A couple of ideas for the 2017 5.1 5th....

[barry]

I had a Reece Pro Series slider hitch installed in my Ranger with 6" box pulling a 5.0 Classic and it was installed in Chilliwack to Reace's specifications, the center of the hitch 29" back from the rear of the cab which put the center of the hitch in front of the rear axle. I never once had to use the slider for the three years it was in the truck. Last year I put a Curt Q16 in the truck which I bought online for $479 Cdn. I went with the Curt because the slider type jaw of the Reece Pro Series I had was way too loose considering the weight of the pin of the trailer and the pin moved around all the time while driving. The Curt has the locking type jaws and is way quieter with no movement over bumps and while braking.

Barry

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

I don’t see how folks with shorter beds and non-sliders get away with it, unless they are mounting the hitches behind the axles.

I believe that at least one Escape owner does have the pin behind the axle line.

The Scamp 19' has a ball hitch (not a fifth-wheel) but it is the same style of trailer (loft sitting over the truck bed, hitched in the bed), and is about the size of the Escape 5.0. Scamp 19' owners have towed them with the Explorer Sport Trac, which is a smaller truck which was available only with a crew cab and with a relatively short wheelbase, so it had a box just over four feet long, with a cab-to-axle length of only about 16 inches, so the hitch is necessarily centred well behind the axle... which has proven to work fine as long as "pin weight" is not too high.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

Jim, I thought you were thinking of the Andersen Ultimate? Can't you just turn that around for extra length? All I know, that be it diesel or gas any future truck that I own will have at least a 6.5' bed to tow my "old school classic". Scott

Scott and Lori
Bikes are FUN!

I do have the 6.5 bed now, with the 5.7 hem and 8 speed transmission.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Scuba55

That sounds interesting and much less expensive. I assume Bruce is on the forum?

yes he is page #2 of the "B" under "community"

[AK snowbiker]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I do have the 6.5 bed now, with the 5.7 hem and 8 speed transmission.

That's what I thought, why the slider? Scott

Scott and Lori
I like Bikes!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That's a lot of money and weight for equipment. As others are suggesting, it seems like a slider is not needed with your 6.5' box, especially if you use one of the hitches which can be set back a few inches from the standard position.

If I was no concerned with the ability to have a flat bed when not towing, I would have just used rails with the Andersen to save a fair bit of weight. Those sliders do add more. I guess it all depends on how big of a vehicle you want to use.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The frame of the Andersen Ultimate positions the ball ahead of or behind the rail centre (or the ball in the bed floor in the case of the version that is anchored that way); yes, Andersen suggests mounting it with the ball to the rear in short-bed trucks.

Another adjustment you can make with the Andersen hitch, though it would work against the clearance we are trying to achieve here, is that the pin coupler can be reversed too.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

You may be thinking of the other Jim (Bennett), who I believe has an Andersen Ultimate waiting for his 5.0TA.

Yes, my truck is pretty much fully outfitted just waiting for a trailer to pull, including;
B&W Turnover Ball Gooseneck Hitch
Aluminum Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection–Gooseneck version with Ultimate Safety Chains

I also added;
5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness for easier connection of the trailer wiring harness.
Line-X Bedliner
Fold-a-Cover G4 Elite tonneau cover with a Personal Caddy Toolbox
3M Protection
Covercraft Carhartt Seat Covers front and rear (for dog protection)

And still want front mudflaps and a steering wheel cover, then I think I am near done.
Not sure what mudflaps I will get, the stock ones on the rear are a rigid plastic, but planning to get a Wheelskins steering wheel cover. I had one before, thin comfy and grippy, real nice.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

When you're not towing, just put on a hard tonneau cover - then it looks like a reasonably proportioned sedan, and that's how most people use them anyway Could be worse - could be a Hummer H2 SUT.

That just looks terribly wrong, in my opinion. Why not just close it in for better function and looks. What fifth wheel hitch would you recommend for it?

[cpaharley2008]

Just heard back from Escape,


Hi Jim

The trailer sits level with the pinbox at 47", measured from the ground to the bottom of the pinbox. Expect your truck to drop about 1" with the weight of the trailer attached, so set the top of the fifth wheel hitch approximately 48" from the top of the plate to the ground. The 5.0TA was designed for the half ton truck with a box height of 55"-56", so your truck will have plenty of clearance.

Here is what I asked:
Thanks for the response, my hitch guy wants to know what the pin height is while level, my truck bed is 53.5 high and he needs to know if that is too low, so what is the distance from the pin up to the trailer body to see if it will miss my bed rail. Alternatively what is the height of the trailer pin while the trailer is level. Thanks

[AK snowbiker]

Okay, off topic. For those of you that use the folding bed covers with a extended/crew cab. Do they block the view of your hitch? Scott

Scott and Lori
Bike are FUN!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

Okay, off topic. For those of you that use the folding bed covers with a extended/crew cab. Do they block the view of your hitch? Scott

Scott and Lori
Bike are FUN!

Well, I am prepared, but have yet to try it, but I really doubt it would block the view, as it only raises up about 4" for about 18" back. I will have to check it out, as I must admit I never considered it.

[phlbua]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

Okay, off topic. For those of you that use the folding bed covers with a extended/crew cab. Do they block the view of your hitch? Scott

Scott and Lori
Bike are FUN!

It does on mine when just looking through the back window. I use a bed cargo camera for hitching.:
- RAM 2500
- 6'4" bed
- bakflip F1 folded horizontally on the last panel

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Could be worse - could be a Hummer H2 SUT.

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

That just looks terribly wrong, in my opinion. Why not just close it in for better function and looks. What fifth wheel hitch would you recommend for it?

Although I'm sure somebody has tried a normal 5th wheel trailer with a Hummer H2 SUT, which would be ridiculous, it actually would work well for (true) gooseneck, which has just a narrow head in front (and not a whole bedroom loft)... it is a substantial pickup truck, mechanically. Any hitch would work, but the hitch brackets... that would be custom fabrication!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Just heard back from Escape,

...
my truck bed is 53.5 high...

With only one height mentioned, I assume this is for the lower setting of the 5.0TA suspension (leaf springs under the axle tubes currently, or Torflex with no spacers for 2017)... which is what you would presumably want to use. If your box side top rails are 53.5" from the ground, setting up a hitch with the top of the plate 47" off the ground when loaded should be no problem.

[Brian B-P]

Bruce's member name...

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

yes he is page #2 of the "B" under "community"

Or more directly:

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Yes: BCnomad

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

Okay, off topic. For those of you that use the folding bed covers with a extended/crew cab. Do they block the view of your hitch? Scott

Scott and Lori
Bike are FUN!

F150, 8' bed, Trifecta cover. Can not see the hitch. White stripe on the pinbox and underside of the middle cover make alignment easy using the rearview motor, as long as you keep your head still. I do have to get out to check the height.

[AK snowbiker]

Originally Posted by padlin

F150, 8' bed, Trifecta cover. Can not see the hitch. White stripe on the pinbox and underside of the middle cover make alignment easy using the rearview motor, as long as you keep your head still. I do have to get out to check the height.

Thanks Bob, and everyone else that replied. That was my experience and sort of what I ended up doing. Even got the iball hitch camera to deal with the height issue. Got tired of dealing with lining up the marks (reminded me of loading my truck camper), and mounting the camera so I dumped the cover. So much easier just to slam it in reverse and BOOM! You’re good to go (after inserting the hitch safety pin). Hmm, maybe start a new thread on 5.0, 5.0 TA, 5.1 TA truck bed storage solutions, what works/doesn’t work?

Scott, Lori and Fritz the Schnauzer
I love the Chugach!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Old Skool

Hmm, maybe start a new thread on 5.0, 5.0 TA, 5.1 TA truck bed storage solutions, what works/doesn’t work?

There have been a few rounds of that, covering tonneaus and storage boxes. Maybe search what's been posted and start an update?

Originally Posted by Old Skool

So much easier just to slam it in reverse and BOOM! You’re good to go (after inserting the hitch safety pin).

... and hopefully retracting the jacks and plugging in the electrical cable!

Speaking of the plug-in, this setup which Jim found looks slick:

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I also added;
5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness for easier connection of the trailer wiring harness.
...

But... Jim, have you made that 2-inch diameter hole in your aluminum box wall yet?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

But... Jim, have you made that 2-inch diameter hole in your aluminum box wall yet?

I certainly did, along with one 4" hole and four 9'16" holes in the bed for the gooseneck hitch, and chain loops. Easy peasy.

The tonneau cover was all bolt on.

[Jim Bennett]

Have I missed something here? Is Escape calling the 2017 model a 5.1? I don't quite understand that, after all it is still a fifth wheel, not a five and one tenth wheel. Colour me confused.

[cpaharley2008]

Jim,
In my attempt to differentiate 5.0 TA 2016 and the new, 2017 model, I'm calling the newer 2017 model the 5.1 TA, just to clarify the two different styles.

[Jim Bennett]

And in your attempt to clarify, I ended up confused. Though admittedly, sometimes that is not so difficult.

Just glad to hear it is not an Escape directive. Not that I would cancel my order or anything.