Ford Owners - Another Question

I'm looking for some feedback from the Ford owners out there. I just bought a "new to me" 2008 F250 and had my 5th wheel hitch installed (now selling the Silverado in my sig). The truck is a short bed, as was my Silverado and I don't have a slider hitch. I've not yet found myself in a situation with the Silverado that I would have needed the slider. Maybe I was just lucky. Well, today after getting home with the new truck and newly installed hitch, it appears to me that the hitch actually sits a few inches closer to the cab of the Ford than the Silverado.

So here's the question. How many of the Ford owners out there are towing WITHOUT a slider hitch? I'm concerned now because what appeared to not be a problem with my Silverado, may be a problem with the non-slider hitch in the Ford.

Thanks!

Jonc,

Don't own a Ford, but what I would do is measure from the center of the kingpin to the edge of front cap on the Cat. Then measure from the center of the hitchpoint to the corner of your truck's cab. The one time I should have used my slider, I didn't and spent a Saturday afternoon repairing the damage to the corner of the truck's cab. Didn't happen with the Cat, but with the front of my last 5er (a 28' TrailHarbor).

I will tell you, it can happen in a heartbeat. One moment your turning just right, the next the corner of the Cat's cap is into the corner of your truck's cab. It's very difficult to judge from inside the cab of the truck while you're backing.

Better safe than sorry. I'd get the slider.


JMHO

My Brother has a 2500 GMC short bed which is a little bit longer than My 2004 F-350 short bed. I do not use my slider that often. But like Mike said it can happen in a Heart Beat . I have seen others knock the back glass out and damage the cab. I would get a slider.

I just got a long bed.

My brother banged up his 2008 F350 short bed last year when he got in a situation backing his 40' trailer into a tight spot. He was angry before the incident which didn't help.

I have a 01' F350 srw,,,, I have a slider and have not used it yet. I've turned in some pretty tight corners especially in my yard.

I make a note of how close I'll allow the corners to get. Then just don't go past that point. Pull up and readjust your position.

I'll measure the distance from my hitch to the bed below the back window. I'd guess yours would have to be in the same spot. an inch forward could make a huge difference between the two though.

Thanks for the replies so far. After doing some additional research on where the hitches get mounted, reading the installation manuals for the base rail kits (GM vs. Ford), at least for my 2008 F250, it calls for the hitch to be mounted ~4 inches ahead of the axle. I know my Chevy was NOT that far forward.

My measurement from the base rail (front rail) to the front of the bed is 22 inches. The same measurement in my Chevy was 25 3/4 inches. It appears that the hitch is installed properly, it's just more toward the front of the bed than I am used to.

I am planning on hooking up the truck tomorrow if I can to see how it looks. And all along I was worried about the height difference with the new truck and how the Cat sits while hooked up, now I get to worry about turning too!!

I have a 2008 F250 Supercab 4x4 and found that on tight turns I was too close for comfort to the cab. I ended up installing a 5th Airborne (to fix the chucking problem) and a Sidewinder pin box combo. Now I can turn past 90 degrees and not come close to the cab. I had no problems with the height of the truck vs the Wildcat.

I hooked up the Cat today and took it for a ride. It sits nice and level, which is fantastic. But, it is too close to the cab of the truck for my liking (when turning). I had an opportunity to look at a slider today, and the hitch head of a slider hitch (where the pin is going to hook in) is actually an inch or two forward (toward the cab) than my current hitch - so I don't think that is going to help. Under normal driving this would make cornering even tighter.

If anyone out there with a short bed F250 could take a measurement of your base rails (either from the tailgate lip to the back rail or from the front of the bed to the front rail), I'd appreciate it.

As best I can tell, the hitch is installed as per spec, but it just doesn't seem right to me. I can't even think of getting close to a 90 degree turn the way it is now - maybe 60 degrees at best.

I think my wife is going to have me sleeping in the new truck.....grrr....

Mine is 33" to tail gate from rail lip. From were the pin goes in rail it is 35 1/2 to tail gate. I have a Power Pull by Valley 16K Tim

Measuring from the inside of the hitch at where the center of the
kingpin would be under tow, its measures
35 inches to the metal below the back glass on the cab.

Tim - that's my measurement as well (~32.5 inches from the lip)

Phillip - any issues with clearance on tight turns - or do you just really take them slow? I just measured mine, and I am about 36 inches to the cab.

Thanks

I've made some seriously tight turns that were even off camber ,,, meaning the truck and camper wasn't level with each other.

I don't really take it easy either,,,, but I do pay close attention to where the camper is to the cab.

I can't say I won't ever get in a tricky spot. but it is nice to know you have the slider for back up.

If you''ve already bought the none slider and have it mounted I'd go
with it and see how it goes for awhile. Make wide swings
and don't hesitate to pull up and make multiple attempts.

I think a lot of times people get into trouble because they feel like
someone's watching and they don't want to make that extra pull up.
I'll pull up a hundred times if its really tight and I'm blind siding.
I never have anyone to watch for me either. But driving big
trucks I think i drove backwards about as much as I drove forward, so
I've
had plenty of practice. Its always easier practice backing
into things when the vehicle doesn't belong to you. I have hit a
few things.

Tore the back dore off a UPS truck one day pulling out of a loading
dock. If you've never seen a ups guy get upset about
their truck,,,, well thats a site to see....

I have a Reese 18k slider but have never used the slider. My kingpin is about 4 inches ahead of the axle and it makes for not so much room between the back of the truck and the trailer. I found out that I have to be pretty well be lined up straight when backing into hitch up with the tailgate down. The tailgate corner will hit if I am not straight. I don't have any problems turning tight corners however because of the new design of the cat's front cap. Forest River designed the front cap for short bed trucks. I have towed fifth wheel campers with short bed trucks (two Fords, one GMC and now the Dodge) over the last 18 years and have never had a problem or needed to use the slider. Just be aware of the problem and watch it closely when turning tight.