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View Full Version : Ford Factory 5th Wheel Prep and Hitch Questions


C130
01-29-2015, 07:45 AM
Sorry if this has been discussed numerous times before but I did a search and didn't find much. Just traded my 2011 F250 for a new 2015 F-450. I was looking for a F350 DRW but couldn't find one with the options I wanted in the color I wanted. Yesterday, found a black Platinum F350 DRW and was close to making a deal. Sales guy went to put the truck back in its spot and opened the door and smacked the white Platinum parked next to it and put a large dent in the drivers door. The dent was not there before and sales guy acted clueless but I didn't want to get the guy fired either so kept my mouth shut but pointed out the dent. Of course dealer said it was no big deal and their dent/repair guy could easily fix it but that ended that deal for me.

Anyways, I found a F450 with the options and color I wanted and worked out a deal. It has the factory 5th wheel prep which I wanted and would like some recommendations on hitches. I used the Pullrite Superglide that fit the standard rails in the F250 and it appears Reese makes an adapter. Problem is the Superglide for the standard rails sits up higher than the regular Superglide and it looks like if you use the Reese adapter it would set up even higher which is the last thing I want. Anyone have any experience with the Reese adapter or other hitch recommendations? Looks like there are several options now for hitches that go with the Ford factory 5th wheel prep set up.

Javi
01-29-2015, 09:47 AM
I'm using the Reese Elite hitch which is designed for the Ford/Reese system.. I sure got no complains.

I was going to buy the B&W Companion OEM which is also designed for the Ford/Reese system but a fellow I know sold me the Reese for a price I couldn't refuse and it was like new..

JRTJH
01-29-2015, 10:07 AM
I have the Ford system in my F250 and truly enjoy the "clean bed" when the hitch is out of the truck. No rails makes for much easier hauling of most cargo. For me it's definitely worth the cost. I tow with a CURT 16K hitch and bought the Reese adapter for the Ford system. It does sit about 1.5" higher, so if you're close to your max now, you'll be a tad higher with the adapter.

There are a couple of hitch options available to fit the "Ford holes" so you're no longer forced to use the Ford/Reese hitch. If you're looking for a specialized hitch, there are options available. For me, just the adapter and my old hitch were all I needed.

I like the system and think that as the market grows, we will see many more hitches that either adapt or are built to fit the Ford system. Now that Dodge is offering their own system, it's only a matter of time for GM to do the same. Hopefully in the near future they will all "standardize" their packages so interchanging from one truck to another won't be an issue.

I think you'll like the system once you get it operational. Congratulations on the new truck !!! Pictures ???

C130
01-29-2015, 01:45 PM
Thanks for the information. I was close by to a place I've done business with a few times and they had the Curt 20K hitch in stock for the Ford factory 5th wheel. I bought it and hopefully will be happy with it. I really liked the Pullrite I had and was leaning towards ordering one but went with the Curt instead. Seems well built but besides the Pullrite Superglide I had I really don't have anything to compare it to.

First long bed I've had and I'm assuming a slider hitch isn't necessary. I just noticed this morning they put their dealership mud flaps on it and not sure I care for those. I found the original flaps in the back of the truck. It was already dark last night before they had it detailed and I didn't notice it. Opinions on the mud flaps? Here are a few photos.

http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158529_0_39cf594ce2094b68bbcdad682a0e4728.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/IMG_8637_zpsed110a92.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158529_1_1928ac6f690f4265effcae97cc8dd164.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zpsb24475d4.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158529_2_702d00449900ffbd4feb383c9002d804.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zps639357d6.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158529_3_7c5c9c9ee81b6d37cb5c3521b5662f0e.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zps8b0635ac.jpg.html)

Keywestparrothead
01-29-2015, 05:29 PM
Thanks for the information. I was close by to a place I've done business with a few times and they had the Curt 20K hitch in stock for the Ford factory 5th wheel. I bought it and hopefully will be happy with it. I really liked the Pullrite I had and was leaning towards ordering one but went with the Curt instead. Seems well built but besides the Pullrite Superglide I had I really don't have anything to compare it to.

First long bed I've had and I'm assuming a slider hitch isn't necessary. I just noticed this morning they put their dealership mud flaps on it and not sure I care for those. I found the original flaps in the back of the truck. It was already dark last night before they had it detailed and I didn't notice it. Opinions on the mud flaps? Here are a few photos.

http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158576_0_39cf594ce2094b68bbcdad682a0e4728.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/IMG_8637_zpsed110a92.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158576_1_1928ac6f690f4265effcae97cc8dd164.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zpsb24475d4.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158576_2_702d00449900ffbd4feb383c9002d804.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zps639357d6.jpg.html)
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_158576_3_7c5c9c9ee81b6d37cb5c3521b5662f0e.jpg (http://s1160.photobucket.com/user/KTM85SXS/media/F450/image_zps8b0635ac.jpg.html)

Got mine from DuraFlap online and they are heavy duty!

C130
01-29-2015, 05:39 PM
Thanks, I like those King Ranch flaps and haven't seen them before. How do you like your F450? Any suggestions or recommendations? I was only looking at the the F350's but now I'm glad I got the 450. I could not find a King Ranch 350 with options I wanted but as soon as I saw the F450 I knew I wanted it.

GmaPaTime
01-29-2015, 05:46 PM
Nice truck.....

JRTJH
01-29-2015, 05:50 PM
With the F450 you might find yourself in a different driver's license category. I believe javi and jtyphoid were doing some research on just what type license is really needed in Texas with "bigger" tow vehicles and "bigger" fifth wheels. Possibly, when either of them reads this thread they will "chime in" with some info, otherwise, you might want to do some research on the issue.

Keywestparrothead
01-29-2015, 06:10 PM
Thanks, I like those King Ranch flaps and haven't seen them before. How do you like your F450? Any suggestions or recommendations? I was only looking at the the F350's but now I'm glad I got the 450. I could not find a King Ranch 350 with options I wanted but as soon as I saw the F450 I knew I wanted it.

I love it! The one downside has been the slightly rougher ride, but I upped the tire pressure to 110psi (max for these 19.5 commercial HSR) for towing and left it there for several months. In researching how to soften the ride, someone recommended dropping the tire pressure. I reached out to Continental and spoke to an actual engineer and we talked thru my weights and gave me an inflation chart. Based on my CAT scale weights, both empty and when towing, we agreed that I could be at 80 PSI and have plenty of weight left when towing and a softer ride when not. So I dropped the tires down to 80 and it felt like night and day "bouncey:

However, the next morning I go out and find one of my front tires at 50 psi :eek: I went to the dealership and they couldn't find a leak? Aired me back up to 90 and sent me on my way. Well, next morning it had dropped back down to 80 and this morning it was at 69. Going back on Monday and they will find the problem.

Sorry for the long story, but wanted to caution about leaving tires at 110 (which is where Ford recommends when towing at max capacity) when not towing or having a load. The engineer stated that the high pressure is actually bad for the tire if there is not much of a load, who would have thought?

Here is the link to the tires;
http://www.continental-truck.com/www/transport_us_en/themes/goods/regional_steer_en.html

And the inflation chart from the engineer;
http://www.continental-truck.com/www/transport_us_en/general/tech_info/hidden_index_en/load_infl_tables_en.html

I heard you say you had a TH and I know they can get heavy, so that was why I brought up the whole tire thing in case you were going to play with the tire pressure :)

Feel free to PM me with any specific question, happy to talk about "The Beast" as we call it :D

C130
01-29-2015, 07:23 PM
Thanks for the information and I'll check my tire pressure. It rides better than my F250 but for some reason when I put air bags on the F250 it rode like crap whenever I would hit any type of bump. I tried every air pressure and it was terrible. If I hit a speed bump it would about toss you to the ceiling. My toy hauler is a smaller one at around 35 feet so not too heavy. Hopefully I won't get the urge to upgrade toy haulers now with the bigger truck. I'm actually very happy with the Fuzion 322 Touring Edition, it's a 2011 model. We go to a local state park a lot and anything bigger we would be pretty limited on the spots we could use. I have a hard time in some of the spots now but part of that's probably more my fault than anything.

I'll check in to the commercial license issue but at my weights I don't think it'll be an issue. The 322 is only around 15,000 if I remember correctly. I was over the rear axle weight though the one time I had it weighed in the F250.

jtyphoid
01-30-2015, 03:56 AM
With the F450 you might find yourself in a different driver's license category. I believe javi and jtyphoid were doing some research on just what type license is really needed in Texas with "bigger" tow vehicles and "bigger" fifth wheels. Possibly, when either of them reads this thread they will "chime in" with some info, otherwise, you might want to do some research on the issue.

Javi actually contacted the Texas DPS more than once to try to get clarification on the law regarding trailer GVWR, but received different answers.

You can read all about it here:
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19339&highlight=texas+class

The bottom line is that the law can be interpreted two different ways. I chose to go the conservative route and upgrade to an "Exempt" (or "non-commercial") Class A so I don't have to argue about it with a LEO or judge or my insurance company.

The cost of the license upgrade was around $16 and required that I pass a multiple-choice written test then a driving test. For both the DW and myself, the driving tests were less than 30 minutes (although they made me wait 2 months for a two-hour block of time for the test, like for a CDL) and did not require us to do any backing up.

Feel free to PM me if you want more details about the tests.

Javi
01-30-2015, 05:00 AM
At best it's a cluster..... If you read the Driver's Handbook it says one thing, if you ask the DPS help line it's another, and if you ask the senior officer behind the desk at the regional headquarters it's yet another...

Bottom line after getting a copy of the actual statue as filed... if the combined GVWR of the truck and the trailer exceed 26,000 pounds then you need a non-commercial class A driver's license..

Sec. 521.081. CLASS A LICENSE. A Class A driver's license authorizes the holder of the license to operate:
(1) a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more; or
(2) a combination of vehicles that has a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight rating of any vehicle or vehicles in tow is more than 10,000 pounds.

Mine doesn't... truck 10,000 pounds, trailer 12,350 pounds but I went ahead and got the license anyway.. it was easier than arguing with Barney on the side of the road...

bsmith0404
01-30-2015, 07:40 AM
I think that was very nice of them to add there dealership flaps to your truck and turn you into their rolling billboard for free. Personally, I don't even leave the dealer decal on the back of my vehicles, well I have once. I was down to bickering over the last $300. Finally I made them the offer that I'll pay it if they remove their decal or they drop the price and leave it on. In many years of car shopping and several new cars, this was the first dealership who dropped in price and l left it on. All of the others didn't want to pay me for advertising. I tell them to keep their license plate frames as well.

As for the flaps, I put Pro Flaps on mine and love them. Several places sell them on line and have several options for the weight design/logo. They are built really well and hold up great.

gearhead
01-30-2015, 10:56 AM
That Curt hitch has a couple of height adjustments in it if you need to move it. I lowered mine a notch when we went to the Montana.
Dang that's a good looking truck. I bought a Mustang from Planet several years ago. It was an interesting experience.

C130
01-30-2015, 12:58 PM
That Curt hitch has a couple of height adjustments in it if you need to move it. I lowered mine a notch when we went to the Montana.
Dang that's a good looking truck. I bought a Mustang from Planet several years ago. It was an interesting experience.

Thanks for all of the compliments and I think I'm still in shock I have this truck. I'm glad the Curt has adjustments as the Pullrite didn't and it sat up about an inch or two too high in my F250. Pullrites industry standard hitch sits higher than their normal ones I think.

Planet is kinda a different place for sure in previous my experiences there. I didn't buy my F250 there but always had it serviced there and bought it in Grapevine, TX which was a great dealer. I tried to buy from Planet then but they didn't seem interested in negotiating at all back then. I didn't think I was going to be able to buy from them this time either because I don't budge much on my offers and walk out immediately if their offer is not close. With the internet it's just too easy to find out what deals you can get and I have no problem buying it wherever I can get the best deal. I was glad I was able to work out a deal though and my sales guy was outstanding along with everyone else involved after the deal was agreed upon.