5th Wheel Hitch/Rail Kit Recommend for 2012 Ford F-350 Short Bed Towing GD Reflection 150 Series

Question:

Hello, I just purchased a 2018 GD Reflection 150 Series 290BH 5er - 10k gross weight. Im in the process of purchasing a 2012 F350 Lariat 4X4 w/ a 6.75foot bed. In theory the trailer should be towable using the Turning Point pin box that comes with the trailer I believe Lippert is the manufacturer but dont quote me on that. However, I have heard many folks say that they prefer to leave the Turning Point locked and either use a slider hitch for tight turns or just be careful avoid taking turns too tight altogether. I think I would prefer to have a solution in place that eliminates the risk of cab interference with the trailer - so that means either towing with the Turning Point pin box unlocked, or towing with an automatic slider hitch. Can the experts at etrailer.com advise me on the pros and cons to either approach? Will I experience significantly less stability at speed when towing with the Turning Point hitch unlocked? Lastly - the truck I am in the process of buying has a bed rug installed. I would be interested in keeping the bed rug because its a nice feature, but I realize that there may be a conflict with the installation of the 5th wheel hitch. Would cutting the bed rug to make room for the hitch rails be a reasonable solution? Thanks,

asked by: Charles S

Expert Reply:

The pivoting pin boxes like the Lippert Turning Point you have are really the best option for turning clearance. They give you the clearance automatically without requiring the use of a heavier and often times noisier slider hitches. They also improve how the trailer tracks behind the tow vehicle and also make backing up the trailer easier as well.

So I'd go with a fixed hitch and a custom fifth wheel rail kit for your best overall solution. The custom rail kits give you a much easier and less labor intensive install as they don't require frame drilling as well. So for a custom rail kit the Reese part # RP50026-58 is the way to go and then for a hitch the fixed Reese # RP30047 would work really well too and you'd be set.

You would need to trim out the BedRug to fit the rail kit as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C