Will Hidden Bed Rail Toolboxes Interfere with Towing a 5th Wheel Trailer with a 2007 Ford F-250

Question:

Planning on buying a 07 f250 with hidden bed rail tool boxs makes the bed narrower would that inhibit my ability to tow with a fifth wheel? If so would I be able to convert a fifth wheel trailer to a gooseneck? Would that overcome the issue, or would I be stuck with bumper pull?

asked by: Zippy

Expert Reply:

In all likelihood the bed rail toolboxes on the 2007 Ford F-250 you mentioned will interfere with towing a 5th wheel trailer. The pin box on the trailer will more than likely make contact with the toolboxes when you turn. You can avoid this issue though by replacing the pin box on the trailer with a Sidewinder like the # RP34FR. It doesn't sound like you have a trailer yet so you could look for ones that come with a Sidewinder, Revolution, or Lippert Turning Point pin box and you will be good to go.

If you find the perfect trailer but it does not have one of the pin box styles listed above then check the pin box for its manufacturer and model number so we can see if there is a Sidewinder that will fit it. I have linked out help article on Sidewinders and another article that explains how to identify a pin box when there isn't any other way to do so.

Converting the pin box to a gooseneck by using an adapter will not help either. The adapters that attach to pin boxes still have the issue of the pin box being present. The idea is to keep the pin box stationary so that the trailer pivots at the trailer rather than the hitch.

A bumper pull type of trailer would avoid all of this so if you find one that fits what you are looking for and is within the capacities of the truck and its hitch then that is another way to go.

expert reply by: Michael H