Will this be strong enough?

[handirifle]

Since I was dumb enough to buy a short bed truck, when I bought my diesel, I have had to go through some changes finding the ideal hitch to tow with and avoid damage to the truck. I started with a Curt slider, and hated it because it felt and sounded like it was going to come inside the truck at every stop and start. It was, admittedly, their low end model.

I upgraded to the Anderson Ultimate that connected to the goose neck ball in the truck. Even with the B&W 4" extender ball, it would still hit the cab window just a few inches inside the corner. I came real close on at least one occasion and that was it.

After MONTHS of going over all the pro's and con's of auto sliders, Companion hitches and everything I could find, I decided on adding rails and going with the Reese Sidewinder pinbox and stationary hitch. Cab clearance is a non issue now, and while no hitch is perfect it is doing what I hoped it would.

The one downside I am not ready to accept, is the removal of my B&W turnover ball, to make room for the rails. I am selling the Anderson, but I THINK I can add the B&W back in, and thus my post.

The GN was surprisingly lightly connected (in my mind) for a hitch rated for 30K. It is basically an H pattern with the center section holding the ball. The long legs of the H are a 3/8" angle in front (mounted in an "L" position, base sitting flat on truck frame), and a 1x2" solid bar in the rear. I drew some rudimentary pics to explain.

In this pic you will see hopefully what I am explaining. The front is the top of the pic. The hollow rectangle leg is the angle and the solid leg is the 1x2 solid bar. The large vertical rectangles are the truck frame. The entire hitch was held to the truck with a large U bolt in the front, that went around the frame and into the bracket and in the rear with a 3/4" bolt through the frame. This was all factory B&W hitch and brackets.

The legs were bolted to the bracket at each corner, by one 1/2" grade 8 bolt, that went through tabs, on the brackets, that bent outwards from the frame, front and rear. The legs simply sat on top of the frame and their only connection to the frame was those 4 bolts, going through the bracket.

The only conflict between the rails and the GN is where the front angle leg, extended past the frame. The new rail bracket is positioned right in it's way. There are holes in the new bracket, that I believe I can use to help me remount the GN.

Here is a pic of my proposed mount.

Basically it will be a 1/4"x2" flat bar, bent to a Z shape. My drawing is a little funky so bear with me. The Z bar is sorta obvious, (sorta) and the frame and leg locations are the same. The Z bar will be bolted through the new bracket with grade 8 bolts and the front angle leg will be replaced with a new, shorter, 3/8" angle. This is ONLY so I can save the original, in case I ever sell the truck, and could restore to original, if someone desired. The short fat black lines in both pics are bolts. In the rear leg, it would bolt up at the exact same location as factory, with factory bolt. The front will bolt to the z bar on top of the frame.

I hope this makes sense.

According to the original design, the 1x2 bar takes the bulk of the load, and it will be held with similar strength. I COULD even enlarge the holes and step up the bolts that attach the Z bar to the brackets, to 5/8" bolts, if needed.

My truck is only rated to 14,200 and I know the original was rated 30K (according to the sticker on it from B&W) but based on their design, my only concern is the bolts going into the bracket. I did it this way to avoid any welding of special brackets or cutting the new rail bracket.

I did come up with an alternative for the front, and that is to notch the base of the angle to a 45, and bend the angle to a 90, with a few inches going towards the front, and drilling a 9/16" hole in the rail bracket and the angle, and attaching it with 1/2" grade 8 bolt. The notch would be welded closed. Just not sure I want to drill a hole in the bracket. The bracket is very large in that area, but still. By the way, the B&W bracket, and the rail bracket, are both 1/4" steel.

Let me know your thoughts, and if I need to further explain. Oh yes, I really don't want to go with the goose neck attachment to the rails. It would not be in the truck when I needed it and I already have the B&W.

 

[handirifle]

Oh yea, this is with the new Reese Sidewinder. It does what it is supposed to do.

 

[Wnc3]

You have really thought this out, or as my friends tell me "your over thinking it"
That said, I think the way you want to do it is more than adequate. Maybe go from a 3/8" bolt to a 1/2", but 5/8" is way overkill.
I would drill the holes you referred (if it will be easier) so long as you have 3/4" to edge from side of hole.
Seems like a good idea to make it so you can put it back to stock for the next owner, but all the changes I have made over the years on add ons the next buyer seemed to want.

 

[handirifle]

It was going from 1/2" bolt to 5/8". The 3/8" reference was the angle B&W used, and the same I would use as well.

As for the "over thinking" LOL I have been accused of that many times. As a retired Air Traffic Controller, when I was working I had to look at every angle, good and bad to make a decision, so it come natural.

I have been thinking a lot about my first design, and I also came to the conclusion that my second thought was better. The negative I came up with on my first idea was that it could be a lot of leverage on the 2 bolts in the center. Drilling the front will spread the load out considerably, reducing the leverage and shear effect.

I will post some pics of it when I do it.

 

[JJZ 109]

Having a similar problem. Toward the end of the season last year I bought a 1999 Jayco 5th wheel. Old style Leland pinbox. No extender, just points straight down. Barely got it home with a standard Reese 16k hitch. Couldn't turn very sharp at all.
Added a 10 inch pinbox extender. Still doesn't turn as sharp as I'd like. Considered at Pullrite 2700, but their tech guys say the 14 inch slideback is too close to call. They recommend their 2300, which has 18 1/2 inches of slideback. But we're talking about $850 for the 2700 and $1450 for the 2300. And this is using my existing truck bed rails. Plus another $150 for the capture plate for either hitch.
My truck is a 2016 F250 Super Crew. Bed measures approximately 6' 10" from front of bed to tailgate. I'd really rather go with an auto slider, as I don't want to have to jump out of the truck and pull a lever every time I need to let it slide back.
Is the Sidewinder a viable option? We're not camping until Memorial weekend but I'd like to get this resolved now instead of rushing around last minute.

 

[handirifle]

Here's why I went Sidewinder. Either like you said, you have to get out and flip a lever or autoslider. The problem I have with autosliders is the connect/disconnect angles.

For example we want to camp at one of our local beach campgrounds. All sites are seaside but you park parallel and spaces are 45 ft long. Now any autoslider wil get you in there easily, but if there is not enough room to have truck and trailer perfectly straight or within 10-15deg you will not be able to disconnect.

Now with the Sidewinder I still have to be closely aligned with the pin box, BUT when I disconnect, if theangle is 45deg I just unhook and pull away. The pin box stays at that angle and I reconnect inline with the pinbox, not the trailer.

No hitch is perfect ( with short bed trucks there is always an issue) and the Sidewinder will amplify any slop in the hitch head, but I have shimmed the slopout or my hitch. There is no start and stop clunking like you will have with a slider, it does not weigh a horrific amount as sliders or auto sliders do, and in your case, you can use existing hitch and rails.

 

[handirifle]

Is the Leland welded on? If so you are very limited, unless you take it to a welder to be modified, but that is a lot of $$$. If bolted on, look for the pinbox model number, and find a pinbox that will replace it. Mine was the Lippert 1716 and those are common.

Looking at etrailer they seem to have some options for you.

We camp with some folks that used to have the Pullrite superglide (they since sold truck and trailer for a motorhome) and that thing made some horrible noises when he wold stop and start in camgrounds. Research says there are adjustments to fix that but his was scary sounding.

The Reese 15K hitch I have is lightweight and easy to remove. I went to this setup from my Anderson Ultimate. The Anderson is solid as a rock and quiet, but not ideal for short bed trucks, in my opinion, unless the nose of your trailer is very contoured. I thought mine was (2015 Open Range Roamer) but nowhere near enough to avoid taking out my rear window.

 

[JJZ 109]

Is the Leland welded on? If so you are very limited, unless you take it to a welder to be modified, but that is a lot of $$$. If bolted on, look for the pinbox model number, and find a pinbox that will replace it. Mine was the Lippert 1716 and those are common.

Looking at etrailer they seem to have some options for you.

We camp with some folks that used to have the Pullrite superglide (they since sold truck and trailer for a motorhome) and that thing made some horrible noises when he wold stop and start in camgrounds. Research says there are adjustments to fix that but his was scary sounding.

The Reese 15K hitch I have is lightweight and easy to remove. I went to this setup from my Anderson Ultimate. The Anderson is solid as a rock and quiet, but not ideal for short bed trucks, in my opinion, unless the nose of your trailer is very contoured. I thought mine was (2015 Open Range Roamer) but nowhere near enough to avoid taking out my rear window.

I contacted Etrailer early this morning. No response yet. It occurs to me that the last time I contacted them I never received a reply either.
As the photo shows, the lower half is bolted on. The upper appears to be welded to the frame. The model number is AF 7900. I appreciate you taking the time to reply here.

 

[handirifle]

I bet SOMEONE makes an adapter to make that like a conventional pin box.

 

[JJZ 109]

Here are a couple of links from Etrailer.
This one shows that it will work with a Leland 7900: What Sidewinders and Replacement Pin Boxes Fit a Leland 79 Pin Box on a 5th Wheel Trailer | etrailer.com
This one has the unit and the price: Sidewinder Fifth Wheel King Pin with Rotating Turret by 5th Airborne, 16K Reese Fifth Wheel King Pin ST4-SW16K
The product link has a formula to calculate clearance. I'm going to throw the hitch in and take some measurements so that I have more information available in the event they reply to me.
It's kinda looking like the Sidewinder might do the trick for me. Will post back when I know more.