Short bed or long bed

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Mickey G

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Joined
Aug 8, 2017
Posts
45
I have a chance to get an F350 but it has a short bed and a 5.4L gas motor.
For the amount of towing I will be doing, the gas motor would be OK.
My problem is the bed length.
Would I have to get a slider hitch or could I keep my standard hitch?
 
When I had a 5th wheel (it was 37') I opted for a long bed. When conducting sharp turn the nose was within inches of the back glass on the truck.
 
It would depend whether you have a fairly new fifth wheel with rounded corners or a old one with square corners, the older RV's would probably hit our cab. I have a 2011 fifth wheel with rounded corners. I have a short bed truck with a Reese slider hitch. I've never had to use the slider feature.
 
It seems the consensus over time on the Forum has been NOT needed for newer FW with rounded front corners, as Rene said,  BUT it may be better to get the slider and never need it (frequently the case) than that one time you need it and do not have it.
 
Ditto with what Rene T said.  I have a 2012 1/2 ton towable and I bought a slider hitch and have never needed it.
 
I have a short bed with a standard B&W hitch and a newer 5'r.  I can nearly jack knife the trailer without hitting the cab.  That being said, it is possible to jackknife the truck into the trailer with a long bed, even with a slider. 

Pulling and turning, I've tried turning in a parking lot and I don't believe you could turn tight enough to hit with a newer rounded nose rig.  Backing and cutting sharp, it can be done.  Before I get to that point, I pull forward and straighten out a little then back again. Pull forward and getting repositioned 6- 10 times is a whole lot less embarrassing than crunching the cab.

Wi1dBi11
 
I had a FW and a short bed truck.  I was told I needed a slider, but never used it.  If it is a newer FW with round edges, you probably won't use it.
 
I have a short bed Dodge with a 16k Reese slider pulling a old '97 square corner flat profile 11400 lb 5th wheel trailer. Most of the time the slider isn't used.
Now if its a tight backing condition I like to let the hitch slide back which puts the pin 10" behind the trucks rear axle....makes the trailer react a bit quicker for less steering input.

We really can't answer your question as others pointed out it depends on the trailers profile...your trucks CA distance (cab to axle) and where your hitch locates the pin in relation to the trucks rear axle.
  I always install the pin zero on short bed trucks for max distance from the cab.

  Check out the Anderson or PullRites ISR superlite both have the same look.
 

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