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Old 01-20-2022, 04:12 PM   #1
CalhounRSB
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5th Wheel Slider

I am purchasing a GMC 2022 Sierra 1 Ton with short bed. Do I need a 5th wheel slider?
 
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Old 01-20-2022, 04:25 PM   #2
jsb5717
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Originally Posted by CalhounRSB View Post
I am purchasing a GMC 2022 Sierra 1 Ton with short bed. Do I need a 5th wheel slider?
Welcome aboard! Glad you're hear. You are asking a question that has been asked many, many times before. If you do a quick search you will likely find many threads that discuss this issue.

The problem is that there isn't a simple answer. It really depends on you. Some prefer the sliding hitch. Some feel they need it but don't like the weight of it. Some have them and never use them, or some rarely use them but were glad they had it.

Others, like me, have used short bed trucks with 5ers for decades without a slider and without issue. The newer 5ers have a pretty good cap on them that allows for tighter turns. Is it still possible to contact the back of the truck? Sure...under the right conditions that catch you not paying attention.

So, it's really up to you and how you plan to use your truck. I use and enjoy the Andersen Hitch. The Pullrite 2600 is also a good choice for a capable light weight hitch that's easy to install and remove. However, if you have a new 5er then your frame warranty will be voided with these hitches. There are other good choices that are fairly easy to manage for weight. I also like the Demco Recon and would consider that one if I ever decided to quit using the Andersen.

So, very subjective topic and there any many opinions. Do you need a slider? That's up to you. Good luck in your research.
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Old 01-20-2022, 06:39 PM   #3
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Have towed well over 200k and worked for Fish and Wildlife and had to park in some beautiful and hard to get in and out of spots. We always had a Pullrite auto slider and I never worried about it. A friend said he was always careful and so he didn't need it. Uneven ground and a sharp turn allowed him to discover that the sliding back window on a modern pickup can cost more to replace than that high dollar hitch. For me it was a no brainer, get a hitch that won't allow you to discover the need.
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Old 01-20-2022, 06:59 PM   #4
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Thomas,

First - welcome to the forum!

I agree with Dick. This is a pay now or pay bigger later situation.
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Old 01-20-2022, 07:32 PM   #5
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First, I have a long bed truck. I selected a long bed truck for many reasons, all of which turned out to be the right decision. So, I've never used a slider hitch before, but I do have a very strong opinion on this subject though.

First, you paid or are financing a small fortune for your camper. When you stepped up to a Montana, if that be a High Country, or a Montana, either way, you stepped up to the big league.

Now that you have invested, or will be investing twice what the original selling price was if you financed it over time, why do you want to short change yourself and cut corners now?

You sound like getting a different, heftier truck is not an option. So with that, then don't short change yourself by not having proper equipment, just to save a few pennies now.

IT'S BETTER TO HAVE "IT" AND NOT NEED "IT" THAN TO NOT HAVE IT AND FIND OUT AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME THAT YOU REALLY NEEDED IT AFTER ALL. (I'm not shouting here, I'm making a strong emphasis!)

Really, you may think you may never need a slider hitch. BUT! the ONE time you do, all the investment you made for it will be more than well worth it.

I have 2 pick-up trucks. Both have 4x4. Do I use 4x4 all the time? No, absolutely not. Did I waste my money getting 4x4 on both trucks! Absolutely not. Because when winter snow hits and we're buried in because our county road hasn't been plowed, the 4x4 is beyond priceless!

If you absolutely cannot afford another truck so a slider hitch is not even a consideration, than at least make your current equipment updated to suite any situation you may find yourself in. You will never, never regret it when you realize if you didn't have it, you would have really been in a jam.

If you travel with your trailer, and not have the trailer sitting on a permanent or a season site, you will find yourself in situations. Be prepared! You'll never regret it.
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Old 01-20-2022, 08:17 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsb5717 View Post
Welcome aboard! Glad you're hear. You are asking a question that has been asked many, many times before. If you do a quick search you will likely find many threads that discuss this issue.

The problem is that there isn't a simple answer. It really depends on you. Some prefer the sliding hitch. Some feel they need it but don't like the weight of it. Some have them and never use them, or some rarely use them but were glad they had it.

Others, like me, have used short bed trucks with 5ers for decades without a slider and without issue. The newer 5ers have a pretty good cap on them that allows for tighter turns. Is it still possible to contact the back of the truck? Sure...under the right conditions that catch you not paying attention.

So, it's really up to you and how you plan to use your truck. I use and enjoy the Andersen Hitch. The Pullrite 2600 is also a good choice for a capable light weight hitch that's easy to install and remove. However, if you have a new 5er then your frame warranty will be voided with these hitches. There are other good choices that are fairly easy to manage for weight. I also like the Demco Recon and would consider that one if I ever decided to quit using the Andersen.

So, very subjective topic and there any many opinions. Do you need a slider? That's up to you. Good luck in your research.
I agree with everything you said except the part that using a sliding hitch will void your warranty. I contacted Lippert and have it in writing that my Superglide 2900 hitch will not void the warranty.
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Old 01-20-2022, 09:15 PM   #7
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I agree with everything you said except the part that using a sliding hitch will void your warranty. I contacted Lippert and have it in writing that my Superglide 2900 hitch will not void the warranty.
I was referring to the light hitch similar to the Andersen. Or, any hitch that requires an adapter on the pin
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Old 01-21-2022, 07:54 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by jsb5717 View Post
I was referring to the light hitch similar to the Andersen. Or, any hitch that requires an adapter on the pin
Just to clarify, a Capture plate is not an adaptor. Lippert told me that capture plates are common practice when using a Superglide slider hitch.
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Old 01-21-2022, 12:46 PM   #9
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Short Bed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CalhounRSB View Post
I am purchasing a GMC 2022 Sierra 1 Ton with short bed. Do I need a 5th wheel slider?
I have a 2022 GMC Denali 3500hd (1 ton) DRW's. My truck bed is 8' feet long, I didn't know you could get a 1 ton with a short bed.


Happy trails.
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Old 01-21-2022, 02:04 PM   #10
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I don’t believe the duallys come in the 6’9” bed, only 8’ beds.
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Old 01-21-2022, 02:36 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delaine and Lindy View Post
I have a 2022 GMC Denali 3500hd (1 ton) DRW's. My truck bed is 8' feet long, I didn't know you could get a 1 ton with a short bed.

...
The duallys do not come in short beds, but there are single rear wheel 1 ton's.
That's what we have, and we love it!

As for the OP, view a slider in a short box as a CHEAP insurance policy. I would also take that one step further, and say that a manual slider is not insurance, it's just hoping for the best, trying to save some money. If you get a slider, it has to out of sight out of mind, and work when you LEAST expect it to, but need it to.

I don't know that anyone mentioned this, but there is one disadvantage to auto sliders, and that is that they have that capture plate. The plate itself is not the issue, but if something where to ever happen, and your rig must be towed, that plate MUST come off first, or bad things happen. Some of the newer PullRites have an "easy" on / off plate, which helps, but you still have to remember. The Demco's work with traditional plates, on some hitch setups, but not all. Depends on the pinbox...
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Old 01-21-2022, 09:50 PM   #12
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The duallys do not come in short beds, but there are single rear wheel 1 ton's.
That's what we have, and we love it!
Actually the Ram 3500 max cab (or whatever it is called) dually only come in a short box.
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Old 01-22-2022, 06:07 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CalhounRSB View Post
I am purchasing a GMC 2022 Sierra 1 Ton with short bed. Do I need a 5th wheel slider?
Short answer...yes. IMHO
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Old 01-22-2022, 07:36 AM   #14
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For what it’s worth, I have been pulling my 2016 High Country for almost 6 years. First with my 2007.5 Silverado HD short bed, and now with my 2020 Silverado HD short bed. Up until 2 months ago I had a Husky slider hitch, but I NEVER used the slider, even though I had the rig nearly 90 degrees, and in some off-camber situations, and never hit the cab. I switched to a PullRite Super Lite hitch for ease of removal and replacement, and I love it. The 2020 GM short beds have a longer bed than previous models, and if you opt for the factory 5th wheel/gooseneck prep package, the center of the hitch is moved to the rear 2” for additional clearance. Also, the adapter for the PullRite moves the hitch on the fifth wheel a couple inches forward. With all this, I never let my guard down when backing into tight spots. Your results may vary.
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Old 01-22-2022, 08:03 AM   #15
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A friend has a 2020 & said the CL of the axle to back of cab is 6 inches more than previous years.
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Old 01-22-2022, 08:19 AM   #16
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I have a 2019 GMC 3500 SRW short bed and a B&W Companion slider hitch. I bought it specifically because I was afraid of being caught in a tight spot and needing the extra room. We tow a 2020 MHC 294RL and with the sloping front cap we have lots of room when turning. I can turn it to about 80 degrees before getting close to the cap without extending the hitch. In the 2 years of owning the hitch I've never had to extend it. If buying again I probably wouldn't get the slider first because we don't seem to need it and second it is ridiculously heavy.
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Old 01-22-2022, 08:38 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad Moon View Post
For what it’s worth, I have been pulling my 2016 High Country for almost 6 years. First with my 2007.5 Silverado HD short bed, and now with my 2020 Silverado HD short bed. Up until 2 months ago I had a Husky slider hitch, but I NEVER used the slider, even though I had the rig nearly 90 degrees, and in some off-camber situations, and never hit the cab. I switched to a PullRite Super Lite hitch for ease of removal and replacement, and I love it. The 2020 GM short beds have a longer bed than previous models, and if you opt for the factory 5th wheel/gooseneck prep package, the center of the hitch is moved to the rear 2” for additional clearance. Also, the adapter for the PullRite moves the hitch on the fifth wheel a couple inches forward. With all this, I never let my guard down when backing into tight spots. Your results may vary.
This is the same setup that we currently have, a PullRite 3900, and this is a GREAT setup. Light, and in the GM's post 2020, actually gets you past the 48" cab to pivot clearance...
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Old 01-22-2022, 08:40 AM   #18
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A friend has a 2020 & said the CL of the axle to back of cab is 6 inches more than previous years.
I'm not for sure if it's quite that much, but it may be that distance from further from the cab to the gooseball prep on the 2020+. The gooseball center is actually 2" behind the centerline of the axle...
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Old 01-22-2022, 08:49 AM   #19
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Actually the Ram 3500 max cab (or whatever it is called) dually only come in a short box.
Correct, I forgot about those.

Ford did it for a while too, but I don't think that they are doing it anymore...
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Old 01-22-2022, 11:05 AM   #20
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I'm not for sure if it's quite that much, but it may be that distance from further from the cab to the gooseball prep on the 2020+. The gooseball center is actually 2" behind the centerline of the axle...
On my 19 it's almost 6 inched ahead.
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