chiefsmoke

Has anyone used the 5Th Airborne Sidewinder instead of a slider and how does it work? I understand that it moves the pivit back but does it overload the pin due to the length of the box is longer.

Jim W

I realy can not answer you on this one. I have a manual 15K Reese slider and as far as I am concerned this works fine. I only need to move the hitch when I back into the drive way or into the camp site. I used this hitch on my short bed Chevy 3/4 ton which was a 2001 gaser. When I up graded to the 6.7L Mega cab I did not want to buy another hitch so I just bought new rails and installed this hitch in the 08. Pulled all season last year with it and already this year with no issue.
Good luck and enjoy your new truck.

chiefsmoke

I have a slider already but my 5er is older and does not have a box that comes out passed the front of the camper so I'm looking at extending the box out because I have to be carefull just making the turn out of the driveway going forward.

huntr70

I would check with the fivermanufacturer to see if the frame is sturdy enough to handle an extended pinbox, or the Sidewinder.

By changing the pivot point, it puts more stress on the frame.

chiefsmoke

Thats kinda what I thought also I would hate to hit a pothole and the frame fold in my rearview. Sidewinder say's it doesn't change any amount of load on the pin but how can extending something out not change the law of leverage.

traindrv

I've looked at the Sidewinder too but it sure likes it would have to change the leverage in someway to me.

CD in NM

I installed a longer box to extend the pin on my 5th wheel, never had any problems with it. I figured that since it bolted up in the same place as the shorter box it was actually putting the stress in the same place, all one piece front to back. I could see where if you changed the base mounting it might have some different effect, but since nothing changed other than the box being longer ????

CD

bkrukow

It changes. Think of it like a big pry bar. THe longer the bar the more leverage(twist force) is being aplied to what ever its prying on. In this case its the fram of the camper. If you extend it out it WILL put more leverage on the frame. Its a simple law of phisics.