Sliding 5th wheel or stationary??

My Star Car has a sliding 5th wheel currently and I am needing to replace the top plate soon. Unfortunatley it is a Simplex-Lite which has been discontinued, and I have also found out that the legs are not interchangeable with other plates. So my option now is to change out the ENTIRE set-up. I already know I want to use the JOST plate with the changable center pin cup ($700 at Peterbilt) but I also need new legs, slider ect ect. The total for all of this plus the plate brand new is $1,600. Now I could go to a salvage place and drop $400 on a used set-up, but then I would still need to buy the plate for $700, thus being pointless.

So my next thought is that maybe I should just go with a stationary 5th wheel as I have not needed to slide my fifthwheel since going over to platform trailers. I have the load placed where I want it so I see no need in being able to slide the plate. I already have it set-up for a shorter king-pin setting so I am thinking about going this route, which would only cost me about $900 for all the parts and the new plate.

What do you guys/gals think????

 

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Well my steers are 11,800# all the time. Loaded or empty so i do not have that problem. The only time I have ever needed to slide the 5th wheel was pulling van trailers. I have not needed to slide it at all pulling a spread axle flat/step yet. I kind of figured this would be the case as most every company I see that does only flatbed mainly all have stationary 5th wheels, and for the cost I think i may just go this route too. I have it set-up where I want it now, and I could just mark it and mount the legs there with a simple bolt-on platform i think.

 

Well I have been looking online and I think I can go with a stationary and it will line up perfectly with my frame rail bracket already on there.