Last Updated on January 8, 2023 by Will Sabel
Apart from being a trend, the slider hitch has a reason to be used on the 5th wheeler. Thinking ‘do I need a sliding 5th wheel hitch’ won’t help until you learn the reasons why they are made for.
It is built for the short truck bed to increase a specific gap. Here’s why one would need the slider hitch:
- Safety (to turn up to 90°).
- Provide good space.
- Adds ground clearance.
To understand if it’s essential or not, you need deeper insight. So, stick to this guide till the end and you’ll get an answer hopefully.
Do I Need A Sliding 5th Wheel Hitch – Explore The Benefits
Here are the real reasons explained in depth.
Reason #1: Confirm Safety On Road
Yeah, using the slider hitch will ensure good protection. The pivot point seems to connect the truck (through the fifth wheel hitch) and trailer (5th wheeler).
When the truck bed seems small with a tiny space and suddenly you have to turn 90° to enter a new path, this can cause serious accidents if the large trailer hits behind the truck bed.
To prevent hitting your truck bed and causing huge mishaps, that’s where the siding hitch plays a great role. It helps the truck bed (between 72” – 96” in length) to make smooth turns.
Reason #2: Slid Back & Front To Make Good Room
Towing a huge trailer like a 5th wheeler can take more space on the rear side which can affect the front truck.
To increase room at the back while holding the fifth wheeler, the sliding hitch lets you slide it to the back and front based on your requirement.
By pulling the lever (It has a small lever on the left side) toward you, it will help you to move the winch’s upper part to move forward. That will help you to experience sharper and proper turns in the back.
Reason #3: Provide Better Ground Clearance
Just like the lift and drop hitch, the slider hitch will help give better ground clearance and road quality on your truck. Especially, it helps get the desired ground support and traction to make proper turns frequently without messing.
Reason #4: Automatically Moves The Hitch During Tight Turn
Some sliding hitches move automatically on the 5th wheel hitch. It uses a channel system that helps the hitch point to move when you are making a sharp turn. When it senses that you are not turning, it goes back to the channel and places it in the same spot.
So Do I Need A Sliding 5th Wheel Hitch?
Now let’s just quickly sum things up and get a direct conclusion on whether you specifically need this thing.
If your truck bed is below 6” – 8” in length, then you surely need a sliding hitch. It’s to confirm the safety on the road when suddenly you need to turn at a 90-degree angle.
Another thing why you should choose the slider hitch is to get better-towing performance. It’s a fact that when the hitch holds the trailer (5th wheeler at the center area of the truck) this will cause less shake or vibration. This means you’ll comfortably tow without facing sag issues.
Read Next: Is a fifth wheel hitch removable?
Wrap Up
Sliding 5th wheel hitch provides safety, clearance, support, room, and other benefits, it’s simple that you will need to want to get one for those benefits. Also if your truck has a small bed, you will have a better driving experience with the hitch.
However, you can skip it and try alternative stuff too. Hope this guide helps you to make the right choice. Good Bye For Now!
