5th Wheel to Gooseneck Adapter or 5th Wheel Hitch Only for 2011 Ford Super Duty with 8 Inch Lift

Question:

i have a 2011 ford super duty, short bed with 8 inch lift and 37 in tires. We also have a 2016 keystone sprinter 5th wheel 38ft. I know the trailer wont be exactly level . We are wanting to do the gooseneck adapter instead of the rail system. We looked at the off set adapters. Pop up 9inch offset , convert A ball 12-16inch adjustable, or RV Popup RVGC-4105F Kingpin adapter for lippert 1621/0719 kpbox. Wondering about if getting one with cushions is even worth it? Any ideas on what one would work best or have best reviews. Thanks

asked by: Tania

Expert Reply:

The first thing to look at is the type of lift your 2011 Ford Super Duty has. If it is a suspension lift then you can install a gooseneck or 5th wheel installation kit. But if it is a body lift then the truck bed will be too far from the frame to install either type of hitch.

Assuming you have a suspension lift and do not already have a gooseneck hitch installed in the truck bed you can use B&W hitch # BWGNRK1111 which is the hitch itself and the installation kit. I have included a link to a video showing an example installation for you.

But the plan of using a 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter is not going to work. The problem is that most of the adapters do not offer true offset meaning they do not move the pivot point of the trailer so the trailer would end up hitting the truck cab when making turns.

To determine where you would need to position a hitch in the truck bed to safely make 90 degree turns there are some measurements needed. Measure from the center of the rear axle forward to the back of the truck cab. This distance would have to be at least 4 inches more than half the width of the front of the trailer. I believe your trailer is 100 inches wide so half is 50 meaning the measurement from the back of the cab to the center of the hitch (centered over the rear axle) would have to be 54 inches or greater.

If you used a 5th wheel hitch, # DM8550034, which has the most amount of travel at 14 inches, with install kit # DM8552000-71 then things change. You would take the center of the axle to cab measurement like before but this time add 14 inches to account for the travel of the hitch. That much travel just might be enough.

The only other option is to use a fixed, non-sliding 5th wheel hitch and replace the pin box on the trailer with a Sidewinder, if one is available for the pin box that is on the trailer. The Sidewinder moves the pivot point of the trailer back 22 inches and would work for sure. I have included a link to our help article on Sidewinders for you.