Recommended Reese M5 Series 5th Wheel Hitch to Tow a 16,800 lb GVWR Trailer with a 2017 F-350

Question:

After removing the puck plugs do you leave the puck rings in place when installing a 5th wheel hitch on a Ford with factory prep option? Thank you.

asked by: Alan

Expert Reply:

We typically recommend having about 1,000 lbs - 2,000 lbs worth of cushion between your loaded trailer and the max weight capacity of your 5th wheel hitch.

Even if you were to load your trailer up to the 16,800 lbs though I believe that you would be just fine with the Reese M5 20K # RP30142. This fits directly to the puck system in your 2017 Ford F-350. It weighs about 154 lbs but you can remove the head, which weighs about 50 lbs, to help make installing and removing the hitch easier.

The only reason you may want to go ahead and just get the 27K Reese M5 # RP30921 is if you plan on upgrading your 5th wheel trailer to a larger one in the future. Instead of going through the pain of trying to sell a used 5th wheel hitch and then waiting for your new hitch to arrive you can go directly from one trailer to another. This 5th wheel hitch weighs about 160 lbs.

I have attached review videos for both hitches for you to check out.

expert reply by: Jon G

Alan

3/26/2018

After removing the puck plugs do you leave the puck rings in place when installing a 5th wheel hitch on a Ford with factory prep option? Thank you.

Jon G.

3/26/2018

Yes, you leave the rings where they are at after removing the plugs to install your 5th wheel hitch. If you check out the review video of the 20K Reese M5 Series # RP30921 you can see that the rings are left in when the hitch is installed.