Parts Needed for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty

Question:

I bought a used reese hitch, do I need these brackets to mount it in my 02 f-250 SD and are the brackets all the same or are two of them offset?

asked by: larry

Expert Reply:

There are two options for installing fifth-wheel hitch rails in the bed of your 2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty. The easiest option is to use the Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitch Custom Installation Kit with Brackets and Rails, item # RP50082-58. These custom brackets install in half the time that it takes to install a universal kit and eliminates the need to drill into the truck frame.

The second option is the Universal Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitch Installation Kit with Rails, item # RP30035, which will install in many different models of trucks including the 2002 F-250 Super Duty. This kit is much more labor intensive to install and requires drilling into the truck frame. The front and rear brackets for this kit are not the same. One pair is longer than the other and depending on the cable hangers and overload springs on your truck may need to be positioned in alternate locations (see instructions link page 10).

The Reese Universal Mounting Brackets for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches, item # RP58314, that you mentioned are the same brackets used in the Universal Installation Kit, item # RP30035, mentioned above, and do not come with the necessary hardware and rails required to attach a fifth-wheel trailer hitch in the bed of a truck.

If you need wiring for the bed of your truck the Pollak 5th Wheel / Gooseneck T-Connector with 7-Pole - Ford, GM, Nissan w/ Factory Plug, item # PK11893-11932, is and inline harness that will retain the use of your 7-way at the rear of the vehicle and provide a connector in the bed for towing fifth-wheel trailers.

expert reply by: Bob G