New F350 Ford has factory Fifth Wheel package... BUT?

[CUCWV]

The truck is all set up for me, and I have been reading too much! Too many options! I have never towed before. I had full intentions of installing a Reese or B&W fifth wheel hitch from info in this forum. Should I also consider a goose neck hitch ? Cost? Pros/cons…. The trailer will be a Montana 3100RL with a Mori-Ride pin box. I also don’t know how much hitch I need. 15K, 18K… 22 K… ETC……. I am also concerned of steep angles I will encounter in and out of my driveway. The building I intend to store it in is up a slight hill and the truck will be on a pretty good downward angle while hitching. The dealer bought a unit here and backed it in to the building just to test clearances. The driver did a great job doing that. He said my truck might sit a little higher causing the rear of the trailer to be prone to dragging. Is there a best option here? Thanks.

[jesilvas]

I wouldn't do a goose neck. It is 5tg wheel from the factory for a reason.you'd torque it too much with a gn.
As for weight, what is the GVWR of the trailer? Get a hitch with a higher rating than the trailer.
The hitch and pin box both have adjustments on them to level out the ride.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by CUCWV

The truck is all set up for me, and I have been reading too much! Too many options! I have never towed before. I had full intentions of installing a Reese or B&W fifth wheel hitch from info in this forum. Should I also consider a goose neck hitch ? Cost? Pros/cons…. The trailer will be a Montana 3100RL with a Mori-Ride pin box.

You don't need a gooseneck hitch unless you plan to tow a gooseneck trailer. If you plan to tow a gooseneck trailer as well as your 5er, then you need the Reese Elite gooseneck pkg that will install in your fifth wheel/gooseneck prep pkg. You can buy it from your Ford dealer, or here's another source:
Reese Elite Series Gooseneck Head Kit 30138

Your prep pkg is intended to have either an 18k or 25k Reese Elite fifth wheel hitch. No other brand will work, so choose either of those. The Ford dealer sells only the 25k hitch, but you can buy an 18k from any Reese hitch dealer.
Here's one source:
Reese Elite Series Pre-Assembled 18K 5th Wheel Hitch 30142

I also don’t know how much hitch I need. 15K, 18K… 22 K… ETC…….

You need at least as much as the GVWR of your trailer. Your trailer has a GVWR of 14,235. Hopefully, you won't overload the trailer, so you need a hitch with at least 15k capacity.

Only the Reese Elite 5er hitch will fit your prep pkg. And they come in only 18k or 21k versions. So you need the 18k, but the 25k will work fine too.

I am also concerned of steep angles I will encounter in and out of my driveway. .... He said my truck might sit a little higher causing the rear of the trailer to be prone to dragging. Is there a best option here? Thanks.

Your pin box and your hitch are both adjustable up and down. Adjust them until you have at least 6" between the top of the tailgate and the bottom of the 5er. 8" is even better.

But you must also have a level trailer, front to rear, when towing. If the front of the trailer is high when hooked up to the tow vehicle, then STOP until you raise the trailer on its suspension enough to result in a level trailer. There are various ways to raise the trailer, so work with the trailer suspension manufacturer's customer-service folks to get it done right.

[2002dura]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Your prep pkg is intended to have either an 18k or 25k Reese Elite fifth wheel hitch. No other brand will work, so choose either of those. .

Only the Reese Elite 5er hitch will fit your prep pkg.

That is incorrect. B&W makes a hitch that will fit the Ford prep package with a 20K rating. Here is a link Companion. I put a B&W in mine, the best hitch I have used. No slop between pin and jaws, a good made hitch.

[CUCWV]

Thanks...

What does the term "turnover ball hitch" mean or is it something I do not really have to be concerned about.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by CUCWV

Thanks...

What does the term "turnover ball hitch" mean or is it something I do not really have to be concerned about.

B&W turnover hitch. The B&W 5th wheel companion hitch is explained under the "Products" link. It fastens onto this 2" ball.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by 2007dura

That is incorrect. B&W makes a hitch that will fit the Ford prep package with a 20K rating.

So I learned something. Thanx.

So the B&W Companion 5er hitch fits in the gooseneck ball mount of the Ford prep pkg?

But why buy some other brand of 5er hitch when the Ford prep pkg is made specifically for the Reese Elite 5er hitch?

[2002dura]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

So I learned something. Thanx.

So the B&W Companion 5er hitch fits in the gooseneck ball mount of the Ford prep pkg?

But why buy some other brand of 5er hitch when the Ford prep pkg is made specifically for the Reese Elite 5er hitch?

I don't know if their hitch which uses the gooseneck fits in the Ford prep. But they make a hitch that fits into the 4 holes like the Reese. I provided a link to that hitch in previous post.

[SmokeyWren]

Yep, the new B&W Companion OEM (not the regular Companion) fits in the 5er attachments points of the Reese Elite prep pkg. The reason to buy it is it costs a lot less than the Reese Elite. At a decent discount, the Reese Elite 18k hitch costs $1280 plus shipping, and the B&W Companion OEM 20k costs $890 plus shipping.
B&W B&W Companion OEM Fifth Wheel Hitch BW-3300

[Roam America]

actually, both the 18K and 25K hitches are available from Ford. Both are the Reese Elite series.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by K-Star

actually, both the 18K and 25K hitches are available from Ford. Both are the Reese Elite series.

In the 2012 version of the SuperDuty Order Guide, only one 5er hitch was available as a factory option, and it was the 25k version.

On Edit: I found the 2013 Order Guide on Bobby Williams website at ProFleetSales.com - Professional Fleet Sales of Ford Cars, SUVs and Trucks!. It now includes both Reese Elite hitches as options, but the 18k only for SRW pickups and the 25k only for DRW pickups.

Originally Posted by 2013 Ford SuperDuty Order Guide

5th Wheel Hitch Kit-15L – Incl. 18k rated hitch for SRW. (Req. 53W 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Hitch Prep Pkg. and 8-ft. box) NA w/85L Drop-in Bedliner

5th Wheel Hitch Kit-15K – Incl. 25k rated hitch for DRW. (Req. 53W 5th
Wheel/Gooseneck Hitch Prep Pkg. and 8-ft. box) NA w/85L Drop-in Bedliner

[Roam America]

Smokey - that for clearing that up. the Ford site was not specific to the SRW/DRW restriction. It just listed the 25K with a note that the 18K was also available.

[ralphie]

You should not use a gooseneck hitch unless you first confirm with the FW mfgr. that your frame can handle the additional stresses placed on it by the GN. I, too, was concerned about a steep driveway entrance situation. I could not determine beforehand whether or not I would be able to enter/exit my driveway, and you may not, either. After you get all set up, you'll need a spotter when you go into the driveway to see if the TV bed sides are going to hit the underside of the FW, and the other person to look at the rear of the FW to see if dragging might occur.

[SmokeyWren]

I am strongly opposed to converting a 5er to a gooseneck hitch. The frame of a 5er RV trailer is not designed to handle the added stress (leverage) of a gooseneck hitch such as a Colibri conversion. But if you plan to tow both a 5er RV trailer and a gooseneck horse trailer or race trailer, then you need both hitches. The Ford fifth wheel/gooseneck prep pkg includes provisions for both hitches, and Reese makes both a 5er hitch and a gooseneck hitch to fit into the prep pkg.

If you install the Elite under-bed rails yourself, instead of ordering your new Ford with the fifth wheel/gooseneck prep pkg, there are two separate install kits - one for the 5er hitch and a different one for the gooseneck hitch. If you never plan to tow a gooseneck trailer, then there is no need to install the gooseneck install kit. But the Ford prep pkg includes both.

Installing in-bed rails is a tough job for a DIYer. But installing the Elite under-bed rails is a lot tougher. One pro told me the "easy" way is to remove the bed first, then the job is relatively easy.Removing the bed is not hard if you have a couple of gorillas to help you.