Dealer Installed Fifth Wheel/Gooseneck Prep
 

In December we purchased a 2017 F350 4x2. Ford does not install the factory fifth wheel/gooseneck prep package on 4x2s. They list it as a dealer installed option. I am having a heck of a time finding a dealer or hitch shop that will install the Ford fifth wheel/gooseneck prep package. Does anyone know of a dealer or hitch shop within about a 2 hr drive of Sacramento, CA that will install the Ford fifth wheel/gooseneck hitch prep package?

I know the Reese under-bed rail kit is the same, but they are at least 6 - 8 weeks from having it available for 2017 SD. We need the prep package installed ASAP because in Phoenix, AZ we found a really good deal on a used fifth wheel that is exactly what we want.

Subscribing,

Waiting to order new truck until I can get the FACTORY installed 5th wheel prep because of this issue.

I have only be able to find two after market solution's, Reese Rail kit or B&W gooseneck with a Companion hitch.

Pullrite and Demco also make under-bed rail systems, but like B&W they are proprietary. Reese and Ford are the only ones that are not proprietary.

Job 2 came out and it does not include factory fifthwheel/gooseneck on the 4x2s, so it will not be available for 4x2s until MY 2018 at the earliest.

check with the dealer you want to purchase the trailer from. I bet they can and will do it for you.

It is a private party purchase. No dealer involved.

Tucson and I am sure Phoenix have many RV dealers that could do the install.

There are also RV dealers up here in the Sacramento area that could do it, but do far I haven't found one that is willing to install it. I have found places willing to install non-OEM proprietary under-bed rails.

Call Ken's hitch and welding in Paradise. They do good work and their prices are fair. If you can get him the right kit I'm sure he'd put it in. I think about the only snag to installing the OEM hitch structure is you have to lift the bed off, which is easy if you have an overhead lift - or a backhoe (I've done several that way).

Here's a related question. How are you supposed to tow a 5th with a '17 350 4x4? Have you seen how tall they are. I don't know what Ford was thinking. They got something like 4" taller than the 16's.

I will call Ken's. He was actually number one on my list but my husband wanted to try to find someplace a little closer first.

I know a person who installed it himself. He was able to use blocks to raise the bed about 2 inches, which was all the clearance needed to do the install. We would do it ourselves, but we are just too busy.

So far the people having clearance problems with fifth wheels hitched to their 2017 SD mostly have older (2011 or older) fifth wheels. The fifth wheel we are planning on getting has plenty of clearance due to having an off road certified frame (high ground clearance).

The nice thing about the OEM hitch is the bed is already marked (at least the 11-16's are) where to bore the puck and receiver holes. There's a dimple in the bed at the 5 locations. I would imagine the kit comes with all the hardware, and the holes are pre-existing in the frame. I am unclear on one point. Is the hitch kit presently avail. from ford as an accessory through the parts dept.?

Yes the OEM hitch kit for the 2017 are available. The part numbers are:

single rear wheel - HC3Z-5F057-B

dual rear wheel - HC3Z-5F057-A

They will confirm the part number against your VIN when you order it.

I don't think it's quite 4 inches. But the reason I heard was they wanted to match up the horizontal body lines from the F-150 cab and had to raise the bed rails an inch or so. The bed rails are still lower that the GM and Dodge HD trucks. My 15' was ordered with the 5th wheel prep package and the bed was noticeably lower than the trucks on the lot next to it. That might have been due to the long bed and the weight of the hitch frame. Seems like the company is using style over function to sell the trucks and maybe at the end of the day that's what gets it done. The result will be more axle flipping, larger wheels, and installed lift kits on 5th wheels. I went to an RV show yesterday and noticed some of new trailer models are higher and have 4 entry steps instead of the 3 they used to have.

Yes, I've been seeing this too. My wife and I are starting to look again. The kids are getting near to out of the house and we're trying to figure out what we want for our next truck and trailer. My next concern is vertical height.

great info...thanks!

Ken's Paridise Hitch and Welding is willing to install the OEM hitch prep. I am going to order the prep package tomorrow. Hopefully we can get this done before the fifth wheel we want is sold.