hpcmbw
Well-known member
I've posted before about a fifth wheel I inherited. With some sage advice from this group, I've abandoned my 1/2 ton pickup idea and am looking at a 2000 Ford F250 with the 7.3 diesel. I need to figure the cost of installing a fifth wheel hitch, and am curious in general about the types of hitches i've seen. I checked the forum library, but didn't see anything on point.
I've seen a number of older trucks with a hitch ball mounted on a 1 foot square piece of steel in the bed of a pickup. Is this for a fifth wheel? Is it for a "gooseneck" (seen the word, but don't know if it's different from a fifth wheel). Does a fifth wheel hitch ride a foot or more above the bed? How do you determine correct mounting height if a hitch for your fifth wheel?
Also, the truck is a short bed - i've read a little about sliding hitches for short beds- what are these and how important are they?
Lastly, are the hitches removable from the bed? I'll only use the truck to tow the trailer maybe 10-20% of the time, but often move furniture, haul bicycles and dirtbikes, etc. How hard is it to get the hitch in and out to free up the bed?
Thanks for the help!
I've seen a number of older trucks with a hitch ball mounted on a 1 foot square piece of steel in the bed of a pickup. Is this for a fifth wheel? Is it for a "gooseneck" (seen the word, but don't know if it's different from a fifth wheel). Does a fifth wheel hitch ride a foot or more above the bed? How do you determine correct mounting height if a hitch for your fifth wheel?
Also, the truck is a short bed - i've read a little about sliding hitches for short beds- what are these and how important are they?
Lastly, are the hitches removable from the bed? I'll only use the truck to tow the trailer maybe 10-20% of the time, but often move furniture, haul bicycles and dirtbikes, etc. How hard is it to get the hitch in and out to free up the bed?
Thanks for the help!