Placement of a Fifth Wheel Hitch and Recommended Base Rails for a 2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty

Question:

I own a 2007 ford f-350 super duty two wheel drive truck and tow a 35foot fifth wheel camper. My truck has a removable reese hitch. The hitch brackets were installed with support brackets between the rails/ bed of the truck and the frame rails however these support brackets were custom made. This means that the hitch is not located in the bed of the truck in the location that the engineered reese rails would have placed it. Because of this, the center of the jaws when the hitch is installed in the truck are 6 inches forward of the center of the axle. I am considering purchasing the correct reese rails and reinstalling my hitch if need be. In your professional opinion, Is the location of my hitch off enough to make this worth while and if you think so, what rails would you recommend purchasing for my truck?

asked by: Bob

Expert Reply:

The location of your hitch is probably fine as long as you do not have clearance issues with your fifth wheel hitting the cab. If you have cab clearance problems, you could consider a sliding 5th wheel hitch such as # RP30083. However, if you are still concerned, you can purchase new rails and brackets and move your hitch to the correct location.

If you want to purchase new rails, I recommend the Reese Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50082-58. This installation kit is custom made for your 2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty and will mount into existing holes in your vehicle's frame. These base rails fit with any Reese Fifth Wheel Hitch except the Reese Elite Series.

These base rails should be installed based on the instructions and I attached these instructions to this answer for your convenience.

expert reply by: Sarah H