rambler28
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Posts
- 93
I've had 2 3/4 ton 8' bed and 2 1 ton 8' bed. 2021 F350 super duty 6.7 8' bed goose neck, is the tow truck I use today you never know what your future 5th wheel be. Resale value my be more.
I don't know about all the fuss "short bed, long bed". I have a F250 Super with short bed. I pull a 33Ft fiver. In the front of the bed, I have a combination tool box/fuel tank that holds 60gl of diesel. I have the B&W companion single point, no slider and made more than once a full 90* with no problem at all. Granted, I don't have much room in the bed but can hold cases of water or anything that is below the railing. My tool box sits less than one inch below the railing. Easy to handle in tight campgrounds sites. Nothing wrong with short beds.Fords Super Duty "short bed" is 6'9", long bed is 8'.
So with the long you gain 1'3" using my fuzzy math.
I've got a "short", don't regret it at all.
I would like to think the Short bed would have a better turning radius, but it's no peach as it is.
Payload capacityI don't know about all the fuss "short bed, long bed". I have a F250 Super with short bed. I pull a 33Ft fiver. In the front of the bed, I have a combination tool box/fuel tank that holds 60gl of diesel. I have the B&W companion single point, no slider and made more than once a full 90* with no problem at all. Granted, I don't have much room in the bed but can hold cases of water or anything that is below the railing. My tool box sits less than one inch below the railing. Easy to handle in tight campgrounds sites. Nothing wrong with short beds.
That depends on what payload you need, some need a dually, many don't.Payload capacity
Duallys are a different animal all together but the payload difference between a short and longbox can be sizeableThat depends on what payload you need, some need a dually, many don't.
A 60 gallon fuel tank, plus hitch and tools and pump and hose already takes more than 1000lbs off the payload capacity which is sizeableI don't know about all the fuss "short bed, long bed". I have a F250 Super with short bed. I pull a 33Ft fiver. In the front of the bed, I have a combination tool box/fuel tank that holds 60gl of diesel. I have the B&W companion single point, no slider and made more than once a full 90* with no problem at all. Granted, I don't have much room in the bed but can hold cases of water or anything that is below the railing. My tool box sits less than one inch below the railing. Easy to handle in tight campgrounds sites. Nothing wrong with short beds.
It sounds like you pulled the same trailer with 3 different trucks. It may be that the style/shape of the front of your trailer is different than many others. I have a Montana High Country and a 6 1/2’ short bed Silverado. I have a sliding hitch. On perfectly flat ground, I can jackknife it and it just clears the cab. If the ground is uneven, I have to use the slider hitch otherwise it would hit the cab.I've pulled 31-ish ft 5th wheels with 3 different 6.5 ft bed trucks.
Never had a cab strike, never used a slider hitch and it fits in the garage.
I say get a long bed if you need the extra space but the 6.5 ft bed trucks do perfectly fine.
And that's the bottom line. You can pull most any fifth wheel with a short (6.5 foot) bed as long as you pay attention when making extreme turns. Using a slider hitch merely eliminates the risk of a moments inattention. Some trailers cannot hit the cab even at 90 degrees, while others might only get to 50-60 degrees before they strike. It depends on the shape of the trailer nose, the type of pinbox, and exactly where the 5W hitch is mounted on the bed. It does not depend on the length of the trailer - length doesn't alter the geometry of the trailer front end and the pin position.if you're careful you shouldn't have any issues.
I wasn't clear, it's 3 different trailers with 3 different trucks with some overlap.It sounds like you pulled the same trailer with 3 different trucks. It may be that the style/shape of the front of your trailer is different than many others. I have a Montana High Country and a 6 1/2’ short bed Silverado. I have a sliding hitch. On perfectly flat ground, I can jackknife it and it just clears the cab. If the ground is uneven, I have to use the slider hitch otherwise it would hit the cab.