rambler28
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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.
What size box for 5th wheel?
- Thread starter oldryder
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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.
steveblonde
Well-known member
Payload capacity
That depends on what payload you need, some need a dually, many don't.
steveblonde
Well-known member
Duallys are a different animal all together but the payload difference between a short and longbox can be sizeable
steveblonde
Well-known member
A 60 gallon fuel tank, plus hitch and tools and pump and hose already takes more than 1000lbs off the payload capacity which is sizeable
richclover
Well-known member
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The minimum necessary bed length & wheel base is determined by the trailer front end and its pin box. You want enough distance between the hitch pivot point and the cab so that the front of the trailer can't strike the cab in a sharp turn. Of course, you (the driver) can pay close enough attention to avoid turning that sharp, but that is risky for most of us. An 8 ft box uses a long enough wheelbase to pretty well guarantee you can make 90 degree turns with a strike, but standard (6.5 ft) may not and short (5.5 ft) almost surely does not. Most newer trailers have an extended pin box to help, and many have a V-nose of some sort that allows more cab clearance at the corners.
Be careful with the terminology. Officially these days, "short bed" now refers to the ultra-short 5'6" or 5'9" bed while the 6'6" bed is now called "standard" rather than "short". Most owners, however, still use the old definition of "short".
Be careful with the terminology. Officially these days, "short bed" now refers to the ultra-short 5'6" or 5'9" bed while the 6'6" bed is now called "standard" rather than "short". Most owners, however, still use the old definition of "short".
steveblonde
Well-known member
Box size can mean alot depending on the 5th wheel some like rickglovers the pin box protrudes further out than the nose cone or close to it . some the nose is further back than the pin on the box
Others like mine - the nose cone is almost sticking 2ft further forward than the pin box. On some setups this can be critical.
Others like mine - the nose cone is almost sticking 2ft further forward than the pin box. On some setups this can be critical.
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The brief answer is that an 8 ft bed is the safe choice, but you can be alright with the standard 6'6" bed with some trailers (you will have to measure to be sure).
If a shorter bed length is desired, you can use a slider hitch like the Pullrite SuperGlide or something like the Reese Sidewinder. Those make shorter beds practical with just about any trailer.
If a shorter bed length is desired, you can use a slider hitch like the Pullrite SuperGlide or something like the Reese Sidewinder. Those make shorter beds practical with just about any trailer.
looking at Ford...Ram....GM weight specs shows the same truck in a long bed or short bed with same cab selections same drive train/etc the short bed is lighter on the rear axle and has 95 lbs more actual weight carrying capacity in the bed payload than the long bed.
Example was Fleet Fords base weight specs for a 2wd F350 6.7 super cab in a 148" short bed vs the same F350 6.7 2wd in the 164" long bed had about 95 lbs in favor of the short bed truck.
Long bed trucks are a bit heavier = less payload..... but JMO not enough to worry with.
Ram ....Ford....GM 3/4 and one ton trucks don't use the shorty 5' + bed lengths. Those are reserved for 1/2 ton size LD trucks.
Example was Fleet Fords base weight specs for a 2wd F350 6.7 super cab in a 148" short bed vs the same F350 6.7 2wd in the 164" long bed had about 95 lbs in favor of the short bed truck.
Long bed trucks are a bit heavier = less payload..... but JMO not enough to worry with.
Ram ....Ford....GM 3/4 and one ton trucks don't use the shorty 5' + bed lengths. Those are reserved for 1/2 ton size LD trucks.
rambler28
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My $.02 8', on my 4th 5 wheeler always plenty on room. you never know the future hold. Using a Gen-y pin box and a goose neck ball on 2020 F350 6.7 a smooth ride .
SC5thWheeler
Well-known member
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.
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.
Rene T
Site Team
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.
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As I've said in other posts about bed size, in the UK we pull our fifth wheel with the equivalent of a Nissan Frontier that only has around a 5' bed. The only time we ever had a cab strike was due to my short fuse, not the short bed!
We've pulled 2 fifth wheels in the UK for over 12 years on our narrow winding roads, so in my opinion, if you're careful you shouldn't have any issues.
We've pulled 2 fifth wheels in the UK for over 12 years on our narrow winding roads, so in my opinion, if you're careful you shouldn't have any issues.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
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.
One nice advantage with a long bed it that it allows the 5W hitch to mounted several inches further forward from the truck rear axle. That makes backing much easier because the trailer responds well to small steering inputs. If you often need to maneuver in tight places, you will love that.
SC5thWheeler
Well-known member
I wasn't clear, it's 3 different trailers with 3 different trucks with some overlap.
There's a limit to how tight I can turn but it's never been an issue anywhere I've ever been.
MN Blue Skies
Site Team
We have an 8' box and wouldn't go back to a shorter box
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8Muddypaws
Well-known member
It can be harder to back a long bed into a tight spot but hopefully you'll learn how to deal with it. Given the general lack of storage space in trailers & fifth wheels the longer bed does come in handy.
rambler28
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I have a F350 8' goose neck ball Gen-y hitch this is my 3rd 5th wheel the best set up I've ever had don't go cheap
