I'm trying to get together all the information I can for those of us who got the 5th wheel prep option and who don't want to pay $1300 bucks for the Reese/Ford Custom 5th wheel hitch.

If you already have a "Signature Series" Reese or Draw-Tite fifth wheel hitch, you will need a #58419 Service Kit Adapter Foot.
This is from reeseprod.com
"Note: #58419 Service Kit Adapter Foot for Signature Series Fifth Wheels & Goosenecks is Required When Used on 2011 Ford Reese Elite™ Series & OEM Rail Kits"
Hitches - link to quote above
I am assuming the "OEM Rail Kit" refers to Fords 5th wheel prep option.

This is the only place on line I found the #58419 Service Kit Adapter Foot
Fifth Wheel Adapter Kit - Ford OEM Rails to Signature Series Fifth Wheel Reese Fifth Wheel 58419

And if you don't already have the hitch.....
Signature Series Pre-Assembled 18K Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitch by Draw-Tite and Reese Reese Fifth Wheel 40847
or
iqFifthWheelHitches.com - Reese Signature Series Pre-Assembled 18K 5th Wheel Hitch
or
Draw-Tite Signature Series Pre-Assembled 18K 5th Wheel Hitch 40847

I'm also assuming the Reese #30847 and the Draw-Tite #40847 are the same hitch, since they are both made by Cequent.

So....
$123.95 for the #58419 Service Kit Adapter Foot
and
$742.95 for the hitch
--------
866.90 + shipping & handling = you could save $300

Let me know if this is correct or BS, cus' I'm doin' a lot of assumin'.

 

You aren't missing anything; that will work fine and save you money.

However, before youi plunk down $750 for a regular hitch, you might look into an air hitch Air-Safe etc, for smoother ride. Those hitches are more money but save repairs and avoid the rough ride. You will still need the $125 adapter for the 2011 ford, and an adapter plate for the previous reese above bed donuts, but then any of the better ridng rail based air hitches will work; and you have an easily removable hitch that leaves the bed flat. Good luck.

 

Okay, I'm confused. I also bought the new Super Duty w/ the fifth wheel prep package. If I understand correctly, I can use the Elite series hitches as is, or use the Signature series hitches w/ the Reese Fifth Wheel Adapter Kit 58419. Does anyone know the difference between the Elite and Signature series (besides hundreds of dollars)? And is the adapter kit like rails that permanently stay in your bed? I would like to keep the floor of my bed flat, but also don't want to spend an extra few hundred dollars on a hitch that doesn't offer significant benefits. I have been unable to locate a picture of the Reese Fifth Wheel Adapter Kit 58419 so I have no idea what it looks like. I see that eTrailer sells it, but they don't have a picture on their site. Thanks for your help!

 

I think you are correct, the Elite Series does not need the kit, but I don't think they are available yet. I'm pretty sure you will not have anything protruding from your bed when either hitch is removed., but I've been wrong before, just ask my wife.

Thanks JohnD, I will check it out.

 

Got mine in. The ford is a special donut for Reese - unlike all aftermarket sets to date, the ford donut receptors are slightly (1/2 inch or so) below the bed when everything is removed - nothing protruding from the bed and no more holes in the sheetrock!!!. (this is also true with air hitches that have adapters and rails - the rails and all adapters come out with the 2011 ford ones and leave a smooth bed)

So for old signature hitches to work in a 2011 they need a donut spacer to lift the hitch slightly (maybe 3/4 inch) and a slightly longer bolt that can get throught that extra tall spacer. For $125-300, depending upon where you buy the 2011 ford adapter kit, you get a couple new parts in addition to the 4 needed longer new bolts and 4 spacers. Note this is not really a bolt, but a three step bolt with special elongated head for grabbing the old reese donut or the new ford receptor in/under the bed.

warning, the 2011 ford/Reese bed receptor that comes with the truck does not have the old 5/8 threads under the donut, so old adapters that used those threads with regular bolts for securing other hitches will still need the ford adapter if they want to pull everyting out and get a flat surface.

PS, great find on the cheaper adapter set - too late for me.

 

oh, forgot. if you don;t want to buy the adapter for the 2011, you can use a regular signature setup if you are willing to smash up your brand new bed everywhere under the signature to make it all 1/2 inch lower than stock. And yes you can just ignore the ford setupand entirely and put in regular rails but with the adapter now 1/2to 1/3 what Ford wanted initially, I don't think either makes sense.

 

Wow! Thanks for all the great info! I still wonder, though, what the difference between the Signature and Elite series hitches is. Since I need a new hitch anyway, does it pay to spend more for the Elite series rather than bother w/ adapters? I just don't know why the Elite is so much more - I'm assuming it offers newer or better features, but you know what they say about assuming...

thanks again!

 

So the doughnut keeps the hitch from crushing the sheet metal around the base of the hitch?
Did someone say doughnuts!!

 

yes adapter donut fits into what comes with ford truck and provides a surface 1/2 inch above ford bed upon which signature rests so0 nothing is crushed. Thus all of the signature will sit above the bed on a 2011.

I am not sure if Ford simply raised the 2011 bed to keep the Reese stuff below the bed or if there is some fancy solution under the bed so 2008-10's and 2011's have same bed height.

The same amount of "meat" is needed below the bed to keep the hitch firmly in place. Since the spacer donut acts like a 1/2 to 3/4 inch washer with no holding power longer "bolts" are needed.

The kit also has some nuts and locking pins similar to what comes on a regular signature.

It is hard to tell but I think if you just put the adapter donut on top of the 2011 donut that comes on the truck the resulting donut sticks up above the bed a bit more than the aftermarket donuts do for original signature series. Alll of the pieces in Ford's adapter becomes an integral part of what comes and goes with the hitch (the adapter donuts/spacers, longer bolts, and lock nuts all come out with the hitch).

When you have the parts in front of you it is very obvious how it works.

 

Okay, looks like other people are having the same questions about the differences between the Reese Signature and Reese Elite series fifth wheel hitches. At the bottom of this page Reese Elite Series Pre-Assembled 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Wiring Harness - 18,000 lbs Reese RP30142 there are some questions and answers. Seems like there isn't much difference between the two series (aside from needing the adapter for the Signature series, of course), so I still don't know why the Elite series costs so much more. I think I'll go the Signature series/adapter route and save myself some serious cash.

 

I'm with you, get the Signature Series, save some bucks and buy more accessories!
Like a new Stromberg Carlson 2000 Series 5th Wheel Louvered Tailgate for Ford Trucks Stromberg Carlson Truck Bed Accessories VG-97-2000 tailgate.

 

This thread is very timely as I will be buying a new F350 to pull the 5th wheel RV.

Question 1 - Is the 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitch prep package available for both the short bed and long bed? I have not been able to get the story on this, the local dealership did not even know. I would definitely prefer a short bed solution.

Question 2 - With a short bed, I'll need a slider hitch, such as the PullRite SuperGlide. PullRite has released a line of "industry standard SuperGlide fifth wheel hitches", which in reading between the lines of their press release, seems to indicate compatibility with Ford's 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitch prep package. I have an email into them, no reply yet.

PullRite has a SAFER, STRONGER, BETTER designed hitch for you

Reese has a manual slider in their Elite Series which from my reading here would work as a Plan B.

Thanks!

Steve

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You can't get the 5th wheel prep on a short bed truck, only the long beds. If you want a short bed you can just have a hitch installed afterwards as everyone has had to do up until this model year on all trucks.

 

I did the Ford hitch thru my dealer whom I have a long relationship with. $1,150. It was a no brainer, it took longer to take it out of the box than to actually install it.

 

Did you gou with the Elite Series 18K ? Thanks.