Recommended Air Bag Suspension and 5th Wheel Kit for a 2008 Ford F-250 4x4 6-3/4 foot Bed

Question:

I have a 2008 f250 4x4 short bed looking to buy fifth wheel hitch and air bag suspension system can I get a custom fit fifth wheel rail kit and be able to put air bags like the air lift 5000 ultimate? Thanks

asked by: Kent

Helpful Expert Reply:

I spoke with my contact at Air Lift who said that the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Helper Springs with Internal Jounce Bumpers # AL88398 will be compatible with any 5th wheel custom kit that has brackets that install on the outside of the frame. He said that it fits to pre-existing holes in the frame and that you might need to use the longer bolts from the custom brackets for the 5th wheel hitch to mount the Air Lift kit if need be.

With that being said, I recommend installing the Reese Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50082-58 on your 2008 Ford F-250 4x4. This has brackets that will install on the outside of the frame (making it compatible with the Air Lift option) and has base rails with the industry standard mounting points.

Since your F-250 has a 6-3/4 foot bed you will want to get a sliding 5th wheel hitch to avoid interference between your trailer and cab during sharp turns. One of the best sliding 5th wheel options that we have is the Curt A20 # C16541. It has a pivoting hitch head that sits on vibration dampeners to minimize rattle and noise and to ease hookup on unlevel ground. The dual jaw system helps to provide full 360 degree jaw-to-king-pin contact to help reduce chucking and jarring.

If you don't already have a 7-Way installed in the bed of your F-250 then I also recommend installing the Pollak # PK11893-11932 which will help to ease the connecting and disconnecting of your 5th wheel trailer.