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Old 05-10-2016, 09:05 PM   #1
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hitches for a 2016 f350 short bed

We have our truck and opted for the ford prep fithwheel
which we know accommodates a Reese Hitch !!

we are looking at ordering the 2017 jayco pinnacle fbts

we are concerned with the front cap of this unit striking the cab of the truck..
Do we really need a sliding hitch ?

If a slider hitch isnt required and your able to fill up at your local gas station or hooking up in a tight camp site.with ease. what hitch can we use to adapt to our new ford pick up preprept from factory for a fifthwheel without using a Reese ?

we have been told by some is to go with a non slider B&W companion.

but, will this hitch secure to our ford prep reese ? If so, could some one explain how to go about doing it..

thanks
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Old 05-11-2016, 05:59 AM   #2
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I have a 2015 Silverado 2500 HD with the short bed 6.5 ft. I tow a 2016 North Point. I had the dealer install the Pullrite Superglide auto sliding hitch and I love it. The first few times I made turns I was keeping a very close eye on the front cap and the cab of the truck. I could not imagine not having the sliding hitch. The possibility of hitting the truck cab with the front cap without a sliding hitch would scare the heck out of me.
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Old 05-11-2016, 06:08 AM   #3
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Most all hitch manf make an adapter plate for the pucks now, so take your pick. I prefer the Reese elite, which we still have from last rig, or the Trailersaver air ride if I had the dough. Most any will be fine, but everybody has an opinion on what they like. I see no need for a slider really. A lot have them and never use the slide. But, if you insist on a slider, what schiguy has is a good option.
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Old 05-11-2016, 07:13 AM   #4
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We have a '13 350 short bed and use the B&W in the factory puck mounts. It's the only 5th hitch I've used but I think it is excellent.
That said, my insurance co paid $500 to replace the back window that was broken as I made a U-turn.
I think if the cap is carefully shaped you can do without a slider, "maybe". To do over I'd probably get a slider. As it is I am very cautious making tight turns or backing.
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Old 05-11-2016, 01:06 PM   #5
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I have the Reese Titan slider. I have to use it to back into my driveway on a narrow residential street. The pill rite would be great but I have to remove my hitch to carry other stuff and it is heavy
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Old 05-11-2016, 02:20 PM   #6
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I'm sure you will like that hitch. I have a short bed with the factory 5th wheel prep and use the Andersen Aluminum 5th wheel connection.

I did not choose the traditional 5th wheel hitch for a couple reasons. Mostly I wanted to use the bed of the truck when not towing and did not want to deal with the weight of loading/unloading the hitch. The other reason is I wanted a hitch that would work with the factory prep. I didn't want to spend $2K + for a hitch to work with the factory prep, or pay more for rails to work with the factory prep. Just my preference.

After much reading, most folks with short bed trucks with a slider said they've never used the slider (manual slider).

I liked the Andersen ultimate which is under 40lbs and I can remove or install with not much effort.

To answer your question, In my opinion and others that I have ready, you don't 'need' a slider. With the contour of the caps these days, they seem to be more functional with short bed trucks.

Other hitch options that will work using the factor prep would include about any hitch. Seems like you pay top dollar for a hitch that is fit for your factory prep package. Or you buy the rails that can fit your factory prep, then install the 5th wheel hitch you want.

I believe the companion hitch used the gooseneck ball (like Andersen ultimate 5th wheel connection does) to secure the hitch into the bed of the truck.

My opinion is, if you have the factory prep package, then use it. Find a system that is easy to use, but also lets you use the bed of your truck as you need.

There are youtube videos that will show you a review of the companion hitch and how it works. Same for other factor prep connections.

Good luck
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Old 05-11-2016, 03:24 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock View Post
I have the Reese Titan slider. I have to use it to back into my driveway on a narrow residential street. The pill rite would be great but I have to remove my hitch to carry other stuff and it is heavy
Rock
Rock and hboy make good points about the weight. The B&W comes apart into 2 pieces, each of which are manageable. both pieces together are too heavy for me. I started out using the shop crane to lift it in/out of the bed but soon figured it was easier to separate the two pieces and lift them out individually. When not in the bed it sits on a furniture dolly (from Harbor F) and is pretty easy to move around. I cut 2 2x4 pieces about 24" long and cut holes near each end (door knob hole saw) to fit the pucks (kinda like skids). That helps me move it around the bed while installing/removing.
As I said earlier, I really do like this hitch. Shame about the back window tho.
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Old 05-11-2016, 03:36 PM   #8
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I have had a slider for 9 years. For the first two years I had to used the slider. Then my last SOB trailer cap had notched sides and I never used the slider.. Now with my NorthPoint (same cap as your 2017 Pinnacle) I have to use it again. The cap hits, no if ands or buts.

It is a Reese Signature 18k with the pucks. I have lifted it out of the truck, after every outing, with the trailer landing gear and left it stored hanging on the pin for 9 years now.
Back the truck under and drop it back into the pucks when I'm ready for another outing.
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Old 05-11-2016, 05:12 PM   #9
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I'm running the REESE ELITE 18k in my 2016 F350 short bed. I'm pulling a 2016 Eagel RSTS 321 and can make a 90 deg turn without touching. Love the hitch����. If you need to twist up more than 90 deg you should re-evaluate your setup��
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Old 05-11-2016, 05:20 PM   #10
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...same 5er as jwmercer but with a 14 Silverado 2500hd duramax. I love my Reese Titan 16K slider. Much easier to deal with than my old Reese Quik slide. With the rounded cap on the 5er I get awfully tight turns without coming close to my rear window. The Titan comes apart easily and the two sections don't weigh that much.
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Old 05-11-2016, 08:25 PM   #11
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Which hitch ?

I also own a 350 short bed truck and I went with the Andersen ultimate aluminum hitch for various reasons #1 cost#2 weight#3 easy to use,I am glad I went with this set-up but it may not be for everyone some people don't think it's heavy duty enough(weight wise) just do your research on different hitches and read reviews about each hitch thru various forums and make your choice good luck!
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Old 05-11-2016, 09:13 PM   #12
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Andersen's Ultimate Fifth Wheel hitch on my short bed. No slider needed and I do 90 degree maneuvers with good cab clearance. Connects right to the Reese prep under the bed.
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Old 05-12-2016, 06:57 PM   #13
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As you can see, the answers run from slider to no slider and sometimes a slider and from hit to no hit the cab.

My suggestion would be to pick your poison and then do some testing to confirm the expected performance envelope. The last thing you want is to find yourself in a bind somehow and need to do some serious maneuvering and hear a CRUNCH...

Kinda like measure twice, cut once...
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Old 05-13-2016, 05:21 AM   #14
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Also remember the width. Some are 8 ft and others 8 1/2 like my pinnacle
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Old 05-13-2016, 05:49 AM   #15
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Check out the Demco Hitch Hiker Auto Slide. Love mine and wouldn't be without it, ever. I have a set of Ford brackets, #6033 for $100.00 + shipping if you go with the Demco.
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:14 AM   #16
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Any of you guys that have the Anderson Hitches have any pics, the wife and I went looking at some 5'er going to pick one up?
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Old 05-18-2016, 01:21 PM   #17
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I own a short bed truck too , with a slider and would not go without it. When I enter a campground I use the slider everytime. It takes less than 30 sec and I have the piece of mind that my back window will be allright. Do I always need it ? no. But when I do i'm very grateful. If you use mostly pull thru , you should be allright. Another thing that I like is most of the time when I use my bed for larger piece , I can move the hitch a little bit one way or another wich I prefer to a fixed one. I even use it to secure things back there when I don't have the trailer attached. I unlock it , put stuff in the front and then re lock in front so that it hold my stuff.
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Old 05-18-2016, 01:59 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by schiguy View Post
I have a 2015 Silverado 2500 HD with the short bed 6.5 ft. I tow a 2016 North Point. I had the dealer install the Pullrite Superglide auto sliding hitch and I love it. The first few times I made turns I was keeping a very close eye on the front cap and the cab of the truck. I could not imagine not having the sliding hitch. The possibility of hitting the truck cab with the front cap without a sliding hitch would scare the heck out of me.


X2 Superglide is the cats behind and love it. The only small issue is that it is heavy but I just stuck a electric winch in the garage rafters to lift it in and out of the truck and it works great. Highly suggest that you go with the Superglide for there are many many horror stories of folks that didn't have an autoslide and now have thousands of dollars of cab repairs to do on the truck.
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Old 05-21-2016, 01:20 PM   #19
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I have the superglide and love it! There will always be that time where you are maneuvering and something else is on your mind and you forget to pull the lever on a manual slide. We have a 2014 F-350 CCSB. The first whoops will pay for the extra cost of the hitch. We paid $1500 installed when we bought our fifth wheel.
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Old 07-08-2016, 04:22 PM   #20
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I have a new Jayco 2017 5th wheel and decided on the Reese Titan hitch product 30866 with the Reese 5th airborne sidewinder as I have a short bed truck. Long story short it was horrible to hook up and unhook! Reese told there is very little tolerance in the hitch. My dealer replaced it today with the 16 K hitch product 30047 and it is so easy to hook up.
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