Ford 6 3/4' bed, slider hitch needed?

Is anyone towing a VanLeigh with a short bed F350? Do you need a slider hitch or the 5" offset ball if you use a goosneck? I am really interested to see if there are clearance issues.

I had a 2019 F350 SRW short bed when I bought the Vilano, towed it just fine, have to watch a turn approaching 90 degrees. Replaced with a GMC 3500 dually due to payload. Tow with a gooseball.

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I had a 2016 F350 SRW SB as well when we got our Beacon. Towed with it for about 9 months (using a B&W companion) while awaiting delivering of an F450. Same advice as Jon, watch tight turns, especially on uneven surfaces. Other than that, I didn’t have any problems or issues towing.

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Thanks for the replies, I know that I’m right at the max payload with our Beacon but sure would be nice to have the smaller SRW truck when not towing. We have used our current 2022 Ram 3500 8’ box, DRW, HO Cummins for the last three years, (the last two years pulling our Beacon and the first year towing a heavier 46’ 2023 Momentum). It’s been a great truck and tows fantastic but I would be able to get more use from a short bed SRW truck when we’re home in Florida for the winters.

We had several large fifth wheels 39’ with short bed truck. It will do the job but as stated above watch those tight backing turns. Dually trucks handle big payloads 6-7k depending on the truck. But you pay the price in very parking lot and limits access to certain Mational park areas. Glacier National park in particular the tunnel past Logan dually won’t go through.

Is that tunnel in Glacier on the GTSR (Going to the Sun Road)? I took my dually from the west side to the east side on the GTSR twice a day as all of our hikes were on the east side but we were staying on the west side. Although everybody else in the truck thought it was pretty drive my eyes were on the road.

In the early 90’s, I took my 30’ class A motor home over the GTS road. It was a little tight on some of the corners, my wife had to move out of the passenger seat because her view out the window was just air. Beautiful place!

You are brave! I would guess you went from west side up and then to the east side? Some of those over hangs coming back down from Logans Pass heading to the west side were doozies.

Yes, we went to Logan pass, from there up and over to Waterton. There were a couple of turns where I knew my front bumper was inches from the pony wall alongside the road, my rear bumper was just as close and on the driver’s side I was very close to hitting the overhang. The slope on the road towards the overhang did not help. I will say the motorhome never made a second trip over that road.

I took my Ram dually over from west to east and came back on hwy 2 both ways were beautiful but my knuckles were much better along Highway 2.


One of my favorite photos over on the east side.
Ralph