How to Measure Pin Box Height for Choosing 5th Wheel Hitch on a 2013 Ford F-350

Question:

I read how to determine the height of the hitch but I dont fully understand the instructions when is says measure from plate of the pin box . The king pin is what connects, what plate are they talking about? I dont have the trailer in front of me but the there is the anchor point on the trailer that the main king pin bracket is attached to then the king pin itself. I was really hoping you had good numbers since these have been used for the models. The 5th wheel is a 2020 Heartland Big Country 35 foot They dont publish the data for height of the king pin, at lease that I have found. My 2013 F350 4x4 has a bed height of 37.25 inch from the ground and the top of the bed is 56.5 inch from the ground. So what is the plate of the pin box ? Thank you for any help. The hitch arrives today so hopefully I can get some numbers. I hate to have to get to the dealer and have to unbolt the parts of the hitch to get it right.

asked by: MICHAEL W

Expert Reply:

That is an excellent question and I agree that sometimes terms like this can be a bit confusing.

Even though the king pin does connect to the jaws of the 5th wheel hitch, when you take your measurements it is much easier to go from the ground to the top of the 5th wheel hitch and then from the ground to the plate of the pin box (where the king pin connects to the box) which rests on the top of the 5th wheel hitch.

I reached out to Heartland RV to see if they knew what the pin box height would be when level but they weren't able to provide me with that info. Since they don't have that spec I unfortunately can't really tell you which 5th wheel hitch would fit your application the best but I can say that The B&W Patriot, part # BWRVK3255 for long bed or # BWRVK3270 for short bed, can be adjusted up to 19" tall so it might be your best bet if you have industry standard base rails.

I have attached a photo demonstrating this location on the common Lippert 1621 Pin Box # LC1191191 as well as a diagram showing those measurements you mentioned to help you when you get the 5th wheel trailer. If you'd like some input once you receive the trailer, just let me know what those different measurements are and I will be happy to assist you in choosing the best 5th wheel hitch for your application!

expert reply by: Jon G