Hitch questions

[troy_t]

So we just got our new truck, a Ford F350 with the 6'9" box and 5th wheel hitch prep package. Our reason for upgrading trucks was to upgrade campers to a 5th wheel.
I've done some google searching and see a plethora of answers but my question on hitches is do I need to go to a sliding hitch or will a fixed hitch be fine? Still looking for the perfect camper but I'm searching for hitches so when we're ready to buy a camper we can go get it. It'll be a newer camper with the rounded corners if that helps.

Thanks!

[ford_truck_guy]

Boy, I LOVE good finds like that ! ! ! !:C

I hope your as happy with it as myself , Jerry, The Fan Boy Prez, and all other B&W user all are ! !

[troy_t]

Yes, you are correct. I have lots of experience pulling trailers and some were pretty big. Also grew up on a farm so I've been backing up equipment for 45 yrs. No worries there. Although I did get the corner of my 25' enclosed sled trailer into the corner of my truck once when we hit black ice at 60 and ended up looking the wrong direction on the freeway once.
As far as hitches, I found a lightly used B&W 3300 companion with the Ford pucks and am picking it up saturday. I appreciate all the good advice from everybody.

[MFL]

troy t wrote:
So we just got our new truck, a Ford F350 with the 6'9" box and 5th wheel hitch prep package. Our reason for upgrading trucks was to upgrade campers to a 5th wheel.
I've done some google searching and see a plethora of answers but my question on hitches is do I need to go to a sliding hitch or will a fixed hitch be fine? Still looking for the perfect camper but I'm searching for hitches so when we're ready to buy a camper we can go get it. It'll be a newer camper with the rounded corners if that helps.

Thanks!

Slider/no slider, always a debate, when using a standard size 6.9' Ford bed.

Fact is, FW manufacturers have been designing rounded/recessed fronts, with extended pins, for many years now. They are designed to work with most 6.5' bed trucks, which are far more popular than a long bed.

As I suggested, in a different thread, the B&W 3300 for Ford puck system is a great choice for your truck. It drops right in the pucks, your wife, or GF could install it, or do it together, if they wanted.

This hitch is adjustable up/down, ahead/back. At 40"s behind cab, with modern FW design front, you would have to be lacking common sense to hit the cab.

You are used to backing trailers, TT and sled trailers IIRC. You cannot back either of these, without hitting at some point. Common sense applies the same when backing a FW.

No one is backing any trailer at 90 degrees, that is just twisting the axles sideways, not backing. Just a slight pull ahead, straighten a little, just like a bumper pull, and back again during a tight back-in

The B&W hitches are solid, more user friendly than most. You won't be disappointed!!

Jerry

[laknox]

CarnationSailor wrote:
"ALL will hit when backing up..."

I have not heard that before. Please explain why that is true.

Thanks

Because as you back up, you can go well past 90°, thus hitting the truck. Mostly it would be in a back and fill situation, but not always.

Lyle

[MNRon]

Troy - Solitude was on our short list when we finally decided on the 35ft Vilano, largely because of the woodwork. The 35ft Solitude is the same floor plan as ours, and even larger tanks, you’ll love it. We toured GD and were impressed, and I know several GD owners. Enjoy! (And get a Superglide 🙂

[Cptnvideo]

FYI, Troy, we have the Solitude 378 MBS and very satisfied. We bought it new off a dealer lot just over a year ago and have have very few issues. So, we are very happy with Grand Design.
Can't help with the slider hitch - we have a Ram dually long bed.

[troy_t]

Thanks for all the advice everybody.
We are looking at a Grand Design this weekend that checks off all of our boxes, 35' long or less, king bed, large water tank. Then we'll have to get serious about a hitch.

[joelc]

I have a '06 with a 8 ft. bed and standard hitch. I can't answer your hitch question, but be sure your 5er is high enough so it won't hit the rails of the truck. My ford truck is high and the trailer needed the axles reversed so they would gain height and not hit the truck. You need aboue 4 - 6" between truck and trailer.

[MNRon]

We have a 2022 F350 short bed and a Superglide auto-slider hitch. Have pulled about 5-10k miles with it so far. Pulled with 80-90k miles with a 2013 Duramax 3500 short bed and a Superglide auto-slider. Love the Superglide.

Many times I’ve backed up in a tight spot, or backing uphill, etc and watched the hitch do its job without me worrying. I know that “if you’re careful” you can do without an auto-slider …but… I also have seen *many* dented 5ers or trucks, or punched out rear windows (just saw a taped up rear truck window pulling a 5er this last week). I would never recommend anything but an auto-slider with a short bed truck

[schlep1967]

Yes. Get an automatic sliding hitch. A neighbor didn't get a sliding hitch. When he backed the trailer up the hill into his driveway while turning he found out why he needed it. So instead of paying $2100 for a proper hitch, he paid $800 for the wrong hitch, $3100 for truck repair and $2100 for the proper hitch.

Spend the money up front. I have the Pullrite Superglide. It's my second one and if I got another short bed truck, I would buy a third one.

[valhalla360]

If you are careful and don't make a mistake, you can make the shortbed work.

If you aren't careful or you make mistakes occasionally, don't be shocked if you wind up buying a new rear window for the truck.

We did it for a couple years and got away with it but I was always obsessing over it when backing up.

If buying new, unless you have some overriding concern, the long bed makes far more sense. (driving down the road or parking, the extra length is a non-issue).

[Nv_Guy]

The issue is if you are backing up an incline and turning. As the trailer goes up, the distance between the truck and 5th wheel gets tighter.
On flat ground I can go 90 degrees with no issue, add a slight grade or turning tight while going thru a driveway dip, and you get to buy a back window.
Luckily my incident happened at home, so it wasn't an issue to wait for a replacement window. If I had been traveling, it would have been a royal pain.

[CarnationSailor]

"ALL will hit when backing up..."

I have not heard that before. Please explain why that is true.

Thanks

[laknox]

All depends on the FW and the turning radius of your truck. My '02 D'max would not hit my very square front Komfort going in either direction. Close, but not quite. My current KZ has more rounded corners, so I have more room. ALL will hit when backing up; a slider just gives you more room before you =do= hit. 🙂 That being said you probably won't need a slider, especially if you have 4wd, as that does affect your turning radius. There are so many stories of people that bought sliders, then never used them, that it pretty much proves my point. Which ever way you go, you can't go wrong with a B&W hitch of any flavor.

Lyle