F150 aluminum bed and sliding 5th wheel bracket

[Timeking]

I am getting conflicting answers. The dealer says it won't work, and the place that sells and installs the Reese-type bracket says it will work. So what is the answer? Anyone have one of these trucks with a 5th wheel?

The other post on this forum is about an Anderson bracket.....

[alexleblanc]

daka320 wrote:
It seems that Ford is taking the "Short Timer" approach on these trucks. ALuminum panels and twin turbos may not last over the long haul. Aviation is my career so I am very familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of both.
ALuminum is great for its lightweight and flexible properties. But, it is hard to repair and it does corrode. Their is a product called Corrision X that is applied to the inside of aircraft to help prevent corrosion. Also, aluminum has a tendency to "Tin Can" at times. Just listen to a small Cessna when you start it up or shut it down.
Turbos/superchargers are nice to have to increase the power output of an engine especially when climbing up to altitude. You can achieve some nice true airspeeds up higher and stay well above some terrain. But, you have to really be careful that you do not overboost an engine or shock cool it. I'm afraid Ford may be overboosting their smaller six cylinder engines to have bragging rights to how much power they can achieve out of it. Also, you do not hear much about allowing the turbos and engines to slowly cool down. It is a good way to crack turbos, blocks, cylinders, etc. When you see your turbos, exhaust, etc. glowing yellow or orange you know there is some heat being produced. With the aviation problems I have had with turbos, a derated engine was always more reliable and bullet proof.
Believe me that I am no expert with these trucks. I do not own one or have any experience with them. For me the jury is not out yet on how they will hold up. I just have a tendency to apply what I have observed and learned in aviation towards other things. I hope for the sake of all the owners that Ford has done their homework. They are nice trucks!

While this was true of turbo's of the past, it is not true for the EB. The EB uses liquid/oil cooled turbos that do not require a turbo timer or idle for 30 seconds to get the turbo's cooled down.

Also, my 0.02$ - F150's should not be towing FW's, leave that to 250/2500 and up size trucks.

[Bigmoss]

You know Chevy must be loosing HUGE market share when having to make commercials like that.

[avvidclif1]

Ever see a red tool box drop like that and not leave a little red paint behind???

[noteven]

Dave H M wrote:

06Fargo wrote:
Don't drop your toolbox corner first on the bed.

yeah fargo I was thinking about that one. i think that is the hoakiest commercial I have seen lately.

agree

[LIKE2BUILD]

Timeking wrote:
I am getting conflicting answers. The dealer says it won't work, and the place that sells and installs the Reese-type bracket says it will work. So what is the answer? Anyone have one of these trucks with a 5th wheel?

The other post on this forum is about an Anderson bracket.....

Does Ford not offer a 5th wheel prep kit for the F150? What about aftermarket hitches, do they have a puck system for the F150? I have the factory prep kit in my RAM2500 and LOVE it. There is absolutely nothing in the bed except the trim rings around the pucks. I know Ford has a similar system for the F250 so maybe there's an option for your F150.

If there is no puck system, why not look at using a B&W Turnover Ball and Slider Companion Hitch and be done with it. This will give you a clean bed with no permanent rails and the corrosion issue is a total non-factor.

KJ

[LIKE2BUILD]

Sport45 wrote:
Every vehicle I own has aluminum wheels pulled up tightly against steel hubs using steel studs and nuts. Not one of them is showing any corrosion issues???

Then you're lucky. Have you ever tried to rotate tires and needed a large hammer and a block of wood to jar the wheel loose from the rotor? It's a VERY common occurrence up north. Galvanic corrosion basically fuses the two dissimilar metals and makes wheel removal a tough task. The trick is to coat the back side of the wheel with anti-seize where it contacts the rotor.

KJ

[daka320]

It seems that Ford is taking the "Short Timer" approach on these trucks. ALuminum panels and twin turbos may not last over the long haul. Aviation is my career so I am very familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of both.
ALuminum is great for its lightweight and flexible properties. But, it is hard to repair and it does corrode. Their is a product called Corrision X that is applied to the inside of aircraft to help prevent corrosion. Also, aluminum has a tendency to "Tin Can" at times. Just listen to a small Cessna when you start it up or shut it down.
Turbos/superchargers are nice to have to increase the power output of an engine especially when climbing up to altitude. You can achieve some nice true airspeeds up higher and stay well above some terrain. But, you have to really be careful that you do not overboost an engine or shock cool it. I'm afraid Ford may be overboosting their smaller six cylinder engines to have bragging rights to how much power they can achieve out of it. Also, you do not hear much about allowing the turbos and engines to slowly cool down. It is a good way to crack turbos, blocks, cylinders, etc. When you see your turbos, exhaust, etc. glowing yellow or orange you know there is some heat being produced. With the aviation problems I have had with turbos, a derated engine was always more reliable and bullet proof.
Believe me that I am no expert with these trucks. I do not own one or have any experience with them. For me the jury is not out yet on how they will hold up. I just have a tendency to apply what I have observed and learned in aviation towards other things. I hope for the sake of all the owners that Ford has done their homework. They are nice trucks!

[Bigmoss]

I have a 2016 F150 short bed with a Reese slider hitch. The rails only mount through the box and are bolted to brackets put on the frame. I had the holes drilled and then the LineX was applied as well as the bolts that go through the frame are in sleeves so Im not worried at all.

[MFL]

Dave H M wrote:

06Fargo wrote:
Don't drop your toolbox corner first on the bed.

yeah fargo I was thinking about that one. i think that is the hoakiest commercial I have seen lately.

Yep, first toolbox...solid steel, full of rocks...seond toolbox made of plastic, and empty. :W

Both were red,
Jerry

[Dave_H_M]

06Fargo wrote:
Don't drop your toolbox corner first on the bed.

yeah fargo I was thinking about that one. i think that is the hoakiest commercial I have seen lately.

[NEnative]

I was a P1 pipe welder at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. During my apprenticeship one of the requirements we had to learn to be proficient at was welding aluminum. I say this because the naval destroyers had aluminum superstructures attached to a steel hull, so everything above the main deck was made of aluminum. There was an insulating layer sandwitched between the two dissimilar metals at the contact point to eliminate the corrosion problem. The superstructure was bolted/riveted to the hull since welding the two together was not possible.

[noteven]

Don't drop your toolbox corner first on the bed.

[Bipeflier]

Dave H M wrote:
I sure am glad so many folks have the AL figured out.

We are heading to AK next spring, am starting to look for a steel air plane to get me there without falling/corroding apart. :h

Are the 150 starting to fall apart yet?

Corrosion in airplanes is a VERY BIG DEAL!!!

Ask any airframe mechanic as to what annual inspection is required.

I did not say the corrosion would cause the truck to fall apart but it will cause issues down the road.

As for "military grade" aluminum, the military purchases item from almost every grade made. This claim is almost as good as "new and improved".

As for aluminum wheels on steel hubs, plating or anodizing is typically used to reduce this issue. They will still corrode, look carefully. I have had some that had to be beat off of the hub-centric mount due to corrosion.

[pyoung47]

The F 150 have rather short beds -- be sure that your hitch will give you enough clearance even with a slider. I believe that Pull-Rite makes a special slider just for F-150 short bed trucks. (Or they used to.)