Is There A 5th Wheel Hitch For A 2001 Ford F450 Cab And Chassis Flat Bed?

Updated 09/26/2021 | Published 09/25/2021

Products Featured in This Question

Reese Universal Base Rails and Installation Kit for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches - 10 Bolt

(349)

$231.25

Reese M5 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Single Jaw - 27,000 lbs

(465)

$1101.95

Question:

I have a ford 450 with a 12 ft flatbed and am not sure which hitch or extender to get the 5th wheel mount the needed 6 ft clearance to have it over the middle of the rear wheels? or is this not possible?

asked by: Jack R

Expert Reply:

The only option for installing a 5th wheel hitch on your 2001 Ford F-450 cab and chassis flat bed is to install universal 5th wheel rails such as Reese Universal Base Rails # RP30035. This is not a custom-fit setup, nor is one available for your vehicle. This requires it to be installed through a 1/2" steel plate under the deck and the plate must be welded to brackets that are bolted to the truck frame by a qualified professional.

The hitch, such as Reese M5 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Single Jaw - 27,000 lbs # RP46FR, will need to be installed over the middle of the rear wheels like you were saying. This can be done since it will be custom-fabricated by a qualified professional. Keep in mind that since you have a very long flat bed, you may still run into clearance issues with your trailer on sharp turns. You can use this formula to verify if you will have the recommended 4" or more of clearance:
(A + B) - C = Clearance
A = Distance from center of fifth-wheel hitch jaw to truck cab in inches
B = Length of king pin arm in inches
C = Width of trailer in inches divided by 2

If you need an extra 22" of clearance, I recommend using a rotating pin box such as 5th Airborne Premium 5th Wheel Air Ride King Pin w/ Sidewinder # RP61412 if you have the following pin boxes: Fabex 500, 503, 520, 530, 560 and 765, Lippert 1116, 1716 and 0115, RBW 7019 and 7028.

expert reply by: Andrew N