5th Wheel and Gooseneck Towing Options for 2012 Ford F250 Short Bed W/ Ford Factory Tow Prep Pkg

Updated 06/03/2014 | Published 06/02/2014

Question:

I have a 2012 F250 with a factory prep puck style already installed under the bed. It has the 6 foot 8 inch bed and it looks like the BWRV3300 is what I need for the 5th wheel. How do I use a goose neck ball with this installation? Are there any other brands besides BandW that fits this factory Ford prep?

asked by: Wayne

Expert Reply:

For the 6 foot 8 inch truck bed, you would need either use a sliding fifth wheel hitch or install a Reese Sidewinder in place of your existing pin box on your fifth wheel. If you don't use a sliding hitch, the front corners of the trailer loft can contact the rear of cab during turns. Which can be hard on the trailer as well as the truck. For more information about the Sidewinder, take a look at the article I've linked. If you use the Sidewinder, you would be able to use the B&W # BWRVK3300.

B&W doesn't offer a drop-in sliding hitch compatible with the puck-style prep package, but Reese does. Take a look at the Reese Elite Sliding Fifth Wheel Hitch, part # RP30144. There is another option, as well. You can use a puck adapter, part # RP30156 that would install into the pucks and allow any fifth wheel hitch that uses industry standard rails (Reese, Curt, Husky, Valley, etc) to install into the truck bed.

Reese offers a Pop-In-Ball kit, part # RP30137 that will drop right into the center mounting hole in the truck bed, allowing you to tow a gooseneck trailer. Safety chain attachments that attach to two of the pucks are also included. If your towing prep kit doesn't have the gooseneck hitch head attached, you can add it using # RP30138. The ball and the tie-downs are included.

expert reply by: Mike L