Recommended 5th Wheel Hitch/Install Kit for Towing 5th Wheel with 2018 Ford F-150 With 5.5 Foot Bed  

Question:

Expert Reply:

We do have a solution for you, but the 10-12 inches of travel you'd get from a typical slider hitch won't provide the proper clearance between the front of the 5th wheel and the rear of the cab.

The solution would be to replace the OEM pin box on the 5th wheel with a rotating pin box like the Reese Sidewinder. The Sidewinder is pin-box specific, because the bolt patterns pin boxes use can vary quite a bit.

The Reese Sidewinder relocates the pivot point between the 5th wheel and the hitch from the connection between the king pin and the hitch 22 inches rearward to the point where the pin box meets the 5th wheel. I'll link you to a help article that explains how the Sidewinder works.

In order to recommend the correct Sidewinder, I'll need to know the manufacturer and model number of the OEM pin box, which can be found on a sticker or plate located on the pin box. I'll provide a listing below of the most common pin boxes and the part numbers for the Sidewinder model that would replace them.

Reese # RP61422 replaces the following:
• Fabex 663
• Fabex 665
• Lippert 0719
• Lippert 1621
• Lippert 1621HD
• M and M 663
• M and M 665

Reese Sidewinder # RP61412 replaces:
• Fabex 500
• Fabex 520
• Fabex 560
• Fabex 765
• Lippert 1116
• Lippert 1716
• Lippert 0115
• RBW 7019

I've also linked to a video showing how the Sidewinder works.

The Curt E16 hitch you have will work, providing the GVWR of the 5th wheel is less than 16K. To install the hitch, you'll need the # RP50087-58 bracket/rail kit.

Finally, you'll need the Curt E-Series wedge, part # RP64FR. The wedge is what prevents the king pin from rotating in the pin box.

You can see an install video for the bracket/rail kit by clicking the provided link.

expert reply by: Mike L

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