Looking for Fifth Wheel Hitch Bed Rails to Match Existing Holes in Truck Bed

Question:

I bought a used 2012 f350 crew cab. There are already holes in the bed and the hitch store I went to says all the stuff for a hitch is under the truck. The problem is the hitch techs said they dont know what brand of hitch I need for the truck because the existing holes in the bed are not symmetrical. In other words the two holes on the left and right closest to the cab of the truck have a greater distance between them then the two closest to the tailgate. The guy said in his experience all hitches have the same distance between the holes. The two holes closest to the cab have a bracket on the outside of the frame and the rear 2 have the brackets on the inside of the frame when looking under the truck. Any ideas on what brand of hitch is set up this way?

asked by: Ricky M

Expert Reply:

The fifth wheel hitch installation bracket kits we offer from Reese, Curt, Husky, B & W and Demco would all install to the outside of the truck's frame, this would go for the kits with the custom vehicle specific brackets and the universal kits as well. The set-up you're speaking of doesn't sound familiar. If you'd care to reply with some photos of the brackets, I'd be happy to check around with some of our hitch suppliers to see if they can identify them.

I'd closely examine the frame brackets to see if there's any stickers or part numbers stamped into them that might provide a clue as to who manufactured them. If we can't determine the manufacturer, your best bet would be to remove the existing brackets, start over with a new kit like the Reese # RP50026-58. Even if the brackets under your truck bed might somehow line up with Reese bed mounted rails, by mixing the manufacturer of the brackets and the bed rails, you'd end up with an unknown weight capacity. I can certainly understand why you want to use the same holes in your bed, I'd want to do the same thing. In all honesty, your best bet would almost certainly be to go with a new install kit, and then patch any holes in the bed that aren't needed.

I've linked you to a review video for part # RP50026-58 as well

expert reply by: Mike L