How to Determine if Truck is Too Tall to Tow 5th Wheel Trailer

Updated 06/29/2018 | Published 06/27/2018

Question:

My bedside is 62.5 inches to the ground on my 2017 f250 on 37 inch tires. Is this too tall for most 5th wheels?

asked by: Mike D

Expert Reply:

While it's possible that a truck can simply be too tall to tow a fifth-wheel trailer level, it's difficult to determine this with only the truck bed height, as the height of the particular trailer you are wanting to tow will also affect this. Also keep in mind that most fifth-wheel hitches, along with the pin box on a trailer, can be adjusted to different heights to help with trucks and trailers that don't get along height-wise.

In order to see if your truck is too tall, I recommend taking a measurement from the ground to the bottom of the king pin on the trailer you are looking to tow. If you don't yet have a trailer on hand, you can ask the dealer or seller to obtain this dimension for you. The difference between this measurement and the ground to bed measurement on your truck is the height you will need a fifth-wheel hitch to be set at in order to keep the trailer level when hooked up.

For example, the B&W Companion OEM 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # BWRVK3370 can be adjusted from 17 to 19 inches tall.

expert reply by: Chris R