Installing Curt C16036 Puck Compatible 5th Wheel Hitch in 2014 Ford F250 Without Pucks

Expert Reply:

The Curt A25 hitch you referenced, part # C16036 is designed to fit directly into the factory pucks installed into the bed of trucks equipped with the factory tow/prep package. If your truck doesn't have the pucks in the bed, there are two alternatives to make that hitch work with your truck.

You could use the # C16424-104 custom 5th wheel install bracket/rail kit you'd looked at, but you'd first need to remove the puck-compatible legs on your hitch and replace them with rail-compatible legs using part # C16907. The disadvantage here is that the rails will remain in the truck bed when you're not using the hitch, which can be problematic if you ever load gravel or mulch in the truck bed. Trying to shovel or rake stuff out of your bed with the rails in place isn't super-fun.

If you'd rather have an under-bed puck system, the Reese # RP30126 would provide puck spacing identical to the OEM Ford pucks, which the # C16036 hitch IS compatible with. This is the option I'd recommend, because once the hitch is removed, there will be no obstructions in the bed floor. If you might also need to tow a gooseneck trailer at some point in the future, you can use # RP30138-26 instead, which includes the gooseneck hitch.

If you'd like to add a 7-way trailer connector to the truck bed so you don't need to run the trailer connector cable up over the tailgate, you can install one using part # 20110.

I've linked to some install videos that you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Mike L

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