Short bed truck cab clerance

First topic message reminder :

First post. Sorry if this has been discussed before. Were looking to buy a Wildcat 2012 312BHX. I have a 3/4 ton short bed Chevy with the 6'6" bed. This will be my first 5er. I have a Reese 16K hitch non-slider. Some tell me I need a sliding hitch. Others say I dont.

So are the new Wildcat 5ers front rounded enough for me to use my Reese hitch or should I plan on a slider?
Thanks

Wormy, I hope your pin is located forward of the rear axel...I looked at a used diesel 2500hd last week with the universal mount kit and somethimg didnt look right... from what I can see you could easily push the bed rails back by a few inches...I went back to the dealarship with a piece of string and pulled it over the bed rails centered the string in the rear axle hubs and the center point of the fifth wheel was three inches behind the axle...SOMEONE GOOFED UP BIG TIME! with that install.

There is no way I can manuver comfortably with my 6.5 bed set up without the slider..I would take out the rear window pretty easily...Most gas stations will be ok but i'd be nervous on some...

not to insult your install ability's please dont take it that way... I'm just curious as to why your rig clears the cab...

THEHIWAYMAN (aka Tim) wrote:
There is no way I can manuver comfortably with my 6.5 bed set up without the slider..I would take out the rear window pretty easily...Most gas stations will be ok but i'd be nervous on some...

not to insult your install ability's please dont take it that way... I'm just curious as to why your rig clears the cab...

Tim,

As I and others have said in this thread I (we) have no problems and in fact have never used our slider hitches in a 6.5' bed. My hitch is absolutely installed in front of the rear axle.

I have no real need of a slider in my truck with the new rounded fronts and extended kin pings of the new units. Certainly will never need it at a gas station. 2 full seasons of pulling the new Cat, and we go very often, without even thinking of using the slider.

ps. Just for own curiosity, I measured two other Crew Cab short bed Chevys. They, like my brother-in laws, are shorter beds than the extended cab Chevys. (About 5 inches shorter) That may be the difference with your set-up as well.

Inside the bed, not from the cab. I measure 6' 7" to my tailgate along the floor from front of inside of bed.

I have a 2008 2500 crew cab standard bed. The bed is just under 6'-7". Not sure about prior years but for 2008 and newer the crew cab and extended cab have the same length bed. I have a non slider HiJacker hitch and have no clearance issues. I've been towing with this set up for over two years. I used the same hitch in my 97 Chevy 2500 extended cab for 12 years towing a Starcraft fifth wheel with no issues. That fiver had an extended pin box.
KH

THEHIWAYMAN (aka Tim) wrote:Wormy, I hope your pin is located forward of the rear axel...I looked at a used diesel 2500hd last week with the universal mount kit and somethimg didnt look right... from what I can see you could easily push the bed rails back by a few inches...I went back to the dealarship with a piece of string and pulled it over the bed rails centered the string in the rear axle hubs and the center point of the fifth wheel was three inches behind the axle...SOMEONE GOOFED UP BIG TIME! with that install.

There is no way I can manuver comfortably with my 6.5 bed set up without the slider..I would take out the rear window pretty easily...Most gas stations will be ok but i'd be nervous on some...

not to insult your install ability's please dont take it that way... I'm just curious as to why your rig clears the cab...

I installed my hitch with the measurements provided by Reese. I actually called them to verify the measurements for my model truck before drilling any holes. It looks to me like the pin is centered over the axle.

Dont get me wrong, if I turn my camper close to 90 degrees it will hit the truck. It actually looks almost the same as the videos you posted. Just from the testing Ive done so far I dont think I will ever need to turn that deep. We went camping this weekend and I missed my turn and had to do a quick turnaround at the next intersection. I spun the rig around pretty quick in a tight spot and had no problem. Could it be the pinbox on my 312BHX is longer?

I may need the slider someday, but for now Im glad I didnt spend the extra dough.

KHUBER wrote:I have a 2008 2500 crew cab standard bed. The bed is just under 6'-7". Not sure about prior years but for 2008 and newer the crew cab and extended cab have the same length bed. I have a non slider HiJacker hitch and have no clearance issues. I've been towing with this set up for over two years. I used the same hitch in my 97 Chevy 2500 extended cab for 12 years towing a Starcraft fifth wheel with no issues. That fiver had an extended pin box.
KH

Thanks for the info KHUBER. My bro-in-laws is an '05. The ones I measured were also the older body style. I have no idea what years as I simply seen them in parking lots and broke out the tape measure.

MountainMan wrote:
ps. Just for own curiosity, I measured two other Crew Cab short bed Chevys. They, like my brother-in laws, are shorter beds than the extended cab Chevys. (About 5 inches shorter) That may be the difference with your set-up as well.

Inside the bed, not from the cab. I measure 6' 7" to my tailgate along the floor from front of inside of bed.

Yup thats about what I have 6.6-6.7 give or take...my idea of comfortable and others idea of comfortable may be two different things...

I totally agree with what you are saying about almost never needing the slider... ive only ever used mine once in the limited amout of time I have even owned my FW...

I guess I just envision some of the tight manuvering I have had to do with my old tt...some of the places we have gone you almost had to jack nife to get to the final position...thats what worried me about not having the slider...

I just feel alot better now being to go 90 and not takin out the cab...but I hear ya, probably never get that jacked up in normal drivin.

something else I was wondering where I ordered the custom mount kit it MUST be installed in an exact spot dictated by the existing frame holes I wonder if that would put my pin a little further twards the cab...

It seems with the uni kits you set the frame rails based on measurements???

I wonder how that used 2500hd I looked at handled a fifth wheel with the pin so far back...I was seriously considering it, but I think I'll pass after seeing the mounting flub up...

Anyways, good for all you if you dont need the slider...the difference in cost is huge...I'd like to have the difference back in my pocket!

Just a comment on the length of GM Crew Cab boxes. They are 5'8" if it's a 1500. All 2500's have the 6'6" box (or 8'). With that said, box length isn't the real concern. The real number you are concerned with is the distance from the rear window to the rear axle. I'm with Highwayman and wormy, the slider is a must for me. One thing I can say for certain is that with the slider in the rearward position you will have much faster response when trying to turn the cat. In MI there are plenty of places that it is a necessity. Our state park reservation system is leaves a lot to be desired. The length of trailer that the site will accomodate only holds true if you drop it in with a helicopter.

I just measured my bed (F-250 crew cab short bed) 6'7" inside the bed. Approx. 6'9" to the back of the cab. 36" from the center of the hitch pin to the back of the cab. I have a Reese flat tube slider that I had never used in three years of towing fithwheel campers. In May while backing in my yard, I managed to contact the back of the cab. I never thought it was possible. $700 repair!!! My new motto When in doubt, slide it back.

Just buy a Pullrite superslide hitch and you'll never have to worry about hitting your cab, or manually unlatching and latching the hitch.

I had the shorter bed F 350 with a shorter bed and 15K Husky with a slider. I still put a dent in the cab, when I thought I could back in to a tight spot. The DW now insist I you the slider when ever I back into a site.
For sure I will use it on the 07, 2500HD, with Dmax and Allison. Can't wait to pick it up and put the Cat away for a long winters nap.