Best 2001 Ford F-150 Fifth Wheel Hitches

Etrailer sent me a one year follow-up email. Since purchasing this I've used it to tow our 11k lb camper about 5k miles. The hitch and slider have worked exactly as they should and I have no complaints.

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Well, I haven't towed with it yet but we'll see how that goes. I purchased this hitch because I needed to drop the height as much as 6 inches. My previous hitch was dropped to the lowest setting and still 17 inches high! This E16 goes down to 14 inches... Assembly was straight forward and all pieces were present ( even 4 big washers which were not illustrated anywhere in the instructions as to where they went) The hitch seems well built but the welder needs to be more thorough in cleaning his Slag (got my finger good when I picked up the top plate) Stickers were falling off everywhere (my heat gun fixed those) But a couple notable design flaws... The top cradle for the 5th wheel plate is a triangular shaped arch and the top plate has an axle which is perfectly round. So when the 5th wheel assembly is down in the cradle, there are only two little points of contact instead of the cradle fitting uniformly around the axle rods...we'll see what kind of wear this causes. Next, the green ring on the indicator rod looked like a 3 year old toddler wiped lipstick on it. (Green paint is supposed to be in the little groove cut in the rod but instead, is smeared all over the end of the rod) Lastly... The side plates have a two rows of holes for height adjustment...I have installed the bolts to position the overall height at the lowest possible setting. However, there are two more holes in the tie plate but the casting prevents the sideplates from dropping down even lower. Definitely confused as to what the extra holes are for and disappointed that I can't drop this even lower... Definitely seems heavy duty, but again, I haven't towed yet, so hopefully the play in the base rails doesn't translate into obnoxious clanking and rattling.... If so, I will definitely be doing another review

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This product gets a three based on shipping condition only. etrailer customer service and shipping time was excellent as usual. The shipment arrived 2 days after the order was placed, as promised. However, as others have noted, the product packing is poor. The boxes arrived with significant damage resulting in cosmetic damage to several parts. I haven't put the hitch to use yet but I am assuming it will work correctly. I will leave a followup after I use it.

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The hitch arrived nicely packed in two boxes. Very easy to assemble and install on my existing bed rails. I took the RV out for a first run with the hitch, and it performed as advertised. It was a no fuss transaction and the hitch arrived on-time!

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So far it works great. Only pulled in a short distance and backed it up into my driveway. Make sure you have help lifting this. Very Very heavy. Directions were average but got the job done. Love the extra turning radius on my short bed F250. Make sure all the parts are there. The handle to release the king pin off the hitch was not in the packaging. The box that the hitch and slide came in were all in tacked and looked good. Emailed etrailer and within a few hours they sent were processing the order for the handle. Arrived in 2 days. That's great customer service.

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Looks like a received a returned hitch. All my hardware is missing. And still waiting on one box. The sliding rails. Starting off to a bad start.

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After ordering rails for a fifth wheel that I had in an older truck, I was told the rails I ordered would work with my fifth wheel, however after installing the front rail, the fifth wheel would not work with the rails ordered. I ended up ordering a new fifth wheel plate. That was easier than removing the frame brackets I had already installed. It appears that there was a mis communication between the person I talked to with etrailer. Instead of a 1/2 day install it took a day and a half plus wait time for the fifth wheel to get to my address. However once installed it appears to be good.

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The hitch worked great. Reason for the 2 stars is the package got delayed twice in transit and I had to reschedule the pickup of my fifth wheel. When I also received the package the main crossmember bar was bent at the mounting point. Luckily I was able to bend it back but UPS needs to get there act together.

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Love it works great

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Wow, where to begin. I can't imagine towing a 5th wheel trailer in a shorter bed truck without an autoslide setup. After the initial install I noted on the 2nd(?) trip a clunking noise during acceleration after a stop - a couple emails back and forth with Demco support, as well as a quick phone call, and it was all sorted out (user error) with no further issues - Thank you Demco! I tow a short & light Jayco 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton shortbed and having the ability to drive, turn, and park the camper without having to get out of the truck to manually engage or disengage a slide on the hitch has made for much more relaxing weekends away. The Hijacker autoslide gives PLENTY of space between the camper and cab and I've never had to worry, but I did my homework and ran the numbers well before I purchased my hitch so I wasn't surprised. I would say the only downside for me would be the weight and bulkiness of the hitch. Not having the means to easily remove and store it between trips, the hitch is forced to live in the bed of the truck right now, but I did know about the weight going into the purchase. All in all, for the peace of mind the Demco autoslide gives me, I'd spend the money all over again.

I purchased both the Curt A16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Dual Jaw - 16,000 lbs - C16120, and Reese Pull Pin Lock Plates for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches - Qty 4 - RP58093 for my F350 SD 4X4 Crew Cab Long Bed. I'm pulling a 30' Retro 5th. Wheel and at times I pull my tandem axle UTV Trailer (Double Trailers) . I already had the rails installed in my truck, this fit right in and I used the new Pins and Lock Plates for securing to truck. I have pulled all over from South Dakota and the Northwest. The Hitch has performed Flawlessly. No bucking, nor clunking. Very quiet and smooth ride. I would recommend this set up to anyone for convenience of Hook up and Disconnect, Excellent towing, quiet, and the security of the lock pins. I use Disc locks to prevent access for bolt cutters.

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I was fully expecting a hitch in excess of 100 pounds to show up in a destroyed box. This did not. They had taken the Time and effort to cover the box with an additional layer of cardboard and it must have had a million staples in it. It was almost comical, you will need a crowbar or large screwdriver to get it open. However, when I did finally get the package open I found a perfectly un scratched hitch with no missing parts. I have not pulled with the hitch yet but , it does look like it is going to perform great. I'm using this in a 2006 ram 2500 4x4 short bed pulling a 2015 forest river Salem and it allows 91 degrees of turning due to the clipped corners on the front cap of the trailer. I will be curious to see how long the rubber isolators last before needing replaced and if they are readily available. Also the curt sticker on the hitch was peeling off when I took it out of the box, would be nice to get that replaced.

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We have the Anderson Hitch installed on our 2017 Ford SuperDuty and pull a Reflection 337RLS. We have traveled over 4,000 miles and have been extremely satisfied. The hitch allows plenty of clearance between 5th wheel, bed, and the truck cab. Hook-up and disconnect has always been easy, even with RV lots that were uneven dirt lots. I use Curt thin rubber sound dampeners (item 16900) and this provides a quiet, tight fit between the rails and hitch. Of course the light weight makes it easy to remove when not towing and less weight when you are towing. A great product for the right truck, trailer combination.

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After receiving the kit i saw another one on the shelf at a local store. I noticed the one on the shelf had a steel ball cup mounted to it. Mine did not have that part. I called andersen and asked if the ball cup was available for purchase seperately. They told me no need to purchase bevause they will ship me one for free! Later on, i towed my trailer to a camp site and upon arrival i could not get the release pin to open to drop the trailer while we stayed in it. I called andersen and described the problem i had, they shipped a whole new block and cable assembly for free!! I am ver pleased with the product and also impressed with the level of customer service!

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The hitch is great. I installed it myself and it worked very well pulling a 5th Wheel Trailer across the country last year. I have learned however that one must start out from corners slower to avoid a large "clunk" as the hitch slides in the frame per the inherent design. Great Product!

From the start,the folks at etrailer were very courteous and helpful. I called many times during the decision making process and everyone was always right there to help. When I finally decided to purchase the B&W 18K Patriot w/slider Bailey was there to help with the order. She explained the free freight shipping and it was a done deal. It arrived 1 day earlier than stated, as soon as I opened the cartons it was in fact the good ol' American made quality I was accustomed to growing up. I proceeded to install on the B&W rails I purchased and installed locally on my 2022 F250 Lariat/ Tremor.I had a small hick- up with the install and etrailer gave me B&W's # as they like to handle issues themselves. Stephanie at B&W was just as courteous. Overall a very pleasant experience. The Patriot was basically plug and play. I then connected my 2021 Grand Design 303RLS Reflection and rolled down yhe road. What a smooth and quiet ride, loved it! I would definitely recommend etrailer and their products. Thank you all that helped.

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So far so good. Hitch appears to be good quality. It was easy to install after installing the mounting kit. I haven't used it yet so I can't comment on how it handles when pulling a camper.

Demco auto slide hitch works very well with my crew cab short bed Ram. Fits under my tonneau cover nicely. Trouble free thus far. Had to purchase a Demco plate for the camper to make the Rhino box hitch work. etrailer personnel were great in helping ensure I had the right products and kept me well informed of shipping dates.

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My wife and I are full-time RVers, and have used this slider hitch from the get-go while traveling around seeing the country over the past year. We are happy with our purchase, which has proven to be both easy to hook up, adjust, and functions well, as advertised. The only matter I think you may want to address are the thick plastic removable maintenance access covers which tend to bow, and the areas around the attachment holes have melted, in the hot weather. Perhaps instead using a light metal for the covers would be better solution. We are very happy overall with this hitch, and plan to keep it . Thank you.

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Product is very well made. Glad I went with B and W Patriot Hitch. Once the bed rails were installed the rest was a breeze. Now it's time to get a 5th wheel and hit the open road. etrailer, my go-to website.

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Great product and you have to appreciate made in America with American steel! It arrived in good shape in only three days. I ordered on Sunday and shipped the same night. etrailer is great company to do business with!

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The truck that got the install is a 2002 Ford F350 Super Duty 7.3 L Diesel dually. The Demco Recon 5th wheel hitch (DM8550043) looks like a well made, heavy duty hitch. All the welds are precise and well done. I like the single wrap around jaw with the real thick bar that backs that up. The handle that pulls out to unlock the jaw moves with ease and locks in the out position when the jaw opens. When the king pin comes in contact with the back of jaw, the jaw wraps around the king pin, the handle closes, you put in the safety pin and your ready to go RVing. I chose the Husky Custom Rails and installation kit (HT31405-686) for my install. The reason I chose these rails over the ones that etrailer had matched up for the hitch is, I had previously installed a set of Airlift Airbags and I didn't want the rail install to interfere with the airbags. It was a good choice, there was no interference at all. If I had not had the bags, I would have chose the rails and install kit that require no drilling. Drilling the holes went very fast and easy, it was torking the rear bolts down that was very difficult. There was not enough room to get a wrench of any kind around the nut. I wound up using a set of vise grips on the nut while a friend of mine torked the bolt slowly from above. All and all I'm happy with the product and I'll give another review in a year.

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Excellent product and customer service was outstanding. I just bought the product so I haven’t towed with it yet but after many many years of towing with other fifth wheel hitches, I can tell this is going to be an huge improvement!

I wanted to be able to easily utilize my truck bed and this hitch provides that in spades! Easy to remove and install. I absolutely have to give a shout out to Paula on customer service. She was amazing! My first shipment was damaged and missing a vital part. Paula had another one shipped right away and made my return shipment a breeze. She stayed in contact with me to the end. I felt like she shared in my joy once the install was complete! The hitch is super adjustable for optimal placement in the bed and height of the trailer. Make a few quick measurements and it just goes together quickly. Love the dual jaw release lever. Our last 5th wheel hitch had the standard pull to release lever and it was often very difficult to operate. This lever style is a game changer. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with the product and customer service!

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I installed this system in my classic square body Silverado after installing the Turnover Ball BK1400 gooseneck hitch. Both work great together and this companion installed beautifully. I tow a 40’ Cougar camper with it.

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Tried to install this on a 2001 Chevy Silverado 3500, dual rear wheel, long bed, 4x4, diesel engine truck. The clamp style mounting simply does not work. The ONLY way I can see this working is by drilling added holes in the frame of the truck at the front end of the side plates. This is because of a bend in the frame at the clamp location. Also at this location the frame is boxed in and any bolt holes will be hidden. Bolts would have to fished in with bolt wires.

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I am very pleased with my purchase of the Reese M5, a major improvement over my old receiver. Great service from etrailer as well.

6000 miles towing this year; loaded trailer weight 16,480 lbs (based on CAT scale weight tickets). Hitch is awesome. Very secure with no noticeable chucking. I can remove and install this hitch by myself. The two pieces are very manageable. My fifth B&W hitch over the years; 2 turnover ball goosenecks and 2 tow & stows. Quality hitches which I recommend highly.

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Very happy with the B&W hitch we received. etrailer and their staff were excellent to work with. Shipping was sooner than projected. And the installation was extremely easy. Would absolutely use etrailer again as well as B&W products. Thank you all!

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GREAT GREAT GREAT EXPERIENCE AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH THIS WEB SITE.....PRODUCT TO PRICING TO SERVICE.....

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Excellent quality products from Reese along with great service and pricing from e-trailer. I did run into some availability issues from the manufacturer with my initial order but Kelsey informed me quickly so we could modify my order. My order was shipped very promptly as promised. Thank you Kelsey for the amazing customer service!

This 5th wheel has exceeded all my expectations. It’s worked flawlessly for thousands of miles and many different type of 5th wheels trailers. Not a peep, B&W FTW!!

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So far this has been a great hitch. Takes up a lot less space than the massive auto slider hitch that I had previously, and have had no problem with any sharp turns so far. It is also much easier to handle by myself taking it out of the truck. The only thing I’ve had some problems with is getting the handle lock pin out once I’m ready to disconnect. To solve, I’ve started wedging the flat part of my crowbar under the head of the pin and tapping it with a rubber mallet from underneath.

This review is for the Demco Autoslide 21k and accompanying OEM rail adaptor I purchased for a 2020 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW. I've owned it one year. Overall, the hitch performs as I expected. It is high quality, very sturdy and seems like it will last for a long time. I had it installed at the dealer when I purchased the truck. It automatically slides to protect the cab in my 6'4" bed without any incidents. I tow a standard fifth wheel RV. There are a few negatives, which are not necessarily shortcoming of the product but, instead, necessary evils to allow me to have a short bed. First, it is BIG and BULKY. I believe this is just a function of the mechanism required to allow the autosliding feature and I am not really sure there are any other lighter alternatives with this feature. The fact it requires two parts (OEM Puck Rail and hitch), make it even more bulky. It takes up almost the entire bed and prevents most auxillary tank / tool box combos from fitting. Even standard size storage bins will not fit in my bed. I would prefer if they had a custom OEM all-in-one hitch for my truck like they do for the Ford. It adds significant weight, which decreases carrying capacity, which can be at a premium in hauling a heavy fifth wheel. I've never even tried to take it out of the bed due to the weight and difficulty. I also am not very happy with the adjustable catch plate design. It requires significant manipulation loosening and tightening 8 nuts when hitching and unhitching. This requires a step ladder to reach the nuts. I also found out after the fact that it does not come with the right size catch plate attachments for my hitch and I had to purchase a separate part, which added unexpected expense and delayed my taking the RV on its first trip. Overall, I am satisfied with the hitch.

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I wish the place I bought my camper would have recommended this from the start. Makes owning a 5th wheel so much easier!

Well built fifth wheel hitch. Haven't got a chance to tow our new Montana High Country 295RL. But I know a guy that has towed his fifth wheel with this same hitch. I'm sure this 18K hitch will be excellent! Or I wouldn't have bought it. I recommend e trailer for everything.

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Item works exactly as described. I have a shortbed (6.5') Ford F350. Probably towed our 5th wheeler 5000+ miles with no problem. Then last year it happened! We were making a sharp turn in an uneven lot and POW, the 5vr hit the rear window and it exploded. After that I became gun shy about turning with the 5vr attached so I started looking at sliding hitches. A slider that you had to get out and unlatch to make work, didn't make sense to me. At what point do you get out? So, an auto slider hitch was purchased. Now when I get to a certain degree turn the auto-slide hitch moves back in its carriage and then auto-slides to the normal location once straightened out. Not gun shy anymore. Pro: Well packaged Well made Easy install It WORKS. Cons: Price Very heavy Some clunking after it straightens out from a turn

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Very high quality product. Used on a extended cab short bed F250 and the sliding mechanism provides plenty of clearance between the Fifth Wheel front and the truck's cab. Fits Ford's factory fifth wheel bed mount holes perfectly. Used to tow a 42' fifth wheel regularly. Foot print is small enough to allow me to retain my tool box in the truck during towing. The hitch is heavy! Do not plan to try to install with one person with out an engine hoist or gantry crane. Two strong people can, but extreme caution should be taken as the hitch weighs nearly 300lbs and is awkward.

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I have a F350 Super Duty Short bed. This slider works as expected. The ease of backing or tight turns makes this product excellent without the need to pulls pins for extension. I can remove or install in 7 minutes without a problem without any assistance. I am pulling a 44 foot trailer and have not experience any chucking or sway even in windy conditions. Tows very smoothly