5th Airborne sidewinder

[MNawman]

Hey guys, I have a 41 ft toy hauler I haul with a F 350 long bed. I'm thinking about getting the 5th Airborne sidewinder to smooth out the ride. I heard that the sidewinder will help th rv track better and will improve the turning radius, almost eliminating the need to swing wide when I make a right turn. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this set up?

[christopherglenn]

It does almost nothing for "not needing to swing wide". It does reduce the chances of spacking the back of the cab with the side of the trailer in a turn - turn tight enough, and you will still hit.

[Festus2]

While I don't have the Sidewinder, I do have a 5th Airborne and agree with christopherglenn's comment. Having this hitch will enable you to make tighter turns when backing up or pulling forward into a campsite without the nose of the 5th wheel smashing into your rear window. I do not believe it will allow you to make tighter turns - left or right - in a traffic situation. You will still have to "swing wide" when turning right at an intersection because of the length of the 5th wheel. The Sidewinder doesn't reduce the length of what you are towing.

[MNawman]

Thanks guys. I have a longbed truck so Im not too worried about Jackknifing. I was told by a guy at the campground last summer tha by adding the sidewinder you are moving the pivot point further back which causes the trailer to track better. I couldnt picture that so I wanted to hear from others who actually use the sidewinder.

[davidjsimons]

Moving the pivot point back will allow it to track better, that is why a TT tracks better in a turning situation than a 5'er does but you must still swing wide with a TT. The further the pivot is to the rear of the rear axle, the better it will track simply because in a right turn the pivot point swings left behind the rear axle, and vice versa.


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[MNawman]

Thanks David. I m trying to figure out if the towing performance would be worth the extra cost of the sidewinder, or if I should just get the air kingpin. Currently when I make a right turn, I have to start from the left lane. I know I ll still have to swing wide, but if it is considerably less, it would be worth the extra $900. Your answer makes sense.

[Festus2]

Perhaps I am missing something here but I don't see how a Sidewinder hitch will significantly reduce the turning radius of his 5th wheel. Granted, it will move the pivot point behind the rear axle but by how much? A foot or two? It may track better with the Sidewinder but that doesn't translate into a much shorter turning radius when negotiating a sharp right-hand turn. A wide swing is pretty much a given. The longer the unit, the bigger the swing.

I pull a 5th wheel and, when making a right turn, I have two options: 1) start my turn, if possible, from the left-hand lane, or 2) start my turn from the right-hand lane and turn into the inside lane - if possible. If not, then I have to turn into the on-coming lane of traffic when clear. It's impossible for me to make a right-hand turn from a single lane directly into another single lane -- Sidewinder hitch or not.

There are other benefits of the Sidewinder but significantly reducing the amount of swing required when making a right hand turn is not one of them IMO.

[davidjsimons]

Festus,, that is my point, it won't reduce it enough to matter.


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[davidjsimons]

My reference to the comparison of the travel trailer was to illustrate how far back behind the rear axle the pivot point is, still requiring a wide turn.


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[Festus2]

David -
Thanks for clarifying that --- I missed your point. But I also missed some shots today in ice curling so I am on a roll!

[davidjsimons]

No harm my friend. You do a great job!


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[irish rover]

I've had the sidewinder since it came on my 07 Challenger, had one installed on my new Montana High Country. We've crossed the country three times and tow from NY to Florida every winter plus other trips. It makes it easy to maneuver in and out of sites, but doesn't really improve turn tracking much. Both trailers pull well and I never have to slide a hitch. 2012 Duramax Crew.

[PSITracy]

Originally Posted by irish rover

I've had the sidewinder since it came on my 07 Challenger, had one installed on my new Montana High Country. We've crossed the country three times and tow from NY to Florida every winter plus other trips. It makes it easy to maneuver in and out of sites, but doesn't really improve turn tracking much. Both trailers pull well and I never have to slide a hitch. 2012 Duramax Crew.

2013 Duramax CC here , I have bought a husky silver 16K manual slider, was kicking around upgrading to a pull rite auto slider, but I keep reading folks don't even, or rarely use the sliders

[Charli]

Looking at an Airborne Sidewinder and Reese Elite 18k hitch for my new Mountaineer. I know lots say that you don't need a Slider or Sidewinder with the new front caps on the 5th wheels but I'd rather have one less thing to worry about when towing. My RV dealer made 2 comments about the sidewinder. Firstly he said that you have to backup straight on and any angle will cause problems hitching up. The second comment, that due to the pivot point being further back, the towing experience can be more like a travel trailer with more sway.
Any comments would be appreciated.

[Charli]

Just made a deal on a Reese Elite 18k that will fit the pucks in my F350. $1150.
Also getting an Airborne Sidewinder 19.5k for $2200 installed.
After checking out ETrailer, Tweetys and some local places I ended up buying from the dealer and am happy with the prices. Although after going back and forth a few times I finally told the parts guy that I was spending a small fortune buying the Mountaineer from them and they should be able to match the hitch shop down the street.