME. I love it. I don't come close to needing a slider, but this is strongly tied to the 5th wheel. Most new 5th wheels don't require a sliding hitch, but your situation WILL VARY.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,351
Likes: 242
From: North Florida
I have a Montana High Country 5fth wheel, and the shape of the nose makes it so that I don't need to use my slider. With myy previous 5er, I did need to use the slider if trying to turn very tight, which was actually rare.
As far as the air bags go, I don't think I'll have another tow vehicle without them. When I installed them on my truck, I didn't really "need" them for the pin weight of the camper that I had, I just wanted my truck to be the same height loaded or not. After the first time I actually towed with them, I was sold. It made the ride seem so much better. Especially when you go over some kind of elevation change in the road surface, the air bags help take out the bounce.
As far as the air bags go, I don't think I'll have another tow vehicle without them. When I installed them on my truck, I didn't really "need" them for the pin weight of the camper that I had, I just wanted my truck to be the same height loaded or not. After the first time I actually towed with them, I was sold. It made the ride seem so much better. Especially when you go over some kind of elevation change in the road surface, the air bags help take out the bounce.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Ennis, Texas
I have a Sidney by Outback 5ver, with the new shaped nose. After looking at the closness during a 90 degree turn (trailer at 90 degrees to truck), I installed a Pull-Rite Auto-Slider. Now I can turn a continous 360 and it never gets close.
I installed Air-Bags (Firestone) and they have minimum air pressure, because the F-350 carries the pin weight without any sag.
Hope this helps.
I installed Air-Bags (Firestone) and they have minimum air pressure, because the F-350 carries the pin weight without any sag.
Hope this helps.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 17
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From: California
I appreciate all the input, and I'm leaning back to slider now. After seeing your pics it would be cocky of me not to heed your warning. I just really want it to be a clean install and nothing there when it's out. I'll keep looking for the OEM type. Now, since I'm can't hijack my own thread...
Are the air bags to keep it level, or reduce "chatter". I always thought trucks rode better with a little weight in them and the 5'ers I'm looking at all have pins under 1500.
Are the air bags to keep it level, or reduce "chatter". I always thought trucks rode better with a little weight in them and the 5'ers I'm looking at all have pins under 1500.
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Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Frederick, MD
mine is a hidden hitch. so the slider and everything comes out. the bite looks worse with the camera.
No damage to the 5er. It was exremely tight. I got out and looked and everything was fine for the turn. At least it appeared so.
No damage to the 5er. It was exremely tight. I got out and looked and everything was fine for the turn. At least it appeared so.
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 914
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From: Saskatoon, SK, CA
Reese Signature/Elite 18K slider for me even though my 2013 Crossroads Cruiser is shaped nicely in the front to allow for 95% of the turns I make, never know when I need to go 90 degrees and I would definitely need the slider for that.
I have air bags on a 350 and by running nominal pressure - 45 pounds or sometimes more it helps get rid of a lot of movement in the truck - rides smooth and level - definitely worth the modest investment - especially in a 250. My pin weight is about 1,900lbs. Trailer loaded is about 12,300 pounds. They will take a lot of bounce out of your ride which makes for a much more comfortable journey - not to mention levelling your truck so that your headlights don't blind everybody all the time. I do have a levelling kit in mine so I actually pretty much need to run the air bags at 30 lbs when not hauling or towing just to perfectly level the truck and keep my headlights out of everyone's eyes. If you haven't levelled your truck this probably wouldn't be a reason you would need air bags.
I have air bags on a 350 and by running nominal pressure - 45 pounds or sometimes more it helps get rid of a lot of movement in the truck - rides smooth and level - definitely worth the modest investment - especially in a 250. My pin weight is about 1,900lbs. Trailer loaded is about 12,300 pounds. They will take a lot of bounce out of your ride which makes for a much more comfortable journey - not to mention levelling your truck so that your headlights don't blind everybody all the time. I do have a levelling kit in mine so I actually pretty much need to run the air bags at 30 lbs when not hauling or towing just to perfectly level the truck and keep my headlights out of everyone's eyes. If you haven't levelled your truck this probably wouldn't be a reason you would need air bags.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,568
Likes: 55
The airbags will help with level. The chatter, if I am on the same page with what you are referring to, is due to axle wrap = the axle rotating the spring mounts. Airbags won't do anything for that, nor would shocks.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Wellington, KS
I used a SuperGlide with SuperRails on my 04 F250 FX4 shortbed pulling a 34' Alumascape. I don't need that hitch with this truck so sold the hitch. This truck has a Super 5th. I'm partial to Pullrite hitches. Also used Timbren's on the 04. It was a good truck but I like this one better!
Good luck with your choices, we have great people here and they give good advice.
Jim
Good luck with your choices, we have great people here and they give good advice.
Jim
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
I appreciate all the input, and I'm leaning back to slider now. After seeing your pics it would be cocky of me not to heed your warning. I just really want it to be a clean install and nothing there when it's out. I'll keep looking for the OEM type. Now, since I'm can't hijack my own thread...
Are the air bags to keep it level, or reduce "chatter". I always thought trucks rode better with a little weight in them and the 5'ers I'm looking at all have pins under 1500.
Are the air bags to keep it level, or reduce "chatter". I always thought trucks rode better with a little weight in them and the 5'ers I'm looking at all have pins under 1500.
we've been talking flat turns so far...
think about coming down a hill and turning to the right back UP another hill...
right at the V at the bottom, the cab tilts up and back, and the 5er is still tilted down and forward
we do this every time we leave the storage area and still watch how close that edge gets to me when it's kinked like that going back up the hill
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 501
Likes: 1
From: Anaheim, CA
I put airbags on mine to help level it out but not sure if it did anything to the ride as I had them installed before I started towing.
I also went with a slider hitch and my 2012 Attitude with the cut corners will hit the cab without the slider. I had a manual slider but switched to the HighJacker auto slide and couldn't be happier. With the HighJacker hitch all the play in the hitch head and slider is adjustable to take all the play out of the hitch. My Husky manual slider always had abit of play in it.
You can do some measuring and see if you will need a slider or not but my concern was what if I trade trailers then I don't want to have to buy another hitch.
Biggest ride difference that I have noticed when towing was when I went to the TrailAir Equaflex equalizers on the toyhauler. They made a huge difference in the ride when towing down the road.
_
I also went with a slider hitch and my 2012 Attitude with the cut corners will hit the cab without the slider. I had a manual slider but switched to the HighJacker auto slide and couldn't be happier. With the HighJacker hitch all the play in the hitch head and slider is adjustable to take all the play out of the hitch. My Husky manual slider always had abit of play in it.
You can do some measuring and see if you will need a slider or not but my concern was what if I trade trailers then I don't want to have to buy another hitch.
Biggest ride difference that I have noticed when towing was when I went to the TrailAir Equaflex equalizers on the toyhauler. They made a huge difference in the ride when towing down the road.
_
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,224
Likes: 63
we've been talking flat turns so far...
think about coming down a hill and turning to the right back UP another hill...
right at the V at the bottom, the cab tilts up and back, and the 5er is still tilted down and forward
we do this every time we leave the storage area and still watch how close that edge gets to me when it's kinked like that going back up the hill
think about coming down a hill and turning to the right back UP another hill...
right at the V at the bottom, the cab tilts up and back, and the 5er is still tilted down and forward
we do this every time we leave the storage area and still watch how close that edge gets to me when it's kinked like that going back up the hill
And not just the backing up the hill. Really off camber turns into or out of some campgrounds can be a time where the extra inches of a slider will be a benefit.
I had a SuperGlide on my short bed GMC. My research found the Superglide "auto" slide was the best hitch out there if you need that feature.