Are Fifth Wheel Hitch Rails Standard?

[oldryder1]

I have a F250 and am looking to upgrade to a sliding hitch. I have a B&W "Companion" on rails. Questions:

1. will any other sliding hitch B&W fit on the rails?

2. will a hitch from a different vendor meant to be mounted on rails also fit?

thx to anyone taking the time to offer advice.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Maybe. I'll even go so far as to say "probably" because rail spacing is mostly standard. But not quite universal. There are often adapters available, e.g. to mount a "standard" 5W hitch to a Ford or GM "puck" type hitch mount. So check carefully before you buy.

 

[PancakeBill]

Simialr question, I have a 2007 Chev 2500HD, we are toying with the idea of a 5th wheel. If I go to etrailer it only shows 2 hitches that are made for my truck. I am sure there are others, especially on the used market. Nice part of the new ones is the no holes to be drilled part, uses existing bolt holes.

I have the 6.5’ bed, Do I really need a slider, or with the right mount get away without. Where would i measure to determine. Pivot to corner I assume.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Simialr question, I have a 2007 Chev 2500HD, we are toying with the idea of a 5th wheel. If I go to etrailer it only shows 2 hitches that are made for my truck. I am sure there are others, especially on the used market. Nice part of the new ones is the no holes to be drilled part, uses existing bolt holes.

I have the 6.5’ bed, Do I really need a slider, or with the right mount get away without. Where would i measure to determine. Pivot to corner I assume.

Unless you have full clearance to let corner of the trailer clear the truck cab and let the truck get a full 90 degrees with respect to the trailer, you need a slider. Otherwise you'll be buying a new rear window as the interference angle is much less than that.

 

[RayIN]

No they are not the same, even though some rails are spaced the same in the pickup bed.

The general location of the the actual pin connection is located in a pickup bed is somewhere between centered over the differential and 2" forward of the differential. The exact location is specific to each brand and model of pickup.
Some 5ers are designed and built to be towed with standard-bed pickups.
FWIW, a pickup short bed is 5'6" standard bed is 6'5" long, a long bed pickup is 8' long. A 4' pickup bed is_er, useless iMO.

 

[Rene T]

One other thing, are the corners of the trailer rounded or square. If square, good chance you will need a slider. My trailer had rounded corners and I never had to use the slider. But I had to be very careful if the ground was not flat and level

 

[richclover]

Short bed Ram, Andersen hitch, Coachmen Chaparral. No slider, no problems.

 

[RayIN]

Short bed Ram, Andersen hitch, Coachmen Chaparral. No slider, no problems.View attachment 2457542View attachment 2457543

Good pictures of a 5er designed for towing with a standard-bed truck. You said "short-bed" so is that a 5'6" bed?

 

[richclover]

Good pictures of a 5er designed for towing with a standard-bed truck. You said "short-bed" so is that a 5'6" bed?

Yes. It’s a crew cab Ram with a bigger back door.

 

[Rene T]

Short bed Ram, Andersen hitch, Coachmen Chaparral. No slider, no problems.View attachment 2457542View attachment 2457543

Notice that the corners are rounded

 

[richclover]

Notice that the corners are rounded

Obviously. In fact it was designed that way. One reason I bought it.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

No they are not the same, even though some rails are spaced the same in the pickup bed.

The general location of the the actual pin connection is located in a pickup bed is somewhere between centered over the differential and 2" forward of the differential. The exact location is specific to each brand and model of pickup.
Some 5ers are designed and built to be towed with standard-bed pickups.
FWIW, a pickup short bed is 5'6" standard bed is 6'5" long, a long bed pickup is 8' long. A 4' pickup bed is_er, useless iMO.

The physical location of the 5W hitch/rails in the pickup bed/box is crucial. The location is a trade-off between load balance on the truck chassis, the potential for a cab strike, and convenience of use & access to the truck bed with the trailer in place, so the optimal location will depend on the specific truck & trailer combination. A more forward location spreads the pin weight more evenly on the truck chassis/suspension and makes backing the trailer easier but increases the potential for a cab strike and thus can limits turns somewhat. A forward location also limits access to the bed somewhat. It's something you should discuss with the hitch installer, preferably with measurements of the trailer pin location & radius in hand. If you haven't yet determined the trailer to be towed, a more rearward location is probably your safest bet.

The differential+2" location that Ray mentioned puts nearly all the pin weight on the truck rear axle, so pay close attention to the rear axle GAWR and the maximum pin weight you ever expect to carry. Also be aware that any turn while backing the trailer will require super-exaggerated steering maneuvers with the truck to get even a small amount of trailer turn. A short wheelbase truck with the hitch mounted close to the differential (the pivot point) can be a bear to maneuver in tight quarters. It's all about the geometry that many people never learned and the rest probably forgot.

 

[RayIN]

Every new 5th wheel hitch comes with detailed instructions for where to drill mounting bolt holes and exact location for that specific truck, where the pin connection must be placed.
When I sold my dually, I left the bed-rails bolted to the frame. That way the new owner had no issues buying and installing a new hitch, as all Reese hitches use the same bed-rails,