5th Wheel Hitch - Underbed Mount or Not?

I do not want rails in my bed when the camping season ends. With my F-250 I installed the Reese Elite underbed system paired with their Slider fiver hitch. When the fiver hitch is removed, there are 4 holes left in the bed but these are nicely covered over with 4 rubber plugs that come with the Elite system. This month I traded in my truck for a new F-350. I had a body place remove the Elite Underbed hitch and transfer it to the new truck. In the process, they drilled 4 new holes in the new truck and permanently filled the 4 holes in the old truck. They also swapped over my Roll-X bed cover to the new truck- total cost for everything was only $250. The Elite Reese system can be factory ordered with a new truck too. The system costs more than one with support bars permanently installed in the truck bed. It sure is nice having that clean uncluttered space when one needs to carry other types of cargo.

We traded our TT in for a new 5th wheel and are going with the Demco autoslider and underbed mount. They install it Monday and are very excited and now we are really feeling we made the right choice. It is expensive, but we also thought well worth it. Dealer said it would take between 5-7 hours to install it! Dh is a little worried. We just bought the truck this past year a 2014 Silverado 3500 HD diesel and has a fear the truck will get scratched!

My next one, if I ever get one, will have the factory installed hitch system.

I'm sure you understand both are affixed to the truck frame. I have a superglide and it is great.

thomas201 wrote:
One vote for rails. Constantly used for tying in a tandem kayak. Better than a buddy bar for tying in partial loads. You will have to find straps that fit the slots. Horrible if you ever need to shovel out something.

I have often wondered if a simple tarp over the rails before you load the bed with mulch (or whatever) would be enough to keep most of the junk out of the rails.

With a turn over ball, if you carry a load full of mulch, sand.. etc.. wouldn't that get down in the gooseneck around the ball (turned over?) as well and cause problems?

Just musing.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

One vote for rails. Constantly used for tying in a tandem kayak. Better than a buddy bar for tying in partial loads. You will have to find straps that fit the slots. Horrible if you ever need to shovel out something.

No, you don't have purchase the adapter. It all come with the hitch. The only thing is xtra is the safety chains if you want them. You don't have to use them if you don't want to

Doesn't address the OPs question, but for those noting the Anderson - it requires an adapter attached to the 5er pin box, right? So one would need to purchase both the hitch and adapter?

I'm wresting with the same dilemma over removing the (non-turnover ball) gooseneck hitch in my new to me TV, and moving the rails and 5er hitch from my old TV ... but I really want a clean bed on the new TV.

B&W Undermount gets my Vote. I think they make a Slider for a Short Bed Truck as well.

Thanks for all the very helpful responses. They helped to confirm that I want to go with the under bed mount.