Using Sliding Hitch in 2008 Ford F350 Long Bed

Question:

we bought a reese slider fifth wheel hitch for our 1989 Ford F 150 shortbed. We have since bought a F350, 2008 Super Duty full size bed crew cab, Will the slider hitch still work on the F350?

asked by: Jo B

Expert Reply:

You can certainly use your current hitch in your new truck, although you will no longer need the sliding function.

You can simply use the hitch as it is, being sure to keep the hitch slid all the way forward in the bed. If you could provide the part or model number of your hitch, I would be happy to recommend stationary legs that could be used to replace the slider if you wanted to go that route. Replacing the slider with legs is purely optional, the hitch will function just fine if you decide to still use the slider.

You will need an install kit, part # RP50082-58 to install the hitch into your new truck. If you retained the bed rails from your old truck, you can reuse them and purchase the install kit minus the bed rails as part # RP50082. These are the custom install brackets that will dramatically reduce the install time versus the universal install kits.

I will link you to the products I recommended, as well as a series of FAQ articles about fifth wheel towing that you might find helpful.

If you used a universal install kit on your 1989 F150 short bed, you could reuse it, providing you use new hardware, part # 58164 as we do not recommend reusing the hardware when transferring a fifth wheel hitch between vehicles.

expert reply by: Mike L