Short bed vs long bed pickup for towing

[weaverworks]

I currently tow my Cameo 5th wheel (about 13,000 pounds) with a 2010 Ford F350 DUALLY.  With the problems Ford owners have experienced with the 2010 diesel engine, I am thinking about replacing my truck with a newer model Ford 6.7 liter diesel.  I am looking at 2016 Fords F350 with single rear wheels.  I would like to go with the shorter 6.5 foot bed instead of the longer 8 foot bed.  Anyone with experience towing with the shorter bed pickup that can offer advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

A lot depends on how the front of your fiver is shaped. Some are designed with the corners indented (for lack of a better term) so that you can turn sharper and not contact the cab. Another option is a slider hitch. I have no experience with one, so others should give you advice there. One more option is called a sidewinder pin box. That moves the pivot point back about a foot and a half. Many, many people tow with a short box with no issues.

[gjhunter01]

 The longer frame/wheel base will give you a smoother ride.

Greg

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

1 hour ago, gjhunter01 said:

 The longer frame/wheel base will give you a smoother ride.

Greg

Generally yes, but not always. My truck is a qclb 2wd 2500 and it rides noticeably harsher than my daughter's '98 qcsb 4wd 2500! Although, if you compare the springs and things on mine they are the same as on a 3500......

[Big Greg]

Other things to consider is that short beds might come with a smaller fuel tank meaning shorter travel range and more fuel stops.  Also, you will have more limited bed capacity for extra cargo.      Greg

[JohnNJean]

I pull a 2014 Shasta fifth wheel with my 2016 F250 CC SB using an Andersen hitch.  The front cap of the fiver is designed for 90 degree turns and the Andersen hitch offsets the kingpin several inches aft.  I could turn more than 90 degrees if I chose to - there's probably 18 inches clearance from the cab at 90 degrees.

The SB is used as a daily driver and is a handful to park or make a U turn.  Our back seat belongs to the dog so I'd give some thought to an extended cab to shorten the WB if I was shopping for a new truck.  And, yes, a larger fuel tank would be nice, but for my purposes the WB is most important.

[weaverworks]

Never gave the fuel tank capacity any thought.  My dually has about a 38 gallon tank.  I'll have to check the size on a short bed.

 

[wtmtnhiker]

I towed a 37' Cameo for a few years with a short bed truck that required a sliding hitch. I hated it. Because of the plate that goes on the trailer I had to be within 12 degrees of straight ahead to hook up or unhook making getting into tighter spots a pain or not possible. Because it was an auto slider the turning radius would change slightly as the hitch slid back and forth in the bed. Later on I traded for a long bed truck with a standard 5th wheel hitch and I liked it much better. If you can get away with not using a sliding hitch perhaps the short bed would be ok. 

[capt307]

I am pulling a 40' 15,000 5th wheel with a GMC 3500 with a 6.5 ft bed. We took the unit on a 5,500 trip out west last summer. Across plains and high mountain passes. Have not had a single problem. I used to have a dually long bed years ago with a different 5th wheel and I really haven't seen any difference in towing. I think my standard bed truck does great. The shorter truck works much better for my everyday driving. I would rather have the benefit of the shorter truck for my 90% everyday usage than the longer truck just for towing. 

 

Scott

[capt307]

I forgot to note that I am using an automatic slider hitch. With front of the cab angles at the corner, I probably don't need the slider but like have the extra security of knowing I won't have any contact issue. As another commenter mentioned above, with the slider is a pain in the ass with the 12 degree angle limitation for hooking and unhooking. The day I brought the unit home I discovered the issue when trying to park beside my house. Ended up spending another grand on concrete to lengthen my parking area so I could hook and unhook. Fortunately I have not encountered any this issue yet at campgrounds. If I had known about the degree issue I would have given 2nd thought to it. But still, al in all the standard bed 3500 truck works great.

[weaverworks]

4 hours ago, capt307 said:

I am pulling a 40' 15,000 5th wheel with a GMC 3500 with a 6.5 ft bed. We took the unit on a 5,500 trip out west last summer. Across plains and high mountain passes. Have not had a single problem. I used to have a dually long bed years ago with a different 5th wheel and I really haven't seen any difference in towing. I think my standard bed truck does great. The shorter truck works much better for my everyday driving. I would rather have the benefit of the shorter truck for my 90% everyday usage than the longer truck just for towing. 

 

Scott

That is my feeling too Scott.  I use the truck more for sightseeing, etc....then towing!

[weaverworks]

I hope to use my existing hitch out of my long bed truck.  I hate to mess with a slider but if necessary I will.

 

Paul

[Pappy Yokum]

Tow 34 ft 5th with a Dodge CTD, 1T, short bed, quad cab, SRW - since 2006.

Hitch is a PullRite Super Glide (automatic slider).

Only hitch I've ever owned, no reason to change. No "ride" complaints with the short bed.  I have had a 1T crew cab long bed in the past - didn't need or want a long bed again.

It's personal preference - get the hitch and bed that works best for you!.

.

 

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[weaverworks]

Sounds like a good idea Pappy.  I want to do a little more thinking on that slider hitch.  My Cameo does NOT have the nose made for tight radius turns but I don't want a slider if I can do without!

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

2008 Cameo and a short bed will NOT work.  You'll either lose a back window or bend a rear pillar.

I ran a Pull-rite Superglide in the Dodge.  

[ALLOY]

On 5/1/2017 at 6:07 AM, weaverworks said:

I currently tow my Cameo 5th wheel (about 13,000 pounds) with a 2010 Ford F350 DUALLY.  With the problems Ford owners have experienced with the 2010 diesel engine, I am thinking about replacing my truck with a newer model Ford 6.7 liter diesel.  I am looking at 2016 Fords F350 with single rear wheels.  I would like to go with the shorter 6.5 foot bed instead of the longer 8 foot bed.  Anyone with experience towing with the shorter bed pickup that can offer advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

We tow a Cameo 5th with a 2016 SRW F350 6.5' box but are careful doing so. We can go to about 80 degrees before getting close to the cab....so far we haven't forgotten that. 

If you want to stick with a 6.5' the solutions are a slider hitch or a Reese Sidewinder pin box. Can't remember which one but one slider mounts directly to the FORD puck system and another needs a $300 adapter.

The issue with the sliders is that hitching can only be done 10-15 degrees off center which wouldn't work for us . If we decided to do anything we'd buy the Sidwinder.

 

[weaverworks]

Thanks JT.  That is the kind of information I need.  I will investigate the Sidewinder!

[ALLOY]

My apologies I didn't pay attention to the model of Cameo you are pulling. I should have been more detailed. 

When we pull our 34SB3 (empty water tank, 2 kids and a 90lb dog) we are 500lbs under the CVWR and 200lbs under the max pin weight....we do it but it is not a relaxing drive windy days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[weaverworks]

7 hours ago, J-T said:

My apologies I didn't pay attention to the model of Cameo you are pulling. I should have been more detailed. 

When we pull our 34SB3 (empty water tank, 2 kids and a 90lb dog) we are 500lbs under the CVWR and 200lbs under the max pin weight....we do it but it is not a relaxing drive windy days.

 

I must have missed something JT::???? Wouldn't we have similar setups if I went with a 2016 Ford F-350 SRW?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ALLOY]

13 hours ago, weaverworks said:

 

I wanted to make sure you know our F350 SRW is close to the CVWR.

I looked at the 2008/2011 Cameo brochures the "listed weights" of the 2008 35SB3 and the 2011 34SB3 are similar.

 

 

[phillyg]

I haven't found the 12 degree hookup range to be a negative.

[whj469]

I tow a 38 ft fiver that is 13,900 lbs with, now, a long bed CC F350 long bed with the 6.7 diesel. I have towed with a short bed pickup and I didn't like it. I feel that it is much better with the long bed. Good Luck

I

[Randy]

I've been pulling my 42' Raptor toy hauler with a 2500 GMC Sierra ccsb.  I'm using an Anderson hitch that sets the camper back 7-8"  I really like the ride, I havn't had any issues backing into any spot (it does get close to the cab when close to jack knifed)  My only issue (besides being very overloaded) was the small fuel tank.

[weaverworks]

I'm beginning to think a slider hitch is the way to go if I decide on short bed.  I have to get to a dealer to see if truck can be ordered with a larger tank.  Although I was planning on a nearly new used truck....dang!

[N TX Dave]

Short bed Fords only have a 26 gallon tank.  I have towed my 5th wheel with a short and long bed and prefer the long bed.  I used to tow TT with a short bed 2011 F250 and was happy with it once I changed the 26 gallon tank for a 50 gallon tank. Then we decided to go with a 5er and needed the slider hitch to keep my rear window and back corners intact.  I did not like the slider hitch because the truck bed was almost useless to carry anything in because the hitch turned a lot when turning. A couple of times on cloverleaves I had the hitch release and slide back which surprised me every time.  I was also overweight with the 10,000 GVWR. When hooked up to the TT with 1000 lbs tongue weight I was running at 9500 lbs but the 5er had a dry pin weight of 1975 lbs which ate up more than the 500 lbs I had.  I thought about getting a SRW F350 but it only had 10,800 GVWR and that didn't give me any room for error so I went with the F350 Dually which has 14,000 GVWR and only comes in a long bed.  I now have a 60 gallon tank in the bed because I do not need the slider hitch anymore.  I love the long bed now, sure it it harder to find a place to park but no more that the shoulders on the bed do.