Not speaking for the OP but from his trouble shooting, seems the issue is the truck mount, not the hitch.
Installed the base/hitch in the correct orientation, left side fits, right side doesn't fit in.
Rotate the base 180 degrees, base/hitch is now backwards, left side fits, right side doesn't fit in.
So the problem stays with the right side of the truck mount as the base/hitch fits regardless of ordination of the base.

 

So, looks like the B&W is not made to be adjustable, on my factory Ford Reese hitch, they tell you to leave the assembly bolts from the hitch legs to the 5th wheel cradle loose until you drop them in the pucks, then once aligned you tighten the bolts.

 

Correct, the feet on the underside of the B&W that drop into the top of the Ford puck are welded in place. Pullrite has a new "OEX" hitch out that has adjustable feet that would work around this issue. But, there's a serious lack of reviews and info on it and it's $350 more.

One of the dealership techs measured the height of the pucks and the distance from the hitch prep kit frame to the truck bed. The pucks are all the same height off the hitch kit frame but the back right passenger side of the prep kit frame is 2mm lower than the rest of the kit frame. i.e. manufacturing defect on the Ford hitch prep. They are ordering a new kit and will pull the bed and install under warranty. No idea on how long it will take as part availability was questionable.

I called B&W back to let them know that my problem was different than the other two super duties they had gotten calls about. Ryan at B&W told me that another super duty owner had called in after I did this morning with a similar issue. So, there's at least 4 of us now. Fingers crossed the shim works. I bought a 5th wheel on Saturday assuming the truck would do truck things and the guy rightfully wants it out of his yard ASAP.

 

Nice… I’m picking my 450 up this week and I’ve got the companion in question. It fit my 23 truck so I’ll update if it doesn’t fit the 2024 one.

 

@GentleBen

You are doing a wonderful job keeping this community timely informed and updated on your hitch prep kit situation.

Additionally, that was very kind of you to contact Ryan at B&W and update them as well.

Your calm and matter of fact approach to the problem, as well as your willingness to communicate the concern with similarly situated consumers (us) and affected hitch suppliers (B&W) sets a great example of how to shepherd a resolution to a problem that you did not cause, and had no control over.

 

I got the shims from B&W. They're just standard machine bushings that you can get from the big box store. Specifically, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-2-1...ing/1000364247. Unfortunately, shimming the puck that's opposite the low puck as B&W instructed did not work. The pucks on the passenger side of my truck are just too close together for any reasonable amount of shimming to get the foot that's rubbing to drop down into the puck. The only thing that would fix my problem is a shim on the passenger side that cups the Ford puck and provides an offset hole for the B&W foot to drop into. It would be a custom job and it wouldn't have near as much strength as actually seating in the puck. I called B&W back and they said if the shim doesn't work then the only option is to get Ford to replace the hitch kit under the bed. They said they've gotten a rash of calls from super duty owners this week with fitment issues on the OEM 5th wheel hitch prep.

I've attached the measurements that the dealership tech took that shows the passenger rear side of the hitch kit frame is low. I also measured about 382mm between the outside of the pucks on the passenger side and about 387 mm between the outside of the pucks on the driver's side. I think even if I got the Pullrite OEX that has adjustable feet, I would probably still be in trouble with the one puck being a couple millimeters too low. At a minimum I would still have to shim the top of it. I would also be vendor locked if I ever need a new hitch. I'm still waiting for the dealership to get back to me on warranty replacement.

Hopefully this thread benefits some of the other folks that find themselves with this head scratcher.



Ford measurements

Foot rub

Shim


Passenger side, ~382mm

Driver side, ~387mm

Not seated with other side shimmed

 

I had a similar issue with my "16" used a dremmel. 8 years later 40k+ miles pulling my 5th wheel (16k#) no problems.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post15951838

 

After reading @scraprat 's thread, I found the critical post #33 which I will copy below:



I highlighted the critical part in bold... which is that the dealership tried a Reese 5th wheel hitch (same as Ford Accessories) and it fit. But the B&W didn't fit.

What is furthermore interesting, now that I think about it, is that all of the complaints that I have thus far heard about a 5th wheel hitch not fitting all four feet into the Ford OEM hitch prep, have been with B&W hitches.

I've never read of a Reese 5th wheel hitch failing to fit. Nor have I ever read of any complaints regarding a PullRite, Curt, TrailerSaver, Hitch Crafter, Air Safe, or other brand of puck mounted 5th wheel or gooseneck plate or ISR adapter plate failing to fit.

While the expectation remains for the OEM puck system to be installed square and true... the evidence is mounting that the B&W hitch is the only design that presents a challenge when the OEM hitch prep isn't mounted square and true.

Especially given the report today that B&W received several complaints just this week about the same issue.

 

I appreciate the effort that was put into figuring out why the B&W didn't drop in, consulting with B&W and with Ford. My truck was built the last week or two of March, so thanks to this thread I was anticipating the problem.

Tried to install my brand new RVK3300 into my brand new 2024 F250 this morning. No go, and that rear passenger side puck measures 1 or 2 mm out of position, just as others found.

I chose to take a grinder to the rear peg of the B&W. I understand it is a Ford manufacturing issue, but I also think it is a B&W design issue. Just how precise should a hitch puck design have to be so that 3rd party hitches will mate up? The fact is that the B&W is designed with no possible adjustment for manufacturing tolerances. I have other design issues with B&W too, but the hitch provides some other positives that others don't, so I chose it over others. Does not bother me to take a mm or so off of a pin to make it fit.

For me it was preferrable to trim the hitch base, and avoid the delay involved with a dealer appointment, and I really don't want a dealer lifting my bed off. I trust my hand with a grinder a lot more than I trust a dealer shop. It was about a 5 minute job.

 

Incidentally, it is not the elevation of the receivers that is the issue. It is the center to center measurement of the receiver holes on the passenger side, in particular the passenger side rear receiver. You can see the interference in the second photo on post #21 where the paint is scraped away. That's what won't drop in, and grinding a little bit off that area is what allows it to drop in.

 

Better to grind the B&W hitch, which is readily replaceable, and which is the only brand of hitch where an issue has been consistently reported, than to grind any part of the Ford pucks, which if at fault in manufacturing would still be under warranty if unmodified, and which would require the bed to be removed in order to replace.

 

I'll second that the OP has done a great job of describing the problem, investigating it and communicating.

If this is a manufacturing issue with the Ford hitch prep, will a replacement solve the problem, or could it have the same fit issue with the B&W? The OP might end up chasing a more perfect hitch prep. They are likely out there, but there is no guarantee that it will be the next one. If grinding the interference from the B&W hitch will solve the problem, and B&W agrees it won't compromise hitch performance, I would go that route.

 

On my old truck I had the b&w turnover system. I ordered the companion for that and the shank was 100% out of spec.

it would not drop in. When I contacted them they overnighted a new shank and it fit perfectly. So there are some QC issues at B&W.

their service and professionalism was top shelf so I stayed with them and bought the puck system companion with my 23 xlt and 23 Kr (both 450s). It worked great in both but the KR took a bit of massaging to get in.

i now have my 24 450 and i haven’t installed it yet.

I plan to after church tomorrow and I will report back.

 

In my case (we might not all be experiencing the same issue), but in my case it was easy to measure and see the problem with the Ford pucks. An experienced eye can easily see half a mm on a tape measure. Mine was out between 1/32 and 1/16", which is why I said 1 - 2 mm. By contrast, the B&W pegs measure as perfect as my eyes can see.

But dang, how could B&W ever think that some machine spacers was going to solve this issue? At least on mine that was very obviously not the problem and not the solution. I guess there might be plenty of blame for Ford and B&W.

I agree with NOT grinding on the Ford. I can live with myself screwing up an $1,100 hitch, but not a $70,000 truck.

 

That might very well be the Ford Fix