Can A Fifth Wheel Be Installed On A 2001 Ford F150 SuperCrew With A 5.5 Foot Bed

Question:

will these brackets fit a supercrew with a 5.5 bed 2001 F150 Supercrew

asked by: Jim W

Expert Reply:

I called Curt on the Curt Custom Fifth Wheel Installation Kit, # C16437-104, and they said that they do not recommend using this kit on a 2001 Ford F150 SuperCrew with the 5.5 foot bed, because of clearance problems.

We do not recommend to install a fifth wheel hitch on a 2001 Ford F150 SuperCrew with the 5.5 foot bed. You have to use a Sidewinder with a standard hitch, which moves the pivot point back 22 inches toward the tailgate. Even with the Sidewinder installed on your vehicle you will not get enough clearance between the truck cab and your fifth wheel when making a 90 degree turn. We recommend at least 4 inches of clearance and with the Sidewinder it will only give maybe 2 inches on the earlier Ford F150 5.5 foot beds.

Also, a slider hitch will interfere with the tailgate on the 2001 Ford F150 SuperCrew with the 5.5 foot bed.

There are custom installation kits for the 2004 and newer Ford F150 SuperCrew with the 5.5 foot bed, because they will have more clearance then the earlier SuperCrew 5.5 foot bed models.

expert reply by: Jeff D