User Tag List
Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Results 1 to 10 of 16
-
09-27-2016, 06:17 AM #1
Time for a new hitch - broken back window
We were on our way to New Hampshire when we had a little mishap. Our 5th wheel came in contact with the rear window of our truck. I was driving forward and turning around in a parking lot. The lot had a slight downhill grade. I didn't turn any tighter than in the past but I guess the slope was enough for the front of the trailer to hit the truck. I didn't think it was possible for this to happen.
Off to get a new window installed today. I guess I will be shopping for a new hitch also.2023 Reflection 150 Series 260RD
2022 Ford F350 SRW CC 4X4 Lariat 6.7 camper package, B&W Companion RVK3300
-
09-27-2016, 06:44 AM #2
- Join Date
- Oct 2014
- Location
- Los Fresnos, Texas
- Posts
- 4,018
- Mentioned
- 0 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Ow! Those angles can cause problems. Do you think a slider will help?
2018 Freedom Elite 24FE, 2 Yorkies, and my wife MARILYN, HAM call K0LCB. Traveling around this great country, making friends and seeing lot of beautiful and interesting places
-
09-27-2016, 08:13 AM #3
- Join Date
- Mar 2016
- Location
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Posts
- 87
- Mentioned
- 0 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
What hitch were you using?
-
09-27-2016, 08:16 AM #4
I'm so surprised there is no apparent damage to the surrounding metal. On mine, if I would turn at too sharp of an angle, it would "kiss" the metal and leave a little dent. Fortunately, yours looks like it will be pretty simple to fix. Time for a Pullrite automatic slider??
Jim
-
09-27-2016, 08:25 AM #5
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
- Location
- South Dakota
- Posts
- 3,371
- Blog Entries
- 1
- Mentioned
- 22 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Our Superglide starts to automatically begin sliding back when turning radius reaches about 15 degrees. At a 45 degree turn (close to a maximum forward turn I imagine) the hitch head (thus the fiver pin) has moved back about 6". At a 90 degree turn the hitch head has slid back about 14". This gives 58" from the pin to the rear window of our P/U. Any road undulations that bring the cab closer to the front of the fiver will negatively affect these distances, of course, as noted in the Superglide manual page 3 as well (which I posted in the Library section of the forum sometime ago.)
Bottom line is that an autoslider (at least Superglide anyway) will automatically gain more (and most likely more than enough) distance when driving forward (or backing) between most short bed P/Us and fiver but care is still needed.
DanDan & Carol
2014 303RLS Reflection #185 (10/2013 build)
2012 Silverado LTZ Crew Duramax 2500HD
2700/16K Pullrite Superglide
-
09-27-2016, 08:42 AM #6
- Join Date
- Oct 2014
- Location
- Los Fresnos, Texas
- Posts
- 4,018
- Mentioned
- 0 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
I am curious, does the hitch slide forward automatically when you straighten out, or how does it get back to normal?
2018 Freedom Elite 24FE, 2 Yorkies, and my wife MARILYN, HAM call K0LCB. Traveling around this great country, making friends and seeing lot of beautiful and interesting places
-
09-27-2016, 08:59 AM #7
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
- Location
- South Dakota
- Posts
- 3,371
- Blog Entries
- 1
- Mentioned
- 22 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
LC--yes it does. Here is a youtube video posted by an owner in 2014. About 1 minute 45 seconds in there is a good section showing the forward and back movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhXMxqZOJXA
DanDan & Carol
2014 303RLS Reflection #185 (10/2013 build)
2012 Silverado LTZ Crew Duramax 2500HD
2700/16K Pullrite Superglide
-
09-27-2016, 09:32 AM #8
- Join Date
- Jul 2014
- Location
- Wherever...
- Posts
- 9,112
- Mentioned
- 191 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
Gramps,
How long is the bed in your Ford and what kind of hitch were you using? With a 3/4 ton, the reason we didn't go with the PullRite is because the extra 200 lbs. would have put us over the rear axle capacity of the truck axle and rear tires with when added to the loaded pin weight of the 337 (and we had over 3,000# of payload left for the pin after loading and scaling the truck). Those Superglides - and other auto-sliders - are great hitches... but they are heavy!
RobU.S. Army Retired
2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
(Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
Full time since 08/2015
-
09-27-2016, 11:05 AM #9
I have a Husky with a fixed base on a picture frame adapter (no offset). I do have the manual slider base for it but swapped it out for the fixed base because I found it difficult to use. I didn't like the chucking I got with it either. I'm very careful backing up so I thought I could get by without a slider. 5 years no issues until 2 days ago. I guess my luck ran out. A manual slider would not have prevented this anyway. What surprises me is it happened while going forward.
Rob, my truck has the 6.75' bed. I hear what you're saying about the weight. I'm sure I'm over the payload for my truck and very close to the axle ratings. I have the camper package with the 350 springs and stabilizer. I would prefer not to go with an auto slider because of the weight. I do remove my hitch from time to time.
Jim, at first I didn't see a mark on the 5th wheel but when I looked very closely yesterday I could see a slight mark on the front corner of the 5th wheel. I have a similar truck and trailer as you lost in the fire. I'm very surprised only the window broke.
This will be our last trip of the season. I will shop for a new hitch over the winter.
Bob2023 Reflection 150 Series 260RD
2022 Ford F350 SRW CC 4X4 Lariat 6.7 camper package, B&W Companion RVK3300
-
09-27-2016, 12:36 PM #10
- Join Date
- May 2016
- Location
- Lansing, KS
- Posts
- 10
- Mentioned
- 0 Post(s)
- Tagged
- 0 Thread(s)
The Pullrite Hitch Head slides through a kind of "W" shaped groove as you turn the vehicle and then back as you straighten out to return it to the original spot. It works great. The only headache I have with it is you have to be within 16 degrees of the centerline to hitch or unhitch. Kind of sucks when you get the trailer in just the right spot but have to keep shimmying back and force to straighten out and unhitch.
DamonDamon, Jill, & Piper Wagner
Rocky & Candy the crazy GSPs
Lansing, KS
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Duramax 4WD
2017 Grand Design Reflection 323BHS
B&W Champion OEM Slider Hitch
Similar Threads
-
Window shade broken
By GaryBro in forum InteriorReplies: 17Last Post: 05-25-2023, 12:41 PM -
Broken window glass
By Mrhavasu in forum General DiscussionReplies: 5Last Post: 04-02-2019, 10:41 AM -
Is the a Midwest Grand Design that gets together from time to time?
By stan22 in forum General DiscussionReplies: 2Last Post: 12-15-2015, 07:22 AM -
Broken Window
By redram in forum General Tech TopicsReplies: 4Last Post: 12-07-2015, 12:08 PM -
Who to fix broken out window
By redram in forum General DiscussionReplies: 5Last Post: 03-21-2015, 06:38 AM
Bottle Jack
Today, 12:29 PM in Frame