Pullrite and Curt both make a drop in hitch for the Ford factory prep also. Along with Reese and B&W, all are good hitches. Just a matter of which you like best. Rails are already installed under the bed in the factory prep. And the hitch just drops into the holes in the bed. Takes longer to get it out of the box than to install it.
As far as a slider. Many do fine with a short bed and no slider and by being careful on tight back-ins. But there are also some who have knocked out a back window or dented a cab with that set up.