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Old 04-30-2017, 06:58 PM   #1
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New to 5th Wheel Towing

Greetings. My wife and I are moving from our current 30' Jayco pull behind TT to a 5th wheel. I've got about a year of experience with the pull behind so feel I know that routine well. I know nothing about 5th wheel towing and the setups. Looking now at hitches and will search this section of the forum for advice before I start a new thread. We're getting close to a trailer decision (Grand Design 337RLS currently top of list) so I'm shopping for a hitch. I see there are lots of threads here on the topic. TV is a 2017 F-250 Platinum. The travel trailer section of this forum was a life saver for me over the past year on many occasions. I'm sure this one will be as well.
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Old 04-30-2017, 07:12 PM   #2
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Greetings. My wife and I are moving from our current 30' Jayco pull behind TT to a 5th wheel. I've got about a year of experience with the pull behind so feel I know that routine well. I know nothing about 5th wheel towing and the setups. Looking now at hitches and will search this section of the forum for advice before I start a new thread. We're getting close to a trailer decision (Grand Design 337RLS currently top of list) so I'm shopping for a hitch. I see there are lots of threads here on the topic. TV is a 2017 F-250 Platinum. The travel trailer section of this forum was a life saver for me over the past year on many occasions. I'm sure this one will be as well.
Big question is your box length. If you have an 8' box then Bob's your uncle and just about any of the brand name hitches would work well. Reese, B&W, Pull rite, etc... If your truck is a short box then a little more due diligence is required. I recommend a slider, and more specifically an automatic slider. The Pullrite Superglide is a great option for an auto slider, but Reese and B&W make a good option for a manual slider. Some are using the Anderson but I am not personally convinced yet, but each to their own.

Welcome to the fifth wheel world.
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Old 04-30-2017, 07:46 PM   #3
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Thanks. It's a 6.5ft box so have started looking at the sliding models.
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Old 04-30-2017, 07:56 PM   #4
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I had a Reese slider for over fifteen years, even lived in a culdesac and never once used the slider option. That's the reason I won't spend the extra money on one again. To each his own. I have several buddy's using the Andersen hitch on their triple axle toy haulers for three yeas now with no problems, that will be my new hitch in the next couple of weeks.
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Old 04-30-2017, 07:58 PM   #5
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New to 5th Wheel Towing

Suzhou
I'm interested in the same TV. What is the payload of your F-250? Do you have the diesel?
My interest is the Reflection 311,
similar size 5th wheel to the 337.


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Old 04-30-2017, 08:11 PM   #6
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Larry Mac - On the 17 F-250 Platinum the diesel max payload capacity (door sticker) runs just over 1,900lbs. Not enough for even a modest 5th wheel. The gas version with the 6.2L engine is a little over 2,800lbs. Net - the diesel engine adds about 900lbs (and $8,000) to the the truck. At 2,800lbs I have enough headroom on load capacity to be withing specs for the trailer we are considering. I have a 2016 F-150 Platinum now that has a max payload of 1,515lbs. No where near enough for a 5th wheel. It was fine for our current trailer since the tongue weight was about 800lbs. The 17 F-250 is a redesign and rides as well as my 16 F-150 does. The cabs are the same inside other than a few switches and small things. You can get more load capacity if you move to the Lariat or the XLT but suspect that even then the diesel will cause issues re load capacity for a good sized 5th wheel.

I learned this lesson the hard way on my first truck by exceeding the load capacity on my 2014 F-150. Couldn't keep the front end firmly on the road and had to upgrade to the 2016 model.
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Old 04-30-2017, 08:18 PM   #7
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Ringneks - is the Andersen the one that simply has a hitch ball on top with an adapter on the trailer pin? Hooks up like a gooseneck trailer? Didn't know you could do that. I saw it while browsing around for hitches and wondered if it was something new or just a different way of doing it that had been around for a while.
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Old 04-30-2017, 08:34 PM   #8
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Larry Mac - On the 17 F-250 Platinum the diesel max payload capacity (door sticker) runs just over 1,900lbs. Not enough for even a modest 5th wheel. The gas version with the 6.2L engine is a little over 2,800lbs. Net - the diesel engine adds about 900lbs (and $8,000) to the the truck. At 2,800lbs I have enough headroom on load capacity to be withing specs for the trailer we are considering. I have a 2016 F-150 Platinum now that has a max payload of 1,515lbs. No where near enough for a 5th wheel. It was fine for our current trailer since the tongue weight was about 800lbs. The 17 F-250 is a redesign and rides as well as my 16 F-150 does. The cabs are the same inside other than a few switches and small things. You can get more load capacity if you move to the Lariat or the XLT but suspect that even then the diesel will cause issues re load capacity for a good sized 5th wheel.

I learned this lesson the hard way on my first truck by exceeding the load capacity on my 2014 F-150. Couldn't keep the front end firmly on the road and had to upgrade to the 2016 model.

Are you aware or did you look into a high capacity trailer tow package for the F-250.
I heard about it it but don't know what it entails.


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Old 04-30-2017, 08:46 PM   #9
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There isn't a max tow package for the 250 since towing and hauling is what it's designed to do. You can get what's called a 10,000lb GVWR package but I'm not really sure what all that includes or does. I know I see a lot of 3/4T trucks on the road hauling very large FW trailers around and assume that many are simply running over their payload capacity. The payload vs towing capacity issue seems to be a common thread on this forum just like it is on the trailer forum. The number of people, like me, that get burned by simply reading the towing capacity number and not the door sticker is incredible. Even looking for my new truck I get Ford sales people that have no clue of the difference and would gladly sell me a 1/2T truck to carry a FW trailer simply based on the towing capacity. Not me...
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Old 04-30-2017, 08:57 PM   #10
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New to 5th Wheel Towing

Yeah, it's amazing how little salesmen actually know about payload and towing.
Did you ever consider just going to a f-350 SW to get the payload you needed?
Btw, I may get my next truck from Rush Truck centers-- they mostly deal with the work trucks and carry F250s and 350's with mostly a work truck trim with high capacity towing specs.
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Old 04-30-2017, 09:07 PM   #11
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Ringneks - is the Andersen the one that simply has a hitch ball on top with an adapter on the trailer pin? Hooks up like a gooseneck trailer? Didn't know you could do that. I saw it while browsing around for hitches and wondered if it was something new or just a different way of doing it that had been around for a while.
It is, I just installed a b and w in my truck this weekend. B and w also makes the companion hitch that installs over the turn over ball also and it does have the slider option if you choose to get the slider.
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Old 04-30-2017, 09:11 PM   #12
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The 350 is just too much truck for day to day driving, which is what 95% of its life will be. Back and forth to WalMart and the grocery store every day in a 350 is not an option for me. Plus, the 350 did not get a redesign and it rides like a big, heavy work truck. The 250 is a complete redesign and in my test ride it was just like being in my 150, which is a very nice ride. Other than sitting a good bit higher, the inside was a mirror image of my 150.
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Old 04-30-2017, 10:18 PM   #13
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The 350 is just too much truck for day to day driving, which is what 95% of its life will be. Back and forth to WalMart and the grocery store every day in a 350 is not an option for me. Plus, the 350 did not get a redesign and it rides like a big, heavy work truck. The 250 is a complete redesign and in my test ride it was just like being in my 150, which is a very nice ride. Other than sitting a good bit higher, the inside was a mirror image of my 150.
I agree with you. There are many things I need to do that would be better for a 3/4 ton than a 350.
But my DW's first choices of fifth wheels required a 350 DW. I'm slowly working her down to a more realistic choice for a 3/4 ton truck , plus we are just now starting with zero experience at ages 70 and 65. Don't really want to learn from the deep end.
I hope you don't mind me piggy backing on your thread here. Fwiw, even though I have zero experience, I have read a lot. I like what I have seen and read on many testimonials on these forums in the B& W hitch-- even if I needed a slider.


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Old 04-30-2017, 10:35 PM   #14
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The 350 is identical to the 250 inside and out, save for the badges, 4" lift blocks instead of 2" in the back, a set of overload springs and the extra $1000 price tag. Same for the 2017 - all super duties F250-550 got the new body and interior.


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Old 04-30-2017, 10:39 PM   #15
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My wife was also looking online at 40' plus models which would have easily put us into 350 territory. Our current tow trailer is 30' so I told her she could go to 35' which from my quick scan would keep us with a pin/hitch weight of just under 2,000lbs. Which would work for our needs leaving us 800lbs+ for other stuff, including us. Plus the 35' with about 5' of that being over the bed of the truck meant my total rig length would still be about the same. Took a lot of floorplan looking but she found one she (and I) really like right at 35' long. Had to look at many different brands and models to find it.
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Old 04-30-2017, 10:44 PM   #16
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Interesting. I didn't test drive a 350 and sales guy said it was still the old style. Not surprised, their knowledge of the truck line other than the 150 is not that great. Still, too much truck for my daily use.
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Old 04-30-2017, 11:09 PM   #17
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OP, I would suggest you contact a salesperson who specializes in fleet sales, as they will likely have more experience with the Super Duty lineup than the salesperson who is selling a mix of Edges and Mustangs all day. The added benefit with fleet sales is that they are volume-focused. If they can get a relatively easy sale done without a huge time investment, you'll tend to walk away with a good deal.
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Old 05-01-2017, 03:51 PM   #18
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My wife was also looking online at 40' plus models which would have easily put us into 350 territory. Our current tow trailer is 30' so I told her she could go to 35' which from my quick scan would keep us with a pin/hitch weight of just under 2,000lbs. Which would work for our needs leaving us 800lbs+ for other stuff, including us. Plus the 35' with about 5' of that being over the bed of the truck meant my total rig length would still be about the same. Took a lot of floorplan looking but she found one she (and I) really like right at 35' long. Had to look at many different brands and models to find it.
You may have a problem leveling your 5er/ I was told that the 2017 F250 is 4" higher. We have a 6.5' bed and the anderson hitch would not work.
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Old 05-01-2017, 04:47 PM   #19
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5th wheel towing

Just got my F 250 last month, took our 28.5 RSTS to Smokey Mts.

2017 Ford F250 XLT 6.2 gasser with 430 gears. 4X2 did great.

Payload is 3652
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Old 05-01-2017, 04:48 PM   #20
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You may have a problem leveling your 5er/ I was told that the 2017 F250 is 4" higher. We have a 6.5' bed and the anderson hitch would not work.
Is it 4" higher with 20" tires?
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