Hitch - Montana Owners Club

cmawendy · 01-09-2010, 05:48 AM

We bought the 2008 Dodge 3500 mega cab, our question is about what type of hitch to get. Our old truck we had the reg. 5th wheel hitch but we had a long box. this truck has a short bed and I was told to get the slider hitch. The previous owner used it to tow horse trailers so there is a ball hitch in the bed. the dealer was trying to get me to get some type of hitch that has an extension off the 5th wheel that hooks onto the ball hitch?? I'm thinking that is not a very good idea?? Any suggestions? I'm thinking a slider hitch would be the best bet.

camper4 · 01-09-2010, 07:37 AM

I would get slider. There are several kinds to choose from. There are some that require attachments to the hitch. I would avoid that because if there is ever a problem, you can limit who can tow the 5er for you.
Another reason is that those additional parts can fail. My daughter's 5th wheel slider had parts that broke loose and forced them to stop. Mangled parts but still attached. The dealership ended up taking the blame for improper install, but... No harm done luckily.
I was not far from them and was able to go help out. We were able to get the mangled slider parts off the 5th wheel with a lot of work and I was able to tow it home for them.
I don't know the name brand of their hitch but it was an automatic slider. You did not have to engage it.
My son in law has a new hitch and it is a reese slider. Needs to be engaged manually but he is okay with that.

Mudchief · 01-09-2010, 09:06 AM

I would go with the pullrite super slide. It is automatic and you never have to do anything but drive.

Trailer Trash 2 · 01-09-2010, 11:16 AM

If you buy a slider there are some that need an attachment to the pin box I believe it is pull rite, to make the slider work and if you want to ever pull it with a friends TV in case of an emergancy it will have to be one with the same manufacture to hook up, I personally like the Reese sliding hitch no gadjets to attach to the pinbox.

HughM · 01-09-2010, 01:07 PM

We have a Reese Slider hitch. Used it twice just to see if it worked. I never had to use it but I'm prepared.
Hugh

exav8tr · 01-09-2010, 02:37 PM

I HAD a manual slider on my Valley hitch, BUT in a year of travelling I never had to use it, came close, but always kept an eye on the trailer vs truck thing. If I'm not mistaken the Dodge Mega Cab has the shortest of all the beds. I would strongly consider the auto slider, those that have it really seem to like it a lot......I don't know about the attachment thing but heard it could be a problem for someone else, or a Tow truck having to tow it.....

farmboy · 01-09-2010, 02:39 PM

How about a sidewinder with the companion for the b&w you already have?

NCFischers · 01-09-2010, 02:59 PM

I wouldn't use a hitch extension so you could use the gooseneck hitch. Fifth wheels are not built to be towed with them. Gooseneck trailers are built a lot beefier.

Art-n-Marge · 01-09-2010, 10:08 PM

I also believe Keystone does not allow a hitch extension that converts to a ball mount on their 5'ers for the reason NCFishers mentioned - the strength is not there. Hopefully, you can find a slider hitch, but you will definitely need some kind of slider with a short bed. As hard as you might try to avoid it, you only have to need it once!

Drifty1 · 01-09-2010, 11:24 PM

I have the Reese 16K manual slider on my rig, it works fine for me. I have always slid the hitch before I backup,but have not tried to jack knife to see how close I come to the back of the cab. It is a little hassle but I slide as soon as I get to the campground.

Fjkiss · 01-10-2010, 02:53 AM

WE have the Pullright (autoslider) hitch I love the piece of mind I wont forget to to slide it back when
maneuvering. The part that go's on your rig is a plate, go's over the king pin and bolts on (easy to remove
if needed) check out the cost when you forget to getout and slide your hitch back and need repair to both truck and R/V.

Toneman56 · 01-10-2010, 09:09 AM

I have a Pullrite Superglide auto slider. The previous posters are correct it does take a "capture plate" that attaches to the king pin plate. You can get a capture plate for your lippert that attaches with a single set screw and nylon bushing or you can get the universal and weld it on. I have had it both ways and suggest the removeable. The reason is the you have to leave your hitch plate for service shop to move the trailer, at least I did. Just had a friend that trade in his hitch for a superglide and he loves it, as I do mine.

Here is the chart, just measure the kingpin. I think its one of more popular applications for lippert.

Pullrite

Tony

bear · 01-10-2010, 01:15 PM

Mark, Only one way to go PULLRITE SUPER SLIDE for a short bed .The best part is you can remove it from the bed,and have the use of your truck for hauling. Check out the PULLRITE WEB SITE. Save money buy from a hitch company in your area not a RV dealership $4800 to $5200 from hitch co. around $3400 to $3800. Make sure they have installed them before.

Good Luck and God Bless

northeastdiesel · 01-10-2010, 03:32 PM

I have a 3500 megacab also and I did alot of researching when it came to this topic. You have 3 choices as I see it. (1) a manual slider. I crossed this off the list due to the chance that I am in traffic and have to take a sharp turn and forget or am in a rush and don't pull the lever to slide the hitch and damage my cab. If my wife has to drive also I don't want to put that stress on her. (2) 5th airborne sidewinder, great setup, but the only thing I worried about was adding stress to the frame of the camper. It looks like a great setup and I have read alot of great reviews of the product. (3) Pullrite superglide, I pick this hitch because its a great hitch and when its out of the truck I can use my bed. Its very well made and there are only a few negitives about the hitch, but most can be over come. First, the hitch is heavy. I am a pretty strong guy and putting this hitch in the back of the truck is alot of work by yourself. If you are not a very strong person I hope you have a very strong friend to help you. When I plan to take my hitch out, I don't disconnect it from the king pin, I leave it attached and pull the pins under it leaving the rails attached to the bed so I can use the camper to lower it on to a table. It saves your back. When unhitching from the camper your truck must be no more than 15 or 16 degree's. If you find yourself in more of an angle you can undo two pins in the hitch leaving the head attached to the king pin. Its really not to bad to do. There is a capture plate that fits your pin box and if you need someone else to move your camper it can be taken off with one allen key. Very simple and takes 2 minutes. Also that plate prevents someone with a 5th wheel hitch from stealing your camper unless they have the allen key to take off the plate. The cost of the hitch. Its not cheap but I figured damaging the cab just once will cost more than the hitch. Taking the stress off the driver alone is worth it. You have enough to worry about going down the road with a 35 foot camper in tow and a 22 foot truck. Its peace of mind and you can't put a dollar price on that and your family's safety!!! Watch that pin weight on your rear axel. You will soon find out that that camper is going to make your truck sag and you are going to be looking for airbags to get your headlights back to earth. If you have any further questions please ask! Happy camping.....Scott

cmawendy · 01-11-2010, 05:49 AM

What do you think about the B&W companion hitch that goes with the ball hitch?

northeastdiesel · 01-11-2010, 10:41 AM

I have only heard nothing but great things about the hitch, but it is not going to solve your turning problem. You can get the hitch, but then you are going to have to figure a way to get that camper further away from your cab in a turn(sidewinder). Its a cheaper route than the sidewinder, but its a gamble in a turn without the moving it away. 88 degrees is what they say will work. 89 degrees you are out 2500 bucks and then buying a sliding hitch anyway. Its my 10 cents worth. Oh, and I figured out a 4th option last night after I posted. You can have a 8 foot bed put on your truck. Big money , but hey they are throwing in a "free" spray in liner in the bed...hehe Let us know what you decited. Happy camping! Scott

mazboy · 01-15-2010, 01:48 PM

i have a reese slider...used it once.
i brought my truck the same way you did...with a horses hitch. i just had it taken off and put my old hitch on. but now i see that you can keep the center hitch and get a 5th wheel hitch put on that hitch. this isn't the hitch you put on your trailer but it goes on your truck and you can take it off. you may want to do some research on the various hitches.
http://www.gooseneckpopuphitch.com/p...tchdodgetrucks

skypilot · 01-15-2010, 05:26 PM

Mark: If you are looking for something that will leave the bed clear when you remove the hitch then you are probably limited to something like the Reese Signature series with a slider. The bed on the Mega cab is too short for a non-sliding hitch and the B&W Companion is not available with a slider at all. Additionally, B&W has big disclaimers about using any of the hitchpins that move the pivot point from the kingpin itself -- their website shows an example of a 'wedge' and how it put additional strain on the hitch head -- which they don't recommend.

If you are looking (or needing) to also pull a gooseneck trailer, then the Reese signature series also has a gooseneck ball adapter. Not cheap but less expensive than going the B&W turnover then companion and busting out a rear window / damaging the back sheet metal.

Delaine and Lindy · 01-16-2010, 03:16 AM

Tony if you really want the best, take a look at Trailer Saver I understand they now have a slider. The Trailer Saver is also the best Air ride hitch you can buy. With the Trailer Saver TS 3 slider you want have to buy another 5th wheel hitch. It fits most all bed rails, such as Reese, Valley Huskey. For sure they are pricey but so is you 5th wheel. I really believe the Trailer Saver will take a lot of stress off the frame etc. The Trailer Saver can move from truck to truck. And you will only need to buy new bed rails. You can also have the Trailer Saver sent to you. GBY...

www.Trailersaver.com

richard66 · 01-17-2010, 12:59 PM

I have a 06 Megacab and a pullrite 24k superglide which I love. I have towed over 40k with mine and only routine lubrication has been required. A comment was made earlier about the capture plate on the pin box being an issue if anyone else had to tow the trailer. Only four screws are required to be removed and you are back to the original configuration. I can get over 90 degrees if needed and never leave my seat. The superglide is quiet, doesn't chuck excessively, hooks up easily, easy to install and requires only occasional lubrication on the ways. When removed the bed floor is clean with no rails. The only negative is the weight and size. The hitch can easily be removed with a chain fall and stored on a pallet. Manual sliders were fine when nothing else was available. With the superglide you can drive and not worry about your Monty and truck contacting each other.

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