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Old 09-27-2021, 08:33 AM   #41
TheKothes
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Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. In the overall picture it is a small price to get the slider than risk it for a few hundred dollars. I have a manual Curt slider and always have and I have rarely used it. But that time I will need it I will be very glad I have it.
 
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Old 09-27-2021, 09:32 AM   #42
CADman_KS
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A lot of talk in this thread about those that have kissed in a tight turn.

If you have a short box and a non-sliding hitch, do your homework. Go to a wide open FLAT parking lot, and find out what where that contact point is, and burn that into your mind. I think you'll find that point is LESS than you think it is.

I've said this before, but it's worth reiterating. If you measure the distance from your back glass to the pivot point (center of ball, or fifth wheel) and that distance is LESS than 1/2 the width of your trailer, you CANNOT make it to 90degrees without crashing. For Montana owners, 1/2 of the trailer width should be 96"/2 = 48", but measure yours to be sure. Any dimension from the back glass to the pivot of less than 48" is a potential issue with crashing when turning. Remember those front cap corners that give you relief? They do nothing at a certain point, and you can still hit. I think that there's a misconception out there that knocked off corners on the cab will keep you from hitting. That just is not the case.

At the end of the day, be aware, and know what those limits are, and if you don't have a slider, you MUST stay inside those limits...

Here is a good video that explains all of this, and extended pin boxs:

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Old 09-27-2021, 10:25 AM   #43
mhs4771
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I agree, but many camp sites are not level parking lots and it's that differences between TV and RV angles that gets you in trouble.
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Old 09-27-2021, 10:53 AM   #44
BritBox
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I think it comes down to a simple question: Would the additional cost of a slider (and forgoing the option of an Anderson or similar) exceed your insurance deductible and would the inconvenience of an extensive repair to both truck and trailer. Also, would be repair also be good as new?

Having said this, I would probably gone with an Anderson if my trailer purchase had not included a slider hitch. I use it whenever making anything close to a tight maneuver and gain a lot of peace of mind and flexibility in doing so.
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Old 09-27-2021, 02:25 PM   #45
CADman_KS
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Originally Posted by BritBox View Post
I think it comes down to a simple question: Would the additional cost of a slider (and forgoing the option of an Anderson or similar) exceed your insurance deductible and would the inconvenience of an extensive repair to both truck and trailer. Also, would be repair also be good as new?

...
I can't think of many situations where the additional cost of the slider comes anywhere close to your deductible for the RV and TV. Not to mention, it will never be as good as new. If you have the TV fixed via an insurance claim, that will also show up on a Carfax type report, and dealers just love to devalue your vehicle for that stuff.

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...

Having said this, I would probably gone with an Anderson if my trailer purchase had not included a slider hitch. I use it whenever making anything close to a tight maneuver and gain a lot of peace of mind and flexibility in doing so.
I researched the Andersen when I got my hitch, and the "offset" behind the gooseneck ball is like 4". So, if the distance between the cab and the gooseball is anything LESS than 44", you'll still hit with an Andersen. Even at 44", you'd have 0 clearance, so you wouldn't want to be there anyway. I think that the 2020+ GM products (stock gooseball position) are the only ones that have the necessary clearance so that you never hit turning or backing up. At any rate, it's something that you have to do your homework on to make sure that you will clear when turning.

Even IF the Andersen doesn't hit when turning, it will never give you as much clearance as your slider does either. That's the beauty of sliders. They give you a BUNCH of clearance, for uneven terrain and the like...
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Old 09-27-2021, 02:27 PM   #46
CADman_KS
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I agree, but many camp sites are not level parking lots and it's that differences between TV and RV angles that gets you in trouble.
TRUE!, but I want to test on FLAT ground FIRST! Most people are convinced that they can do 90degree turns with a SB non-slider, and you just simply can't. The measurements don't add up. At any rate, understand what that point is, and then be super super cautious. The corner of your RV comes up really close, especially when you're in panic mode!!
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Old 09-28-2021, 06:06 AM   #47
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[QUOTE=jzbaker54;1234063]I’m about to purchase a 2022 F350 SRW short bed to pull my new 2021 3121RL.
First time RVer. The RV dealer ( family owned/operated dealer ) mentioned to me that with the curved corners on my trailer, I probably wouldn’t need a slider hitch. He said I shouldn’t ever be needing to do a 90 degree turn and that this Montana should be able to be turned safely without a slider hitch despite the short bed.
Thoughts?[/QUOTE
I have the same 5th wheel and tow it with a Chey Silverado duramax 2500 crew cab with a short box also. My suggestion would buy the sliding hitch , it was not that much more in price and save the chance you will end up in a position where you will need the xtra clearance to turn. Such as when fueling,, stopping for a site seeing event and get parked in by another vehicle. It's saved us many times.


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Old 09-28-2021, 10:30 PM   #48
Dam Worker
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I will throw this out there because it happened to me with a long bed Ford pickup. Older style fiver with the fifth wheel hitch not extended way out to the front but straight down. Was in North-bend Washington off I 90. The paved road went down a hill and then steeply up a hill. Needlessly to say my fifth wheel made contact with the truck roof. That was an 8’ bed. My guess is that with all the extended kingpins this probably won’t happen but the potential is there as the front of the fivers is the longest point, not the recessed sides. Just saying to think of angles verse turning radius’s.
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Old 09-29-2021, 05:34 AM   #49
CADman_KS
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Originally Posted by Dam Worker View Post
I will throw this out there because it happened to me with a long bed Ford pickup. Older style fiver with the fifth wheel hitch not extended way out to the front but straight down. Was in North-bend Washington off I 90. The paved road went down a hill and then steeply up a hill. Needlessly to say my fifth wheel made contact with the truck roof. That was an 8’ bed. My guess is that with all the extended kingpins this probably won’t happen but the potential is there as the front of the fivers is the longest point, not the recessed sides. Just saying to think of angles verse turning radius’s.
Thank you for sharing your story. That illustrates that even 8' beds aren't totally exempt from crashing. I think most people are under the impression, myself included, that an 8' bed was 100% insurance. I can't even imagine a road that would cause the 5er to contact the roof, even without an extended pin!

You are right about angles. When I mentioned doing testing on a flat surface, that was to find the MAXIMUM. Throw any angle in there, like turning into a parking lot with a steep drive, and that maximum just got a whole lot less really quickly...
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Old 09-29-2021, 09:05 AM   #50
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Originally Posted by CADman_KS View Post
Actually, as of 2020+ Chevy is now the longest bed out there:

Chevy - 82.3"
Ford - 80.2"
Ram - 76.3"

Good or bad, the other thing that the 2020+ Chevy's have is that the gooseneck ball (if you're using something like an Andersen, B&W, Pullrite (3900)) is about a 2" behind the centerline of the axle, which gives you a little more clearance.

Here's a pic of our 2020 3500 SRW totally jackknifed (for illustration only). We have a Pullrite 3900. I do not believe that you can get to this point with a Ford, and for sure, not a Ram.

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...1&d=1632156649

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...1&d=1632156883
Thanks for the clarification on bed lengths, didn't know GM went to a longer bed on their standard beds they call them these days , I still refer to them as a short bed .

Anyway I get a kick out of all these calculations ,and 90 degree talk. I have walked many campsites ,parking lots etc, guess that's the reason I am so sure about MY abilities to handle a fifth wheel without a slider .

To me its situational awareness ,some have it ,some don't . My advice get an automatic slider if you don't think you can handle these situations is all I can say.

There are many many out there having no issues with towing without a slider ,or with the Andersen. I am among those. I have been doing this for many years ,with four different fifth wheels ,and two different short bed trucks . But as said , its certainly not in everyones ability to handle a fifth wheel safely without a slider ,so as said by all means get a slider.
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