Hey new to the site I was wondering if someone could help. I have a 04 king ranch powerstroke f 350 short bed... I am looking to buy a 1987 alpha lite 30' 5er was wondering about clearance issuses due to shortbed. I was looking at the tow n stow with companion set up. Somewhere I read it could be adjusted six inches back for extra clearance. Do I need a slider? What do they do? What about a hitch extender? I also have a leveling kit and 35" toyo mts Looking for help. Cost is also a factor.
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My First POWERSTROKE ! 2004 F-350 King Ranch Edition CC 4x4 35" Toyo MTs B & W Turnover ball
Hey, I have had 2 F-250'S with short beds and tow a 29' Cougar fifth wheel and have never had to use the slide [reese 16k slider]. I was told I needed this from the rv dealer. I have had it turned pretty tight and still had a few inches from the cab. Not to say it would never be needed but I have yet to use it. I had mine mounted right over the axle per instructions. Dean
I think it all cooks down to what kind of king pin mount the trailer has on it. On my 5er, i asked the dealer when i bought it and he said that all his trailers come with the hitch on the trailer to work on short beds.
The hitch in the bed of the truck pivots over the rear axel and if I have to get in a tight cramp, I have 3 inches of clearance between the trailer front corner and the rear window.
You may have to see what ya got and maybe look at extending the king pin oh the trailer if necessary.
notice I said "have to get in a tight cramp" I jsut hate the cracking and popping the anel assemvly gives when trying to peel the tires off the rim [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vomit.gif[/img]
They are all different and it changes quite a bit when on uneven terrain. I have not had a slider on my last 2 Ford shortbeds but I have had the trailer nearly hit the cab. That's too close.
I bought a Pullrite Superglide yesterday so I won't have to think about it.
Yes. Preferablly the automatic PullRite SuperGlide, but a Reese 16k slider will do in a pinch.
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What do they do?
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Allows you to make a jacknife turn without banging the front of the trailer into the cab/rear window of the truck.
You don't need it as long as you don't put the tranny in reverse. But as soon as you start to back up, you can ruin your day in a heartbeat if you don't have the SuperGlide or a slider hitch slid back.
You might "get by" without the slider, but then you'll always be worried about pulling into an alley or trail or road that dead ends and forces you to turn around. If you can't jacknife, then you can't turn around. How good are you at backing the trailer down a crooked narrow road for a few blocks? Or a mile? Without jacknifing?
That worry is why my current tow vehicle has a long bed. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]
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What about a hitch extender?
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You need that too. But if the trailer doesn't already have it, you'll probably ruin the trailer if you try to add one. All trailer manufacturers will void the warranty if you extend the kingpin more than the factory installed it - because of the torque forces on the trailer's frame under the overhang.
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I also have a leveling kit and 35" toyo mts Looking for help.
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Bling bling trucks make horrible 5er towing machines. When you get loaded up and ready for the road, the trailer should be level front to rear, and you must have at least 6" clearance between the top of the bed and the underside of the trailer overhang. So you'll probably have to either raise the trailer on its suspension, or else lower your "tow vehicle" somehow.
Probably your best bet is to look at tag trailers instead of 5ers. You can get drop hitches to allow you to hook up the trailer so it's level with no worry about clearance between trailer and truck. Or ditch your bling bling tires and make your pickup a real 5er towing machine again. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
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How Does a leveling kit in the front affect the rear and make it a bling bling truck?
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i couldn't fit Toyo 35x12.50R18 tires with just a leveling kit.
you fit them, and on bigger wheels without a lift?
there are sliders that are easy to use and much cheaper then the automatic one that Smokey mentioned. I would rather have the automatic, but it aint ever going to happen.
I'm not too lazy to get out and throw the slider in the back position while driving tight city streets. well ... once i was too lazy and put a ding in my rear pillar.
Believe me, it is embarrassing having a slider hitch AND a ding in your rear pillar. Dam i'm lazy
I turned off UBBCode/HTML for this post so I could show you the actual code.
Before the quoted words, insert
Quote:
After the quoted words, insert
With the brackets.
Or if you wish to quote the entire post, then click on "quote" instead of "reply" at the top of that post.
Or do that anyway, then add appropriate [/quote] and [quote] codes where needed to bust up the post and answer each part separately, while deleting any part of the quoted post you don't want to quote in your reply. That's what I did in the above reply to prime03.
And a third way is to use the "instant UBB Code" at the bottom of the editor screen when you're writing a post. If you click on "quote", then the next line of your post will look like this:
So then go in between the
Quote:
and the
and type (or cut&paste) the quoted words.
At the top of this screen is two menu bars. On the very top menu bar is a button for "faqs". Click on that and you'll go to the truck FAQs. On the lower menu bar is a button for "FAQ". That FAQ is the site FAQ, with suggestions of how to navigate and use the website. Including one something like "can I use HTML in my posts?" You might want to click on that one and learn all about UBBCode - including . <grin>
The following is my post from above, including all the quotes. Since UBB Code is turned off for this post, you can see the actual way it looked in my editor before I posted it:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Do I need a slider?
Yes. Preferablly the automatic PullRite SuperGlide, but a Reese 16k slider will do in a pinch.
Quote:
What do they do?
Allows you to make a jacknife turn without banging the front of the trailer into the cab/rear window of the truck.
You don't need it as long as you don't put the tranny in reverse. But as soon as you start to back up, you can ruin your day in a heartbeat if you don't have the SuperGlide or a slider hitch slid back.
You might "get by" without the slider, but then you'll always be worried about pulling into an alley or trail or road that dead ends and forces you to turn around. If you can't jacknife, then you can't turn around. How good are you at backing the trailer down a crooked narrow road for a few blocks? Or a mile? Without jacknifing?
That worry is why my current tow vehicle has a long bed. :warmsmile:
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What about a hitch extender?
You need that too. But if the trailer doesn't already have it, you'll probably ruin the trailer if you try to add one. All trailer manufacturers will void the warranty if you extend the kingpin more than the factory installed it - because of the torque forces on the trailer's frame under the overhang.
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I also have a leveling kit and 35" toyo mts Looking for help.
Bling bling trucks make horrible 5er towing machines. When you get loaded up and ready for the road, the trailer should be level front to rear, and you must have at least 6" clearance between the top of the bed and the underside of the trailer overhang. So you'll probably have to either raise the trailer on its suspension, or else lower your "tow vehicle" somehow.
Probably your best bet is to look at tag trailers instead of 5ers. You can get drop hitches to allow you to hook up the trailer so it's level with no worry about clearance between trailer and truck. Or trade your bling bling truck for a real 5er towing machine.
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How Does a leveling kit in the front affect the rear and make it a bling bling truck?
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Anything that is only for looks is bling bling. "Look at me!" Including 35" meats on a SuperDuty pickup. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]
Anything that is only for looks is bling bling. "Look at me!" Including 35" meats on a SuperDuty pickup. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]
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Gonna have to disagree here....Stock tires on my '05 are 34.2" tall, so I hardly think that 35's are "bling bling". Also gonna have to disagree that they make the truck a "horrible" tow rig. (And I tow easily twice the fiver you do...
I must add however, that Michelin XPS rib tires are strictly Grandpa tires. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]
Disclaimer;
Please nobody get offended, this post is all in fun...
Yes I did fit 35x12.50R18s on my truck with just a leveling kit. Les Schwabb had to trim the plastic just a bit. So i need a slider hitch with the kingpin extender? Would have bought longbed if i was buyin from factory but buyin used Ill have to make due. Is the B and W a good hitch? I like the idea of a level bed when not in use. Superglides are to much damn money. Let me ask you this short bed = 6'6" longbed = 8' Basically 1' 6" longer split the difference in half for middle of axle and it is nine inches different a kingpin extender = 10" extra so shouldnt i be fine?
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My First POWERSTROKE ! 2004 F-350 King Ranch Edition CC 4x4 35" Toyo MTs B & W Turnover ball
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Is the B and W a good hitch? I like the idea of a level bed when not in use.
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Good hitch for a longbed, but they don't make a slider. Also the B&W is a lot more expensive than the Reese/Drawtite. First you have to buy the TurnOverBall gooseneck hitch for over $300 ( http://www.southernhitchin.com/search.php ), then you have to buy the Companion 5er hitch to fit in the gooseneck hitch, and that puppy will set you back over $700 more ( http://www.southernhitchin.com/B&W.htm - then scroll down to the bottom of the screen). So that's over $1,000 for that setup. Plus installation if you don't do it yourself. And you still won't have a slider. http://www.turnoverball.com/ then click on "Companion".
Welcome to the site! We're glad you're here.
SmokeyWren is right (as usual). A Pullright Superglide automatic sliding hitch is a great way to go. They are very expensive. I financed mine along with the trailer so it wasn't as painful as writing a check for it. I know that many people with short bed trucks don't use sliders at all and they have had no problems. I got the Superglide because my street and driveway are fairly narrow and I've got to jacknife pretty good to get in. Besides the automatic sliding feature There are other good points about Pullright hitches - the coupling and locking mechanism for one. If you go to their website and ask they will send you a free videotape that explains things much better than I can. It was worth the expense for me. I'm convinced that I've got the best and safest hitch made & that's worth a lot.
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2005 F-350 Lariat, 6.0 PSD, Torqueshift auto trans, crew cab, SRW, short box, FX4, ESOF, limited slip dif., tow command, upfitter switches, 6 CD changer, Lariat Lux. package, camper package, engine block heater, adjustable pedals, reverse sensor, triple A-pillar gauge set (Autometer) with pyrometer, trans temp & voltmeter, MBRP 4" cat back exhaust w/5" dual wall chrome tip, dark shadow gray/ med. flint interior.
2008 Big Horn fifth wheel by Heartland RV model 3670RL. 38' long, 4 slides and all the goodies.
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Basically 1' 6" longer split the difference in half for middle of axle and it is nine inches different a kingpin extender = 10" extra so shouldnt i be fine?
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You don't split the difference in half....the difference in a long and short bed is all in front of the axle. The distance from the center of the axle to the rear of the bed is the same, short bed or long bed.
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