Mounting Demco Recon 5th Wheel Hitch to 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 with Factory Rail Kit

Question:

This should match up with a Demco 8550043 Recon 21K 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch that I already own, correct? Also, We own a 2014 Sierra 1500 with the rail kit and the Demco 8550043 Recon 21K 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch that I installed. No problems with clearance issues for the cab of the truck. No need for a slider. When I do a search on the etrailer site for our 2019 Sierra 2500 with puck system, almost all of the 5th wheel hitches that come up are sliders. Is there clearance issue with the puck system for these trucks? are the fixed holes too far forward?

asked by: John

Expert Reply:

Yes, you can mount your existing Demco Recon 5th Wheel Hitch # DM8550043 to your new 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 with the factory puck system by using the Demco Rail Adapter # DM6194. The adapter will mount directly to the factory pucks to provide you with above-bed, industry standard base rails with which the Demco Recon is compatible.

If your new Sierra 2500 has the short 6-1/2 foot bed then a sliding hitch is recommended to ensure cab clearance during sharp turns. This is the case with any short bed truck and is unrelated to the position of the pucks in the truck bed on the Sierra.

With that being said if your older 2014 Sierra also has a short bed and you did not have any clearance issues with your trailer when making sharp turns then sticking with your fixed Recon shouldn't be a problem. A lot of trailers feature a tapered nose that helps with cab clearance and eliminates the need for a sliding hitch in many cases.

If you have the long 8 foot bed on the new truck then a sliding hitch is definitely not needed as you will have plenty of clearance.

expert reply by: Chris R