Retrax Pro MX Bed Cover on 2021 F-350 with a Patriot 5th wheel slider hitch

**Cowboychincs** · 12-14-2021, 01:41 PM

Sorry folks... but still a newbie.... I am thinking about installing the Retrax Pro MX on my F-350 short-bed crew cab Platinum truck which has my Patriot slider installed in the bed. As you can see from my signature, I am pulling a 2021 337RLS

I have seen some posts that reference the possibility of the trailer hitting/rubbing the Retrax rails... but I think those are related to a "pin" hitch vs a straight 5th wheel... is that correct?

I dont want to spend the $$$ to install the Retrax if there is a chance it wont work with my 5th wheel and slider hitch.

Has anyone else installed the Retrax similar to what I am planning on doing? If so... and issues I need to know about?

Thanks for any help!

**SilentService** · 12-14-2021, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Cowboychincs

Sorry folks... but still a newbie.... I am thinking about installing the Retrax Pro MX on my F-350 short-bed crew cab Platinum truck which has my Patriot slider installed in the bed. As you can see from my signature, I am pulling a 2021 337RLS

I have seen some posts that reference the possibility of the trailer hitting/rubbing the Retrax rails... but I think those are related to a "pin" hitch vs a straight 5th wheel... is that correct?

I dont want to spend the $$$ to install the Retrax if there is a chance it wont work with my 5th wheel and slider hitch.

Has anyone else installed the Retrax similar to what I am planning on doing? If so... and issues I need to know about?

Thanks for any help!

I installed the Retrax Pro MX on a 2016 350 short bed last summer and have had no issues with hitting the side rails. I do use the Anderson Ultimate hitch and I believe the 2021's sit higher than 2016's. I'm also able to fully close the cover when not connected. It was easy to install. If you chose to purchase it, I guarantee you will be pleased.

**Cowboychincs** · 12-14-2021, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by SilentService

I installed the Retrax Pro MX on a 2016 350 short bed last summer and have had no issues with hitting the side rails. I do use the Anderson Ultimate hitch and I believe the 2021's sit higher than 2016's. I'm also able to fully close the cover when not connected. It was easy to install. If you chose to purchase it, I guarantee you will be pleased.

Hey... thanks tons... I am NOT familiar with the Anderson Ultimate Hitch... but looking at my Patriot slider, it sits below the side rails of my truck bed... so I am thinking that I am "OK"??? But I was worried about some of the posts I saw where folks trailers were rubbing because the rails of the Retrax sit above the existing truck rails... thus the problem. I had NOT considered the issue of the trailer front end rubbing or hitting the rails of the bed cover... so it got me worried.

I am hoping someone with a Patriot slider hitch with same type of truck will come through with an "OK"....

Thanks tons... just dont want to spend over $2K for a bed cover that wont work with my 337RLS...

**IBEW Sparky** · 12-14-2021, 08:07 PM

@Cowboychincs

You can use just about any cover and shouldn't have a problem as long as you're going down a straight road that's fairly level and don't have to make any hairpin turns. That's when you can get into trouble having anything sticking above the side rails. I have a buddy who's tool box stuck up almost 2" above the side rails of his Dodge truck. He had almost 7" of clearance between the bottom of the RV and the side rails... you would think that would be plenty of room. One day on a back country road he got into a spot where he had to make a sharp turn on a road that banked. The front corner of the 5er caught the lid of the toolbox and ripped it off and pushed it through the rear window of the truck. Plenty of damage to the truck and the front corner of the rv.