Can an 8 Foot Wide 5th Wheel Trailer be Towed with a 2005 Ford F-150 with 5-1/2 Foot Bed

Updated 04/27/2015 | Published 04/25/2015

Question:

I have never owned a 5th wheel before and we just ordered a jayco 27.5 rlts ht eagle 5th wheel . I have a 2005 f150 with a5.5 short bed. Jayco is installing the revolution on it at the factory. We are having the bed portion of the hitch installed by people the salesman recommended . After reading your information on the Web sit and trying to figure out the clearances Im very nervous that our truck will not work. I measured 30inch from the back of the cab to the center of the rear axle the 5th wheel by the brochure says it is 8foot wide if I done the math right that gives me 4s of clearance, but I was told that the center point of the hitch needs to be an inch behind the rear axle for weight distribution. And that only leaves me 3 inches. Correct? Or is there a hitch that works with it to take care of the problem? We cant get our down payment back. And I cant afford a new truck at this time. Any solutions or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

asked by: Steve R

Expert Reply:

First, regarding the position of the hitch relative to the rear axle, it should NOT be 1 inch behind the rear axle. The centerline of the hitch should be either centered over the rear axle or slightly in front of it. Behind the axle the capacity diminishes and the weight of the trailer can cause the front of the truck angle up slightly affecting steering, braking, and visibility.

If the hitch is centered over the rear axle and you have 30 inches now from the center of the axle to the back of the cab you would then add to that the amount of additional clearance the Revolution provides. The aftermarket Sidewinders, which are the same thing, move the trailer pivot point back 22 inches. That would mean 52 inches of clearance.

So 52 inches must be 4 inches or more greater than half the width of the 8 foot wide trailer. So take 96 divided by 2 to get 48. Exactly 4 inches, just like you said. But the question is, will the hitch actually be centered over the rear axle?

It looks like on installation kit # RP50081-58 it is centered over the rear axle. However, in the instructions, linked for reference, Reese indicates an approximate 27 inch measurement from the back of the cab to the center of the axle meaning you would be at 49 inches clearance with only 1 inch to spare.

Semi-custom kit # RP30035-426 has the center of the hitch even closer to the back of the cab so it would have even less clearance.

On level ground, that 1 inch of clearance would be sufficient. The reason we say 4 inches or more clearance is to account for dips and bumps, uneven terrain in general that may cause the trailer to tilt more towards the truck and make contact with the cab.

expert reply by: Michael H