I have ordered an Escape 5.0 TA for delivery in May 2021. We ordered the high lift axle to accommodate the 57 inch bedrail on are 2019 Ram 1500 QuadCab (6' 4" bed). During the process of selecting a traditional fifth wheel hitch (decided not to use the Andersen Hitch) I had questions on whether the bottom of the pinbox should be entirely above the bed rail or is it okay for the bottom of the pinbox to be below the bed rail? If the pinbox is below the bedrail, can the back end of the pinbox hit the side of the truck while making normal highway turns? According to the dimensions published in the Escape 5.0 Towing Guidelines the length of the pinbox is 32 inches. The bed width at the bed rails on my truck is 61.5". Half that is 30.25 inches. Since the pinbox is angled at the back there may be enough room to freely move within the pickup bed (I only need 1 3/4"). I am primarily concerned about normal highway driving and not when using a slider hitch and backing up. Currently I am carrying 600 pounds of sand for winter driving and that has lowered the bed rail height to 55.5 inches. It is possible the tongue weight of a fully loaded trailer may lower the bed rail height further so it will be below the pinbox height of 54" 9/16" (pic below). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
We just picked up our 2021 Escape 5.0TA in mid-August. I had many of the same questions you have posted and could never get a clear answer or photos showing the pinbox clearance with the truck box sides (width and height). So after getting home this summer I took the attached photos but just didn't get around to posting them. For reference, the truck is a 2021 Ford F150 Powerboost (short-short 5.5' bed) with a B&W turnover ball hitch that the Anderson Ultimate fifth wheel hitch attaches to. I love this setup because it leaves a clean bed (no rails) when the hitch is removed. The side rail height is 56.5" and the bed width is 61.5" (identical to yours). We also got the lift kit on the trailer to increase any clearance issues. The photos were taken with the truck-trailer in about an 80ยบ turn angle position. Since the trailer pickup date I have added a Retrax ProXR tonneau cover and the clearance with the side-rail mounting system for that works just fine. As you can see you should not have any side to side or height problems with your setup. As for the drop in bed-rail height under load, this will not change any of the clearances because the pinbox is rigid and so it will drop an equal amount with the truck when it is hitched. Hope this is helpful.
You're welcome. Merry Christmas!
Thank you! This is the Christmas present that I was wishing for. Thank you for the photo's and it makes it much more clearer to understand.
That's quite okay if it is next week.
Hi, we'll try to get some answers for you asap. The Escape office is closed until Jan. 3 so it may have to wait until then.