Short bed truck and sliding hitch question

[WDHTX]

We've got a 2012 F350 SRW 6-3/4" short bed truck and were considering the purchase of a Montana High Country 343RL fifth wheel. From your experience, do you guys recommend the purchase of an automatic sliding hitch such as the PullRite or can this trailer "make the turn" 90 deg with a regular non moving hitch.?

[WCW]

I have a short bed and don't have a slider. With the "Max Turn" front cap you can get by without the slider. I can actually turn 90 deg. However I have seen comments on here by those who say there could be situations such as unlevel ground where you might need it.

[jsmith948]

We have a Cougar 5er with the "max turn" front cap. Our tuck is a 6 3/4 ft bed and we use a Reese manual slider. Under NORMAL conditions we do not need to slide the hitch. We do, however, slide the hitch when we are in a tight campground. We didn't think we could afford the additional expense of the Pull-Rite automatic slider and, being a former commercial driver, I didn't like the thought of the trailer changing positions while moving down the road. In summary, we don't need the slider very often, but have the ability to move the trailer back if we encounter a situation that requires a full, 90 degree turn.
FWIW

[Outbackmel]

Good morning,

Many threads out there regarding this, pros, cons. Hard to find fault with spending more money and getting the best available hitch even if you use it occasionally. If I was going to be doing a lot of traveling, I would definitely get the automatic slider. There are many camp sites in this country that are TIGHT. Also, many parking lots you pull into for shopping purposes are TIGHT. So, if you can afford it, why not?

Our camping style is major RV parks, few state or county. We have the same bed length and pull a 36ft outback and I only used the slider twice in 2 years. BUT, let me say again, if you are going to visit a lot of "towns", tight turn areas, don't want to mess with a manual slider, then you have your answer.

You already have stepped up to a Montana, so you MUST be planning to use it frequently. We, on the other hand, combine RV'ing with motorcycling, flying and renting a convertible car, we enjoy the experience of B&B's and lodges at state and national parks. It's all about use and pleasure. Life is short, enjoy.

[Snappy2265]

I'm pulling a Raptor 3812 with the same truck, the slider is mandatory for me. Been pulling 5 ers for 20 years w/o slider. Glad now I have a Superglide, can maneuver now in any situation without worry that I'm turning too short. It only takes one screwup to pay for that hitch!!! Try turning the inside lane of 3 left hand turn lanes in rush hour traffic. Guarantee you can't do it w/o a slider!

[Azdryheat]

I have a slider hitch in my Chevy 2500 and have yet to use it but have made some pretty tight turns.

[Klosequarters]

I have a 2011 F350 SRW with a Reese 16k hitch with slider. While our 295RKD Mountaineer has the 90 degree technology I felt more comfortable having the sliding hitch option and have used it a few times and I was glad I had it, if only for my peace of mind.

Bottom line, could you get by without it,probably; is it a nice feature to have, yes.

[Paddler]

If you have a slider and don't use it, no big deal; but if you don't have a slider and need it even once...

[JeffS]

We have a manual slider that came in handy a number of times with our 26 ft. 2000 Jayco Eagle. Typically the problem arose in backing into camp sites that were tight to one another or where there were trees close to the site. Our current Cougar 5er (26SAB - 29 ft.) has the max turn feature and we have yet to need the slider. In our case I'm sure the shorter 5er plays a big role in not needing to use the slider.

Perhaps it is a good idea to simply view it a part of the start-up cost when you choose to tow with a short bed.

[drifter101]

You might need this site for future reference:
http://www.hitchanything.com/

[35mastr]

I have a Pullrite and bought almost everything from http://tweetys.com/rvpartsandaccesso...FQuCQgodSTYAZw. They beat anyones price that I found with free shipping. Also shipped very quickly.