How to Determine If a Sliding 5th Wheel Hitch Will Be Necessary for My Truck?

Updated 03/01/2023 | Published 02/27/2023

Question:

Does anyone know the distance between the 5th wheel hitch to the back of the cab preferably on a 2018 but any F150 with a 5.5 bed

asked by: Randy

Expert Reply:

Unfortunately, I can't tell you what that measurement is so you are going to have to either measure that yourself or get in touch with a dealer and they may be able to tell you.

It sounds like you may be concerned with clearance when making a 90 degree turn so what I can do instead is give you the formula to determine if you're going to have any clearance issues.

The formula is (A+B) - C, and to use it you're going to need to first get A which is the distance from the center of the 5th wheel jaw to the cab, then you'll need B which is the distance the pin box is out from the trailer, and finally C which is the width of the trailer divided by 2.

If you get a number that is above 4 inches you're going to need a slider and # RP30047 won't work for you, however if you get a measurement that is below 4 inches you won't need a slider and won't have any clearance problems.

I can also tell you that you're likely going to have to use a sliding hitch since the bed is so short, but It doesn't hurt to measure to be sure.

Alternatively, if you really didn't want to use a sliding hitch you could use a rotating pin box like the Reese Sidewinder 5th Wheel King Pin with Rotating Turret # RP77FR which would affectively produce the same result as having a sliding hitch.

The only thing I'll need to get you rollin' is your pin box information. For instance, the pin box # RP77FR mentioned above is designed to work with Lippert 0115, 1116, and 1716 models, Fabex 500 Series and 700 Series & RBW 7019 and 70208 pin-box models. If your trailer has any of those then this'll work great for you, if not let me know what you have and I'd be happy to set you up if you're more interested in this route.

expert reply by: Bryce D