Recommended Fifth Wheel Base Rail Measurements For Ford F-150 With 6-1/2 Foot Bed

Question:

Ford F-150 with the 4 door cab and 6.5 bed. How far from the fronty of the bed should the front rail be positioned. Currently with the hitch in manuvering position, the trailer will still strike the cab of the truck. I would like to know what the proper mounting positions are for the rails for this model.

asked by: Doug K

Expert Reply:

I would need the year of your Ford F-150 truck to give you the exact measurements for installation of the fifth wheel base rails. If your truck is 2004 or newer I am listing the information below.

The fifth-wheel installation kits that come with base rails and the mounting brackets for a 2004 and newer Ford F-150 6-1/2 Foot Bed are offered in semi-custom, and custom kits.

I would recommend to use a custom install kit like the Reese Custom Installation Kit, part # RP50081-58, because the installation time is cut in half when compared to the other install kits. Also, they use vehicle-specific mounting brackets that will use existing holes on your F-150 frame which will minimize the amount of measuring and drilling that is needed.

The measurement you need to install the base rails is from the rear edge of the truck bed to the rear edge of the front base rail closest to the truck cab. That measurement for a 2004 and newer Ford F-150 6-1/2 Foot Bed is 50-15/16 inches. I am including a link to the installation instructions on the Reese install kit and it will show the layout for the base rails on your vehicle. Also, I am including a video link to the Reese base rails being installed on a Ford F-250 truck.

The Reese # RP50081-58 kit is compatible with Reese, Hidden Hitch, Draw-Tite, CURT, Valley and Husky fifth wheel hitches. It will not fit Reese Elite Series (Signature Series) or Valley UBS hitches.

Most fifth-wheel installation kits will have a similar layout for the base rails, but if you can let me know the particular installation kit you are looking at I can help you find the information you are looking for.

I am including a link to a FAQ page on fifth-wheel trailer hitches.