Troubleshooting 5th Wheel Turning Clearance with 2014 Ford F-150 with 5-1/2 Foot Bed

Question:

I have a 2014 Ford f150 super cab, with a 5.5 bed. Its a max tow. I bought a 2019 Forest River Rockwood ultra lite Fifth Wheel. It has a Reese Revolution pin box. I bought it because in their publication, both Reese and Forest River said, it could be towed with a short bed pickup. Trouble is it will only turn about 35 to 40 degrees. Thats not good. Trying to get into a spot or a gas station is impossible. The dealer installed a kit to the frame and mounted an Eaz-lift brand plate to the bed. So I called Reese and they said that the revolution sits back 22 inches and should be giving me enough turning radius. It does not. Seems like if it went back even a another 2 inches it would turn maybe even 90 degrees. Did the dealer use the wrong base plate? Is there another combination that would work? What about pinning the revolution and using a slider? Or how about a goose neck system? Please help.

asked by: Jim A

Expert Reply:

For your 2014 Ford F-150 Super Cab with 5.5 foot bed, as Reese stated you should be good for your turning clearance with the 22 inch offset of the Revolution pin box (Factory version of Reese Sidewinder). I haven't heard of turning being reduced to under 40 degrees before, so it is possible the dealer didn't install the rails in the correct location. Most dealers use the universal installation kits like # RP30035 which can allow them to measure incorrectly. I've attached the installation details if you want to measure to ensure the correct fit the measurement should be 29-1/4 inches from the rear edge of the bed to the rear edge of the closest base rail like shown in the attached photo.

If the rails are in the incorrect location, then I recommend using the custom base rail brackets # RP50081 to ensure the correct location for your truck.

The 5-1/2 foot beds are tricky in that sliding hitches will not provide enough clearance as locking your Revolution would then give you even less clearance. There is only one exception to that. You could lock out your Revolution pin box and then use the Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Above Bed - 13,000 lbs # DM8550040 which has a travel distance of 22-1/2 inches. That technically should only give you 1/2 inch more clearance than you currently have and would limit you to 13K max towing.

A gooseneck system would further reduce your turning clearance so that will not solve your issue. I've attached an article specifically about the combination of a Sidewinder/Revolution pin box on a short bed truck like yours.

expert reply by: Jason S