7 best fifth wheel hitches for Short Bed Trucks

You finally found the perfect used livestock trailer, but there’s a catch—it’s a fifth wheel, and you’ve got a short bed truck. Suddenly, you’re picturing a tight turn out of a back pasture gate and the crunch of the trailer corner meeting your cab’s back window. This is the exact moment many hobby farmers realize their versatile daily driver needs a very specific solution to become a serious hauling machine.

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Hauling Safely: The Short Bed Truck Hitch Challenge

A short bed truck, typically one with a bed shorter than six and a half feet, is a fantastic all-around farm vehicle. It’s easier to park at the feed store and more maneuverable in town. The problem arises when you connect a fifth wheel trailer, as the shorter distance between the cab and the hitch’s pivot point creates a serious risk of collision during sharp turns. The front cap of the trailer can swing around and smash right into the back of your truck’s cab.

This isn’t just a cosmetic issue; a shattered rear window can put a truck out of commission and lead to a costly repair. The solution is a specialized piece of equipment called a "slider" or "sliding" fifth wheel hitch. These hitches are designed to move the trailer’s pivot point rearward, away from the cab, creating the extra clearance needed to execute tight turns without damage. Choosing the right one is critical for safety, convenience, and protecting your investment in both your truck and your trailer.

B&W Companion Slider: A Farmer’s Top Choice

If you’re looking for a rock-solid, American-made hitch that offers maximum versatility, the B&W Companion Slider is the one to beat. This hitch is built for the farmer who might be hauling a fifth wheel camper one weekend and a gooseneck stock trailer the next. It’s designed to work with the B&W Turnoverball gooseneck system, which means when you pull the hitch out, you’re left with a completely flat, usable truck bed. There are no rails to get in the way of loading feed bags or a pallet of fencing.

The build quality is immediately apparent. The thick, cast-locking jaws wrap around the kingpin for a secure, slop-free connection that dramatically reduces the chucking and jarring you feel on rough farm roads. Its cam-action handle is easy to operate even with gloves on, and the 12 inches of rearward travel provides plenty of clearance for confident maneuvering. This is the premium choice for farmers who demand reliability and a clean bed. It’s an investment, but it’s one that pays off in performance and long-term durability.

PullRite SuperGlide: Fully Automatic Turning

For the farmer who values convenience and wants to eliminate any chance of human error, the PullRite SuperGlide is the answer. This is a fully automatic sliding hitch, meaning you never have to think about it. As you turn the truck, the hitch head automatically glides back along its rails, creating the necessary clearance without you ever leaving the cab. This is a game-changer when you’re trying to back a trailer into a tight spot next to the barn or navigate a tricky series of gates.

The SuperGlide’s magic lies in its mechanical design, which requires a specific capture plate to be installed on your trailer’s king pin box. This plate locks the kingpin to the hitch head, allowing the turning motion of the truck to physically pull the hitch backward. While this adds an extra installation step, the peace of mind is unmatched. You can’t forget to slide it, because it does the work for you every single time. If your top priority is worry-free maneuvering in tight quarters, the SuperGlide is the smartest hitch you can buy.

Curt A20 with R20 Slider: Reliable and Smooth

Curt is a name you see everywhere in the towing world, and for good reason. The Curt A20 hitch paired with their R20 slider base is a fantastic workhorse that offers premium features without the absolute top-of-the-market price tag. It strikes a perfect balance between performance and value, making it ideal for the farmer who needs a dependable hitch for frequent use but wants to keep the budget in check.

The A20 head features a robust, interlocking two-jaw system that provides excellent kingpin contact, resulting in a quieter and smoother tow. It also has a color-coded coupling indicator so you can see at a glance that you have a secure connection. The R20 slider mechanism operates on rollers, making it smoother and easier to engage than some more basic pin-box sliders. With 12 inches of travel, it gives you all the clearance you need. For a no-nonsense, reliable manual slider from a trusted brand, the Curt A20 is an excellent and well-rounded choice.

Demco Hijacker Autoslide: Hands-Free Maneuvering

The Demco Hijacker Autoslide is another top-tier option in the automatic slider category and a direct competitor to the PullRite. It offers the same core benefit: hands-free operation that automatically creates clearance in turns. This is invaluable when you’re focused on where your trailer tires are, not on whether you remembered to pull a lever in the truck bed. The Demco is known for its rugged construction and a wraparound jaw that ensures a secure, rattle-free connection to the kingpin.

One of the key differentiators for the Demco is its generous travel distance, offering up to 22.5 inches of movement on some models. This provides an exceptional amount of clearance, making it a great choice for trucks with very short beds or trailers with wide front caps. Like other automatic sliders, it requires a capture plate, but the installation is straightforward. If you want an automatic slider with the most clearance available, the Demco Hijacker is the one to look at.

Andersen Ultimate Connection: Lightweight Gooseneck

The Andersen Ultimate Connection throws the conventional fifth wheel hitch design out the window, and for many farmers, it’s a brilliant move. Instead of a heavy, greasy hitch in the bed, the Andersen uses a lightweight aluminum pyramid-shaped frame that connects to a standard gooseneck ball. A coupler on the trailer’s kingpin connects to a ball on top of the pyramid. The whole unit weighs around 35 pounds, meaning one person can easily install or remove it in minutes.

This design provides a remarkably smooth and quiet ride, virtually eliminating all the chucking and bucking common with traditional hitches. The offset ball provides the necessary clearance for short bed trucks without any sliding mechanism at all. This means fewer moving parts, no grease, and a simple, robust system. If you prioritize a lightweight setup, an exceptionally smooth ride, and the ability to reclaim your truck bed in seconds, the Andersen Ultimate Connection is a revolutionary choice.

Reese M5 20K Slider: A Trusted Towing Classic

Reese is one of the original names in towing, and their M5 20K Slider hitch carries that legacy of trust and durability. This is a heavy-duty manual slider built for serious work. It’s the kind of hitch you buy when you want proven technology from a brand that has been connecting trucks and trailers for decades. The M5 features a Talon jaw system that provides a wide contact area for a confident, secure connection.

The operation is straightforward and rugged, with a single handle to operate both the jaw and the slider mechanism. While it provides a slightly shorter 10 inches of travel compared to some competitors, it’s more than enough for most short bed truck and trailer combinations. This hitch is built with heavy-gauge steel and feels substantial because it is. For the farmer who trusts time-tested designs and wants a tough, no-frills manual slider from a legendary brand, the Reese M5 is a solid, dependable choice.

Curt E16 Slider: An Affordable, Solid Option

Not every hobby farmer needs a 25,000-pound capacity hitch for a massive toy hauler. For towing lighter fifth wheel trailers, like a small camper or a utility trailer for hauling hay wagons, the Curt E16 Slider is an excellent budget-friendly option. It provides the essential safety feature of a slider without the cost and weight of the heavier-duty models. It’s a perfect fit for the farmer who tows occasionally and needs a functional, safe solution without overspending.

The E16 uses a simpler slide-bar jaw mechanism and has a dual-pivoting head to help smooth out the ride on uneven ground. The slider provides a full 12 inches of travel, ensuring you have the clearance you need for tight turns. While it may not offer the whisper-quiet ride or one-handed operation of premium hitches, it is a reliable and safe piece of equipment. If you’re looking for the most affordable and practical way to get into a slider hitch for a lighter-duty trailer, the Curt E16 is the clear winner.

Key Features: Manual vs. Automatic Sliders

The biggest decision you’ll make is choosing between a manual and an automatic slider. Each has clear advantages and is suited for different types of users. Understanding the tradeoff is key to picking the right hitch for your farm.

A manual slider is the most common type. To use it, you have to stop the truck, get out, pull a lever to unlock the mechanism, and then pull the truck forward to slide the hitch back into the maneuvering position. You repeat the process in reverse to lock it back for highway towing.

• Pros: Simpler mechanical design, fewer parts to fail, and generally less expensive.
• Cons: The biggest drawback is you. If you forget to slide it before a tight turn, you will damage your truck.

An automatic slider does all the work for you. The hitch is designed to slide back on its own as the truck and trailer begin to turn, then slide forward again as you straighten out.

• Pros: Ultimate convenience and safety. It completely removes the risk of forgetting to slide the hitch.
• Cons: These hitches are more complex, heavier, and more expensive. They also typically require a specific capture plate to be installed on the trailer.

Hitch Installation and Proper Maintenance Tips

A fifth wheel hitch is not the place to cut corners. Unless you are extremely confident in your mechanical skills and have the right tools, professional installation is highly recommended. This is a critical piece of safety equipment, and an improperly installed hitch can lead to catastrophic failure. Installers will ensure the frame brackets are torqued to spec and that the hitch is perfectly aligned in your truck bed.

Proper maintenance is simple but crucial for longevity and safety. Before each trip, do a quick visual inspection of all bolts and pins. The sliding mechanism, whether manual or automatic, needs to be kept clean and lubricated according to the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure smooth operation. The hitch head and jaw mechanism should also be cleaned and greased periodically to prevent binding and reduce wear. A few minutes of preventative care will ensure your hitch is ready to work when you are.

Choosing the right fifth wheel hitch for your short bed truck is about more than just a brand name; it’s about matching the tool to your specific needs on the farm. Whether you prioritize the set-it-and-forget-it convenience of an automatic slider or the clean-bed versatility of a B&W Companion, the right hitch makes hauling safer and less stressful. A smart choice here protects your truck and trailer, letting you focus on the real work at hand.