Recommended 5th Wheel Hitch for a 2005 Ford F-150 5-1/2 Foot Bed

Question

Question:

I have a 2005 F150 w/5 1/2 ft bed. I understand that the sidewinder is needed. But your article was written in 2008. So now a new 5th wheel I am looking at, has a long hitch pin extender built in. It seems in 2016, this pin extender replaces the sidewinder. Am I correct in this assumption?

asked by: David M

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

I can help explain this evolution to you to help you better understand.

The reason short bed trucks like your 5-1/2 foot Ford F-150 needed the sidewinder was because of clearance. A sliding hitch alone wouldn't give the camper/rv enough room when turning to not impact the truck cab. Due to popular demand the Sidewinder was born and allowed many short bed truck customers to tow because it moved the pivot point from a standard non-sliding hitch back 22 inches. The Sidewinder essentially extended the pin box of the trailer to work with a standard non-sliding hitch or a sliding hitch lock into position to transfer that pivot point back, but was expensive due to needing the two pieces and fit a variety of pinboxes but not all. These two parts worked well for most customers but to be sure you always want to check using the Clearance Formula.

(A + B) - C = Clearance
A = Distance from the fifth wheel jaw center to the truck cab
B = Offset used (slider clearance or Sidewinder offset) 22 inches for the Sidewinder
C = Width of the nose of the trailer divided by 2
At least 4 inches of clearance is recommended to safely execute a 90 degree turn.

Until very recently this was the only way for a short bed truck customer to tow. Then Demco came out with their Demco Hijacker AutoSlide 13K # DM8550041. With this Autoslide technology the Demco 5th wheel hitch slides automatically as you drive to give you 22-1/2 inches of additional clearance for tight turns. It no longer makes you get in and out of the truck to operate a manual slider, which is a great perk for the frequent tower. This technology has given the short bed owner a second option for towing that camper/rv.

The underbed mounted installation rails you will need for this hitch that are confirmed to fit your 2005 Ford F-150 5-1/2 foot bed are the # DM8551001.

If you could tell me what pin extender you are referring to, I'd be happy to look into it. Your best bet is to use the Clearance formula to determine if the trailer your looking at can accommodate your truck's short bed.

I have linked the above mentioned products to this page for your purchasing convenience.

expert reply by: Jackie C

1

Answer 1

While we do not have a fifth-wheel hitch with a slider for your 2004 Ford F-150 Super Crew with the 5.5-foot bed, we do have options that will allow you to use a fifth wheel with your vehicle. With your cargo box being so short, you will need the…

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Answer 2

In order to tow a fifth-wheel trailer with your 2018 Ford F-150 that has a 5-1/2 foot bed you will need a fixed hitch and a pin box on the trailer that features a rotating turret like a Reese Sidewinder. On a short bed truck like yours a sliding…

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Answer 3

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two…

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Answer 4

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion…

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

Great question, Jeff! When the Rota-Flex first came out it renovated what a pin box could do and be, but at this point in time that technology is a little more dated and the Gen-Y Hitch Shock Absorbing 5th Wheel Pin Box #325-GH-8040 is the…

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

I spoke with my contact at Trailair and from your serial number we were able to determine that your trailer came with a 1621 HD pin box which is a long pin box style. I was unable to obtain the exact part number for your Trailair pin box but from…

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Answer 11

Most fifth wheel rails are made to the same industry standard dimensions. They aren't all though. If you measure 22 inches on center between the two rails and they look like the rails of the #RP30035 that you referenced they would be the…

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Answer 12

If you take a look at the linked diagram you can see the minimum recommended clearance distances between truck and trailer for 5th wheel towing. It is recommended to have at least 5-inches from the top of the bed rails to the bottom of the trailer…

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