Is a slider hitch needed for a new Cameo?

[jshul]

I have on order a 2011 Cameo 34sb3. I will pull this with a 2005 GMC Sierra crew cab with the standard bed (6.5'). The literature from Carriage mentions that an 88 degree turn is possible without a slider. I e-mailed Carriage about pulling without a slider....they said that the trailer is designed to be pulled without a slider. I would prefer to save money by purchasing a non-slider hitch. More importantly, I would like to limit any extra weight that would be associated with the slider hitch.    But....I want to get the right setup for my new trailer.  Short-bed truck owners....what have your experiences been? 

[adminjim]

Have towed with a manual slider/standard bed for 2 years.....have never had to use it, though possibly in some very tight situations, (only one I can recall is the old, very tight
back-in sites at Fort Wilderness at WDW) it would have given some extra element of control due to increased leverage in the rear position.  Cap to cab clearance has never been an issue.  Best advice is to try to avoid a situation in which using a slider would be necessary. Cameo's do have an extended pin box but no notches in the front cap.  Personally, I wouldnt want to find myself in a predicament where even an 88 degree angle would be be an issue. 

Jim

[tbraeunig]

I have the 2009 version of your truck and pull a Cameo 34CK3. I opted for a Reese manual slider hitch but haven't had to use it yet. I haven't had the rig very long and have only had to back in to one space. Never got anywhere near an 88 degree turn.  I'm attaching a picture with my 5er hooked up. You can see that with the standard pin box and the slider in the full forward (normal highway towing) position, there is quite a bit of clearance.  I'm thinking that anytime I need to back into a space, other than one that's a reasonably straight shot, I'll slide the hitch back just to be safe and also as, adminjim said, that should give a little more steering leverage.

[lat471]

When we bought our 07 Cameo we were determined we needed a slider hitch. We went with the Superglide so I didn't have to remember to move it when manuvering. Since we also have the Mor-ryde extended pin box I've come to the conclusion we probably didn't need the slider. The pin is back about 18" and I think you could save the money. I have the short box Chevy with the extended cab. I believe you just have to watch it when backing up. I never do 90 deg moves anyway.

[gtfiver]

Seems to me there are two questions being asked. First, can you really get to 88 degrees without a slider in a short bed? I think the true achievable angle on my short bed without a slider is much closer to 60 degrees. I have the factory Morryde pin box on my 2008 (looks similar to tbraeunig's pic), and the pivot point of the kingpin is just a few inches in front of the cap protrusion (note, its the distance from the cap protrusion to the pivot point that is important, not the distance to the very front of the pin box). If we ignore these few inches for now, you can get a quick and dirty estimation of the angle by measuring the distance from the rear axle to the rear of the cab and doing some math. On my truck this distance is 40 inches. This means that if the pivot point was directly under the cap, it would hit the cab at about (48**2 - 40**2)**.5 = 26.5 inches from center.  This works out to less than 60 degrees. If the king pin protrudes out from the cap a few inches, it helps some, but not enough to get you anywhere near 88 degrees.

Suppose the pin box extends out by more than just a few inches, could you get to 88 degrees? The answer is still no. To illustrate, I've attached a spreadsheet I got from somewhere that let's you fill in the measurments of your particular arrangement (just fill in the yellow boxes), and the drawing will change to show the relationship of the cab to the cap at the Rotation Angle of truck/fiver you specify. If you play around with this, you have to conclude that it is impossible to get 88 degrees if the distance from the center of the kingpin to the back of the cab is 40 inches unless the pin box extension is something absurd. You *must* move the pivot point back, and that means either a slider or something like a Sidewinder.

The second part of the question is do you need to get to 88 degrees? Maybe not, but I think it's likely you will need to get to more than 60 degrees at some point. I like the peace of mind of having an automatic slider so that I don't have to think about it. I personally would at least get a manual slider so that if you find yourself in a tight spot you can deal with it more easily.

[c00per]

I have 2008 GMC crew cab and standard bed. I contacted Carriage if they will void the frame warranty if I change pin box. He said no will not. So I removed the Fabex pin box and installed 5th airborne sidewinder. I have towed Cameo over 1,000 miles. Few time I had to turn sharp at fuel station. I am telling you you would be surprised in few place you will need to turn sharp. If hit a cab it is going to cost you more than 5th airborne sidewinder. I did not have to worry about turning sharp. Not only to that but sure made our ride more enjoyable. You should check 5th airborne sidewinder web site for more information. It comes with airbag and shock. Good luck!

[63-41]

I would use a slider if you have the short bed.  We aren't sure when I made a, too, sharp turn. to just kiss the cab with the new trailer.  some marks on the trailer and a small dent in the back of the cab.  No broken glass.  Now I' am make sure the slider works when needed, just in case.  I don't make sharp turns, but the dents speak for them selfs.