new trucks and hitches

[woodman1]

Over the past few years, truck manufactures have continued to raise their bed boxes, some by as much 1.5" and their bedsides by 1/2" or more. In doing so, they are able to offer more carrying and payload capacities, but that also brings challenges to those of us towing 5th wheels, especially those with higher profile 5th wheels like RW. Hitch and pinbox manufacturers are caught in the middle and do constant market research to determine target marks for the development of their products to accommodate these changes. The ultimate goal is to have a bedside clearance at about 8 inches, but certainly no less than 6 inches to allow for uneven grade, while the total height of your rig should be under 13'6", as well as the need to run your rig level to the road. With new trucks, this has become a classic paradox because as you attempt to lower the height of the 5th by either raising the pinbox or lowering the hitch or both, the less bedside clearance you have. We traded a similar 2011 F-350 for a 2017 F-350 and although we did both (raise the pinbox and lowered the hitch) we ultimately lost some bed clearance yet still gained some height in the RW. Question then is, where is this all going?

[Char & Steve]

I have noticed the same when we purchased a new truck a few years back and my only answer is most likely they will be offering a fifth wheel bed option or we will end up purchasing an aftermarket to haul our rigs. When we went from a 2011 Ford to our current GMC I had to change the hitch height by about 2".


Steve

[mhs4771]

I just went from an '11 Silverado 3500 DRW to an '18 Silverado 3500 DRW and just moved my hitch from one truck to the other. No changes to the hitch height or pin box and RW tows level.

[XCMARK]

It will be interesting to see what GM does in the next 2~3 years the 1/2 ton truck is getting a new body for 2019 and I am sure the 3/4 and one ton will follow in the next year or two after 2019. I think GM will be smart and understand that bed/frame height really cant go any higher and hot hurt there sales. Ford has had the bigger is better idea for years , never understood why. The rear spring travel on the GM trucks is less then I would design and gets worse with air bags. The bags limit overall travel and can make for a harsh ride if the bags get low when towing.

[Garyl53]

I am sure the 5th wheel towing market is small compared to using these HD trucks for commercial use but I would think a great solution could be that if you order the 5th wheel towing package then a different bed comes along with lower sidewalls. Just think how much aggravation this would save for us 5th wheel owners. Easy to level the trailer and much less worry about hitting the bed when making turns over uneven ground!

[mhs4771]

I thought about ordering a GM Silverado Work Truck Cab-n-Chassis, but since the Cab-n-Chassis Trucks are more for Commercial use you can't get a lot of the "Creature Comfort Options". So then thought about removing the Box and installing a Custom Hauler Bed, but at 10 to 20K for a good bed, it's staying OEM and I'll just be careful.