Can a Short Bed Truck Tow a 5th Wheel Camper, Determining Turning Clearance for 5th Wheel Camper
Question:
Can you tow a goose neck with a short bed truck? We recently totaled our 2012 Ram 2500 long bed. We had that truck equipped with BandW turnover ball and towed our 32 foot 5th wheel with it. We are looking to replace the totaled truck and can find many more short bed trucks on the market than we can the long bed but we dont want to get a short bed and then find out the turning radius is too short. Our 5th wheel is a newer model with the corners rounded in.
asked by: Shari C
Expert Reply:
Turning clearance is always going to be best with a long bed truck. Trucks with long beds are more designed for towing, and there are less of them on the market today because more people are buying trucks for reasons other than towing. If I were choosing a bed length to tow a 5th wheel camper, I would definitely go with a long bed because it will most easily offer sufficient turning clearance.
Some 5th wheel campers have a nose that is specially designed to work with short bed trucks. If your 5th wheel is built to be compatible with a short bed truck the following information isn't relevant, as the trailer is designed to provide turning clearance for a short bed truck.
If your 5th wheel is a standard design, there is a formula you can use to determine if you will have enough turning clearance with your trailer while looking for a new towing truck. The distance from the center of the 5th wheel hitch head (or center of the rear axle if the truck does not have a 5th wheel hitch installed) to the back of the truck cab needs to be 4 inches longer than 1/2 of the width of your 5th wheel camper.
Sliding 5th wheel hitches are designed to allow a short bed (at least 6 feet in length) to tow a 5th wheel as the hitch can be slid back in order to make sharp turns. The linked help article on 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches offers more information on sliding hitches. Using a sliding hitch will increase your turning clearance by the length of the hitch's slider. For example, the B&W Companion Gooseneck to 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch Adapter # BWRVK3400 offers 12 inches of travel front to back. A sliding 5th wheel hitch will change the clearance formula a bit.
When measuring from the center of the hitch head, or rear axle, to the back of the cab, you would add another 12 inches for the travel of the Companion hitch head. If you have a sliding hitch with a different travel distance, you will want to use the distance for that hitch. The distance from the center of the hitch head/rear axle to the back of the cab plus the sliding hitch's travel distance will need to be at least 4 inches longer than 1/2 of your trailer's width for you to have the necessary turning clearance.
To give an example of this formula, let's say the distance from the center of the axle to the back of the cab is 40 inches. To the 40 inches, we add the 12 inches for the Companion sliding hitch which will give us 52 inches. If half of the trailer's width is 48 inches, we will have enough turning clearance since the distance from the center of the hitch to the back of the cab is at least 4 inches more than half the width of the trailer.
When you do decide on a new truck for towing your 5th wheel camper, let us know and we will be happy to recommend a hitch for you!
Products Referenced in This Question
B&W Companion Slider Gooseneck-to-5th-Wheel Trailer Hitch Adapter - Dual Jaw - 20,000 lbs
- 5th Wheel Gooseneck Adapter
- Adapts Truck
- Gooseneck Hitch to Fifth Wheel Trailer
- No Offset
- 20000 lbs GTW
- Connects to Gooseneck Hole
- Adjustable Height
- Hitch Adapters
- B and W
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Reese M5 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Single Jaw - 20,000 lbs
- 5th Wheel Hitch
- Fixed Fifth Wheel
- Above Bed Rails
- 20000 lbs GTW
- Premium - Single-Hook Jaw
- 14 - 18 Inch Tall
- Reese
more information >
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