6 Best Fifth Wheel Hitches for Short Bed Trucks (October 2026) Ultimate Guide

A short bed truck gives you a longer cargo box than a full-size crew cab body would otherwise allow, but it steals something you cannot get back: the distance between the back of the cab and the rear axle. That single measurement, the cab-to-axle distance or CA, is the whole reason the best fifth wheel hitch for a short bed truck is not the same part you would put behind a long bed.

Most fifth wheel hitches are built for long beds. They sit high, they sit far back, and the pin box of the trailer they hold ends up hanging over the bed rail where it has to clear the rear window and the slide-in camper shell above it. On a short bed truck, that clearance is often gone before the trailer is even hooked up. A slider buys the space by rolling rearward, a tilting platform buys it by pivoting, and a low-profile roller buys it by cutting overall height. Those are three different answers to the same clearance problem, and the right one depends on your exact truck and trailer.

We went through the short-bed hitch market carefully and pulled together the six hitches that genuinely address CA clearance, along with the two roller and slider units that bolt onto an existing rail system. For each one we looked at the type of clearance it creates, the weight class it carries, and what the install actually demands of you. This is a short-bed roundup, so if you came here looking for a generic ball hitch for a utility trailer, our trailer hitch roundup covers that category separately.

One warning before the list: short-bed compatibility is truck-specific, never blanket. Two 6.5 ft beds from different generations can have very different CA distances, and the measurement decides whether a hitch works at all. We will show you how to take that measurement in the buying guide below.

Top 3 Fifth Wheel Hitches for Short Bed Trucks

Best Fifth Wheel Hitches for Short Bed Trucks in 2026

1. B&W Companion Slider RVK3405: The Most Travel for Short Bed Clearance

This is the hitch we kept coming back to while building the list, and the reason is simple: 12 inches of fore-aft slider travel is the single most effective concession a short-bed owner can get. When you hook up, the head rolls rearward under the trailer, and the pin box moves back and down with it. Owners in the review set report the motorhome no longer threatens the cab in a short box, and several say outright they would choose this slider over the fixed version of the same hitch.

The head is fully articulating, pivoting both front to back and side to side. On a truck with a short wheelbase and a tall trailer, that matters more than the travel number alone, because the trailer still moves as you corner and cross uneven ground. The cam-action latching handle releases even when you are parked on a site that is not level, which is a detail you will appreciate on a sloped gravel pad.

Polyurethane bushings instead of plain steel bushings are the reason this hitch does not rattle. Reviewers describe a quiet tow, and quiet is the word that comes up more than any other across 147 reviews. The rating sits at 4.8 stars with 92 percent of reviews at five stars, and only a 2 percent tail at one star.

Fit was reported as clean across a wide spread, from a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 through GMC and Chevy HD crew cabs. One owner swapped it directly for an existing B&W gooseneck ball, which tells you how mechanically similar the two platforms are.

Who the RVK3405 suits

It suits a short-bed owner who has the shortest CA of anyone on this list and needs the most travel available, and who wants a complete hitch rather than a component. If your truck bed is empty and you are starting from scratch, this is a full slider assembly, not an add-on, and that removes a lot of decision-making.

It also suits people who care about the warranty. The limited lifetime warranty and Made in America build are the ones owners mention when they compare it to the alternatives.

Who should skip the RVK3405

Skip it if you are installing alone. At 287 pounds this is a genuinely awkward lift into the bed, and multiple reviewers needed a second person or a block and tackle to get it in position. If your bed is carpeted or has a removable liner, plan on cutting slots in the liner so the nylon bed strips contact bare metal and cannot twist under load.

Also skip it if you want a lower-profile install. A full slider assembly of this style stands taller than a roller, and if your limiting factor is vertical clearance to a low rear window rather than fore-aft space, a roller design is the better answer.

2. B&W Companion OEM Slider RVK3670: Cleanest Install on a Ram With Bed Pucks

This is the same hitch as our top pick in nearly every mechanical respect, with one crucial change at the top: the mounting plate connects to the Ram factory bed puck system instead of requiring a drilled-in rail install. If your Ram came with the OEM hitch platform, that is a meaningful difference in both time and how much you are modifying the truck.

The trade for that convenience is compatibility. This one is not a universal fit. It is a vehicle-specific fit for trucks equipped with the Ram OEM puck platform, and if your truck does not have factory pucks, this hitch is simply not an option no matter how short the bed is. Check your bed before you start shopping.

Everything else matches the RVK3405 in the ways that matter for short-bed clearance: 12 inches of slide, a fully articulating head that pivots front to back and side to side, cam-action latching handle, and polyurethane bushings. The 20,000 lb GTW and 5,000 lb VTW ratings are identical.

The 4.8 average here comes from 77 reviews, with 88 percent at five stars and no one-star reviews at all. The review pattern is unusually clean, and the recurring note is that puck mounting is the reason buyers chose it over a drill-in slider.

Who the RVK3670 suits

It suits a short-bed Ram owner who already has factory bed pucks and would rather not cut brackets into the bed or add a full rail system. The install is lighter on the truck body than a drilled solution, and the limited lifetime warranty keeps the long-term math clean.

It also suits someone who has run a B&W gooseneck before and wants the same handling character in a fifth wheel slider.

Who should skip the RVK3670

Skip it if your truck is not puck-equipped. That is the one dealbreaker here, and no amount of CA measurement changes it. If you have a short bed from another brand, or an older Ram without the factory platform, this hitch will not bolt up.

Skip it if weight is your concern too. At 305 pounds it is the heaviest unit in this group, and installation realistically means a second set of hands or a hoist.

3. PullRite 2700 Superglide Short Bed Hitch: The Tilting Platform Built for Short Beds

This is the only hitch in the group whose product name states Short Bed outright, and the design follows that name. Instead of a straight slider that only moves fore and aft, the SuperGlide platform tilts, pivoting both fore-aft and vertically. That vertical component is what lets the trailer nose move up and out of the way of the cab rather than fighting it.

In practice that tilt absorbs cab contact during tight turns, which is precisely the moment a short-bed truck is most likely to have a clearance problem. Because the platform pivots, the pin box can rise over an obstruction rather than transferring the load into the frame.

It mounts to industry-standard fifth wheel base rails, so if you already have a rail kit in the bed from a previous hitch, you are not starting from scratch. Construction is stainless steel with a powder-coated finish, which is a sensible pairing for hardware that lives in a wet truck bed.

The 4.2 average across 58 reviews comes with the widest spread in this group: 69 percent five-star, but a 12 percent one-star share. Buyers towing campers behind short beds are enthusiastic about the tilting platform. Detractors point to durability and value at this hitch’s tier. We would call that a mixed but informative signal, and worth reading a few of the one-star reviews before you commit.

Who the PullRite 2700 suits

It suits a short-bed owner whose problem is a tight turn rather than a straight-line overhang. If your clearance failures happen on corner entry rather than at the hitch-up position, a tilting platform addresses it and a straight slider may not.

It also suits anyone with existing industry-standard base rails in the bed, since the mounting footprint is standard and pairs with kits you may already own.

Who should skip the PullRite 2700

Skip it if you are towing at the top of the Class 5 range. The 15,000 lb pull force rating is a step below the 20,000 lb class that both B&W sliders reach, and a heavy motorhome needs that headroom. The lower number is not disqualifying, but it is a limit you should check against your loaded trailer weight rather than ignore.

Skip it if warranty length is part of your decision. The stated policy here is a 30-day contact policy, not a limited lifetime warranty like the two B&W units, and the wide 4.2 rating spread is consistent with that gap in confidence.

4. PullRite 2900 Superglide 20,000: The Most Travel, Fully Automatic

This is the Superglide platform scaled up, and the headline is the travel. Fourteen inches of fully automatic slide is the longest fore-aft movement anywhere in this group, which makes it the natural answer when even 12 inches does not buy enough clearance. If your CA is genuinely tight, this is the one to look at first.

The automatic part is the real difference. A capture plate fitted to the trailer activates a sliding cam, and a locking jaw then closes automatically around the king pin. There is no handle to pull and no repositioning to remember, which means the hitch moves when the trailer moves. Owners consistently single out the fully automatic slide and self-locking jaw as the features that made the unit work for them.

Unlike a manual slider, you do not have to think about whether the hitch is in the right position during a slow parking maneuver. On a short wheelbase truck, where every inch of movement changes the trailer’s track, that automation removes a class of mistakes.

The 4.6 average across 49 reviews is one of the cleanest sentiment profiles here: 81 percent five-star, 13 percent four-star, and no two- or three-star reviews at all. The remaining tail is a small 6 percent one-star group.

Who the PullRite 2900 suits

It suits the shortest CA in the room. When 12 inches leaves you short, 14 inches of automatic travel is the difference between a setup that works and one that does not, and this unit also carries a 20,000 lb trailer weight rating for larger campers.

It also suits anyone who prefers not to touch the hitch during hitch-up. The capture plate on the trailer handles the engagement automatically once installed.

Who should skip the PullRite 2900

Skip it if you are trailer-limited rather than clearance-limited, because the 20,000 lb rating is a ceiling and not an invitation to load up to it. Most importantly, watch the height: the hitch stands 18.5 inches to the top of the hitch plate, and that is tall. If your limiting factor is vertical clearance to a low rear window, this is the wrong unit and a roller is the right one.

Skip it if you are not willing to modify the trailer. A capture plate must be installed on the trailer to activate the sliding cam, and if you rent trailers or move between several, that plate is not a given.

5. Reese Towpower 30048 Kwik-Slide: The Upgrade for an Existing Fifth Wheel

This is a different kind of product from the rest of the list. Rather than a complete hitch, the Kwik-Slide is a slider attachment that converts an existing 16K or 20K fifth wheel into a sliding one. That makes it the most direct route to short-bed clearance if you already own a fixed hitch you like but do not have the CA room for.

Ten inches of fore-aft travel is the smallest figure here, and the contoured six-roller design floats side to side to compensate for rails that are not perfectly square. Forged mounting feet give a wide, consistent attachment to the rail kit. At 62.4 pounds it is a fraction of the weight of a full slider assembly, which makes installation a one-person job rather than a hoist job.

It is also fully adjustable with the trailer attached, so small corrections during a parking maneuver do not require dropping the trailer. Owners use it to make an existing fifth wheel workable behind a short-wheelbase truck, and several report smooth long-distance trips.

Who the Reese 30048 suits

It suits an owner who already has a compatible 16K or 20K fifth wheel and wants short-bed travel without replacing the whole hitch. Because it is an add-on rather than a system, it is also far lighter to install and lighter on the wallet than a complete slider.

It suits owners with older rail kits, since it works with the industry-standard base rail format those kits already use.

Who should skip the Reese 30048

Skip it if you do not already own a compatible fifth wheel, because this is a slider, not a hitch. It requires a separate universal base rail kit, part number 30035 or 58058, that is sold separately, so budget for the complete system rather than assuming one purchase finishes the job.

Skip it if you have a trailer with a short pin box. The manufacturer recommends a minimum 13-inch extended pin box for this slider, and travel that large is not useful if the pin box geometry limits how far the hitch can move. The 10 percent one-star and 10 percent two-star shares in the ratings, the widest negative share in this group, include a buyer whose slider would not travel under load and had to be repositioned by hand, plus complaints about instructions that assume a fully disassembled unit when some assembly had already been completed.

6. CURT 16560 R16 5th Wheel Roller: The Low-Profile Answer for Tight Vertical Clearance

Sliders solve fore-aft clearance. Rollers solve height. The CURT 16560 is the only roller in this group, and it is worth considering if your problem is a low rear window or a camper shell rather than a short CA number. Because the platform is a roller rather than a slider plate, the whole assembly sits lower, so the kingpin has more vertical room to travel.

It still provides 12 inches of rearward travel, which is the same figure as our top B&W slider. So you get both levers at once: the travel most short-bed owners need, plus the reduced overall height that only a roller gives you.

It installs on any industry-standard fifth wheel base rails and pairs with CURT industry-standard base rails and most CURT fifth wheel hitch heads. The finish is a dual-coat A-coat and carbide black powder coat, which is a sensible build for hardware sitting in a bed through rain, road salt, and road grime. At 96.1 pounds it is manageable for a two-person install rather than a machine lift.

Sentiment is positive with a 4.6 average across 30 reviews, 75 percent five-star, 16 percent four-star, and no reviews below three stars except a 9 percent two-star group. Reviewers centre on exactly the feature we would highlight: the low-profile height that solves kingpin-to-rear-window clearance on a short bed.

Who the CURT 16560 suits

It suits a short-bed owner with a low rear window, a camper shell, or a canopy over the bed, where vertical clearance is the binding constraint. It is also a good fit if you want short-bed travel but do not want the weight and height of a full slider assembly.

It suits buyers who already own industry-standard base rails, since the roller drops straight into them.

Who should skip the CURT 16560

Skip it if you want a complete hitch in one purchase. The roller is only the moving platform; the hitch head and the base rails are sold separately, so the final cost of the system is not visible from this component.

Skip it if you routinely tow at the top of the range. The 16,000 lb GTW rating sits below the 20,000 lb class the B&W sliders and the PullRite 2900 reach, which matters for a loaded motorhome rather than a small camper. And with 30 reviews, this is the thinnest evidence base in the group, so treat the owner feedback as directional rather than conclusive.

How to Choose a Fifth Wheel Hitch for a Short Bed Truck

The six hitches above solve the same problem in four different ways, and picking wrong means cutting a truck bed or discovering at the first campground that the trailer nose meets the cab. Here is the decision sequence we would use.

Measure your cab-to-axle distance before you buy anything

CA distance is the number that decides this purchase, and it is easy to measure. Park the truck on level ground, find the rearmost point of the cab, find the center of the rear axle, and measure between them. Do it yourself with a tape; you do not need a dealer.

Then compare that number against the travel the hitch offers plus the space your pin box needs. A 12 inch slider needs enough room to move 12 inches without the pin box striking the cab, and the answer changes with the trailer. If you can, bring the trailer or at least know your pin box length before you order.

Our trailer hitch comparison covers the lower-rated hitch classes in more depth if you are stepping up from a ball coupler for the first time.

Fixed, slider, tilting or low-profile roller: which one fits

A fixed hitch sits in one place and never moves, which means the pin box position is fixed and the CA requirement is the least forgiving. On a short bed, most owners rule it out.

A slider moves rearward under load, buying 10 to 14 inches depending on the model. This is the most common answer and the most flexible, at the cost of weight and added height.

A tilting platform adds a vertical pivot, so the pin box can rise over a tight turn rather than press into the cab. This matters if your clearance problem happens on corner entry.

A low-profile roller trades some weight capacity for a much lower standing height. This is the right answer when the ceiling, not the floor of the clearance envelope, is the problem.

Match the weight class to the trailer, not the truck

Hitch ratings in this group run from 15,000 lb to 20,000 lb GTW. The truck tells you what it can pull; the hitch tells you what it can hold. You need the hitch rating to exceed your loaded trailer weight with margin, not to sit just under the truck’s maximum tow figure.

Also remember the vertical component. VTW, the vertical weight carried through the kingpin, is the figure that stresses the pin box and the frame rails. A 20K GTW hitch with 5,000 lb VTW gives the pin box and trailer a defined limit, and your trailer’s own kingpin weight spec has to fit inside it.

Payload is the limit most short-bed owners hit first

This surprises people. A short-bed truck is often payload-limited before it is tow-limited. The hitch itself weighs real mass, and it is all carried in the bed where payload is measured, on top of the kingpin weight pressing down at the rear axle.

Check the door-jamb payload sticker on your truck and subtract the hitch weight and the kingpin load. If the number goes negative, the truck cannot safely run that combination, and no hitch choice fixes it. You would need a different truck, a lighter hitch, or a trailer with a lower pin box weight.

Frame rails, bed pucks and the drilling question

There are two mounting philosophies on this list. Frame-mounted rail systems bolt to the bed and can require cutting or drilling depending on the rail kit and the truck. Puck systems use factory mounting points already present in the bed, which is why the Ram OEM slider is the least invasive install in the group.

Bed liners complicate frame-mounted installs. The B&W sliders need slots cut in a plastic liner so the nylon strips contact bare metal and cannot twist under load. If your bed is lined, factor in that step before you order, or choose a puck-compatible unit.

Finally, confirm fitment for your exact truck before you commit. Truck-specific fit hitches carry part numbers for a reason, and bed length, cab configuration and model year all change the CA that makes a hitch work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Verdict on the Best Fifth Wheel Hitch for a Short Bed Truck

The B&W Companion Slider RVK3405 is the best fifth wheel hitch for a short bed truck, and the reason is the combination of 12 inches of travel, a fully articulating head, a 20,000 lb GTW rating, and the largest body of owner feedback in this group at 147 reviews. The polyurethane bushings and the limited lifetime warranty are what make it the one we would put behind a real motorhome rather than a demo.

Choose the RVK3670 instead if your Ram has factory bed pucks and you want the least invasive install. Choose the PullRite 2900 when 14 inches of automatic travel is the difference between clearing and not. Choose the PullRite 2700 when corner-entry clearance is the problem, and the CURT 16560 when height is. If you already own a 16K or 20K fifth wheel, the Reese 30048 adds travel to what you have.

Before any of them, spend ten minutes with a tape measure and get your cab-to-axle distance. That number, not the bed length on the spec sheet, decides which of these six fits your truck in 2026.