Reading the FTE article about the new 2012, it states

"Ford will also offer a new 6.75 foot bed for the 2012 Super Duty, available with the fifth wheel and gooseneck packages".

Does that mean, this option was not available with the 2011 option? I currently own a 2011 SB, thinking it would be no problem to add a 5th wheel or goose neck kit. But research leads me too believe, long beds are the only ones that should use these applications?

This also leads me to the question based on my assumption that long beds are better for 5th wheel and gooseneck towing due to cab clearance when turning, do the new Ford packages account for this?

 

There are 5th wheel hitches that slide back a foot or so for clearance of the cab when turning sharp...I have one....works great!

 

That's great news. Can you please share what type you have?

 

There was mention last fall about the SB getting the factory setup. It was retracted almost as soon as it as posted.

The sliding fifth wheel hitch...a weekly topic over at RVnet...the discussion usually looks like a "who builds the best truck" thread after about five replies. There are manual sliders and at least one automatic slider. The debate over the necessity rages on. Those that have spent the money for a slider, especially the "SuperGlide" are adamant they are necessary. Depending on the front cap profile of your fiver, they could be right.

With the new design front caps on many brands, the need for a slider is significantly reduced. Scalloped front corner reliefs allow turns of 88 degrees or more. My Heartland Big Horn has such clearance. Can you hit the cab of my truck, 2011 F350 SRW CC SB FX4, with the trailer...sure...but you would need to be cranked completely sideways and twisting the fiver tires off the rims to accomplish such a feat. I have no solid figures but I do talk with a lot of SB owners while camping. Non sliding hitches out number sliders by a large margin, Many guys with sliders admit to never using them...the rest will say rarely. I say if you are placed into a site so tight that you will hit the cab with a scalloped front trailer, ask for another site...that's what I did...the one time it has happened.

Now , about the Bedsaver....maybe later

Regards

 

I use a Husky slider hitch for my camper and I slide it to hook up and for the occasional "wow, that's a tight turn" moment when the roads are narrow, etc...

I use it when I hook up so I can leave the tailgate down as I back into the kingpin. My tailgate in the down position while hooked up misses the camper by about 1.5 inches which means I have to be almost perfectly square when I hook up. (in the travel position). When the slider is back I have plenty of room.

 

My 2011 cc short box came in today with the factory 5th wheel hitch.

 

congrats on the new truck...pics of that factory hitch would be nice

 

The factory hitch was available in the late 2011 in the short bed. It was never on the website or in the brochure but it could be ordered. The 2011 do have a 6.75' bed, 6' 10". I measured, I am trying to figure out a way to get a golf cart in the bed while towing my TT.

 

I originally ordered the 5th wheel setup in my new short bed truck but canceled it because I wanted to use my hitch from my old truck, so it was offered in March. My slider continues to bind when I want to use it. I decided to change my hitch pin to a Reese Sidewinder and I love it. I now can turn a full 90 degrees if needed.

YouTube - ‪Reese Sidewinder Shortbed Towing Solution.wmv‬‏

 

My previous GMC was a short-bed and I had a PullRite Super Glide.
If I were to ever get another SB I absolutely will have the Super Glide in it.
It just works, automatically.

88 degree turns or scalloped noses - something to consider, if you are pulling a typical toy hauler you have a trailer that is 6" wider, that gives you 3 less inches on the really tight turns.

You do not have to get near 90 degrees to have a clearance issue. Backing in on an angle slightly uphill will exaggerate the lack of clearance.

 

Thanks, this is all really good stuff.

Since I bought this power house, I was thinking of ways to make it pay for itself. One of the ways was to haul RV's across the country. When looking at Hoosier RV in Indiana, they specifically say they won't consider using a contractor with a short bed. It seems unreasonable, especially with the light you all have just shed on the issue.

 

You're also missing an extra set of wheels on the back. No doubt your truck can pull most trailers safely but I've never seen a hot shot hauler without a dually. May be a manufacturer requirement.

 

I have some experience with the RV delivery companies. I ran motorhomes all over the USA and Canada for 2.5 years, beginning in 2003. I drove for Horizon, Hoosier and Quality. My brother was hauling for Quality in 2010/2011. It was a tough way to make a dollar. The pick up truck guy's had it even tougher.

Unless rules have changed, motorhome delivery drivers only log DOT driving time while enroute and while delivering the coach. After delivery, the driver is off duty until dispatched again. Their deadhead time back to the depot is not counted. A guy could deliver in South Florida, drive straight back to Northern Indiana and pick up another coach. Sleep a few hours and away he could go. BTDT many times

You can not legally do this with a pickup. They are considered "on duty" even when empty and returning either to the depot or home. If they go home, the drive down to the depot is considered "on duty" and must be logged. In order to make a living wage, you need to know how to bend the rules. Most guy's who try this end up with no money and a worn out truck. My brother has a somewhat unique situation. He lives halfway between the RV shippers in N. Indiana and the Canada border in Sarnia, Ontario. He can make the runs to Canada pay off and can bend the deadhead logging rules enough to make a few dollars...darn few...

I have seen some guy's with SB trucks doing the RV deliveries so somebody out there uses them...

Good Luck if you try this gig

 

My 2011, delivered in March, is a short bed with the factory fifth wheel prep package.

 

I have had my 2011 since May '2010 and its 6'9" bed with a 5th prep package.