Oops...Shattered Rear Window 2020 F350 SRW Crew Cab Short Bed

[jhick120]

So, I have always been careful backing in my 5'er into my driveway because of the short bed. I have the Anderson Ultimate Hitch and a 2021 Solitude 301GK. I wished I had done a little more investigating on long bed versus short bed but I got such a great deal on the 2020 F350 I couldn't pass it up.

Again, always careful.

Well, this weekend coming back from the Knoxville Nationals I was backing up into my driveway which requires a pretty tight turn. I was doing very well and keeping an eye on the trailer. For some reason I looked away for just a split second and heard the very loud sound of the window shattering. I knew immediately. It was so loud neighbors came out of the house to see what happened.

This got me to thinking. There has to be a much better setup even though I really like the ease of the AUH. I started looking at posts and found a lot talking about what others did but nothing that really stood out as "Ok, this is what I need". So, I am posting my own thread and asking all of you smart people on this forum your opinions and thoughts on the best setup for a F350 Crew Cab SRW short-bed pulling a Solitude 310GK.

I look forward to your feedback.

[Soundsailor]

So, I have always been careful backing in my 5'er into my driveway because of the short bed. I have the Anderson Ultimate Hitch and a 2021 Solitude 301GK. I wished I had done a little more investigating on long bed versus short bed but I got such a great deal on the 2020 F350 I couldn't pass it up.

Again, always careful.

Well, this weekend coming back from the Knoxville Nationals I was backing up into my driveway which requires a pretty tight turn. I was doing very well and keeping an eye on the trailer. For some reason I looked away for just a split second and heard the very loud sound of the window shattering. I knew immediately. It was so loud neighbors came out of the house to see what happened.

This got me to thinking. There has to be a much better setup even though I really like the ease of the AUH. I started looking at posts and found a lot talking about what others did but nothing that really stood out as "Ok, this is what I need". So, I am posting my own thread and asking all of you smart people on this forum your opinions and thoughts on the best setup for a F350 Crew Cab SRW short-bed pulling a Solitude 310GK.

I look forward to your feedback.

First off, thanks @jhick120 for starting a new thread rather than jumping on an old one, it makes it so much easier for the members to know what's going on. Second, so sorry to hear about your cracked window. I'm also using the AUH with a short bed TV so your cautionary tale is one I'll take seriously. I'm pretty new to towing a 5er, so I haven't had to back into any real tight spaces yet, but I'll be vigilantly watching when I do.

[traveldawg]

....... I started looking at posts and found a lot talking about what others did but nothing that really stood out as "Ok, this is what I need". So, I am posting my own thread and asking all of you smart people on this forum your opinions and thoughts on the best setup for a F350 Crew Cab SRW short-bed pulling a Solitude 310GK.

I look forward to your feedback.

oh, ouch. This so much falls in the "...I never back up sharp, so I don't need a slider..." category. I sincerely feel sorry for you that this happened. We all know we face this situation when using short beds. Hopefully it was just the window and not the cab too. And hopefully it was a single window and not one that opens and closes.

You asked for opinions and thoughts and feedback. There is no shortage of that. Here is mine....

It is my opinion that short beds need sliders. Period. There is no substitute. Sooner or later there will be a turn that is difficult without one. Remember - this is my opinion. As H, G. Wells said - 'everyone has one...'.

The problem with sliders, and probably why the Anderson hitch got invented, is that the automatic ones are heavy and the manual ones are, well.., manual.

You just have to decide which hitch and hitch situation is right for you. There is no right answer, just one that you have to pick based on your comfort level and allowability (cost, weight, etc.). It's what we all end up doing.

fwiw.... I just moved up from a SB to a LB for more payload capacity, and ditched the DEMCO auto slider (3331 lbs) in favor of the Reese Goosebox. The slider went on after I dented my cab (only a small ding fortunately).

[stroguy]

Crud, sorry. I was sliding my coach dinette window closed in Big Bend when it exploded. You’re right it is a gunshot going off. Hope it is not a super expensive lesson.

[NB Canada]

Crud, sorry. I was sliding my coach dinette window closed in Big Bend when it exploded. You’re right it is a gunshot going off. Hope it is not a super expensive lesson.

I am on my 3 rd year with my trailer and have never attempted to open that huge window on the dinette slide because of the horror stories of busted windows
Sorry to hear of both glass problems. Nothing worse

[stroguy]

I am on my 3 rd year with my trailer and have never attempted to open that huge window on the dinette slide because of the horror stories of busted windows
Sorry to hear of both glass problems. Nothing worse

GD made good on the window as I stated it was a defective install or a defective window build. It was just stubborn on the rails and finally the handle torqued the glass to shatter. The new window was an easy install and it slides effortlessly now.

[Soundsailor]

GD made good on the window as I stated it was a defective install or a defective window build. It was just stubborn on the rails and finally the handle torqued the glass to shatter. The new window was an easy install and it slides effortlessly now.

Apparently many have issues with the windows sliding properly. Since our large windows can be hard to open or close, we got this (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071QZH2R8) lubricating spray. Haven't tried it yet, I'll report back on how it works.

[stroguy]

Not stealing your woe post OP, but I can recommend that you don’t use the handle/latch to open and close the window. Looking at the geometry and torque it puts on the window they can easily shatter. Unlock the latch then use the lower profile handle slide the window. Good luck all.

Back to the OP’s woes.

[jhick120]

Don't mind the additional dialog, just curious what others are doing for the problem with a short bed. I assume that I will need to go to a slider and looking for recommendations based on experiences. As of right now, cost is really not an issue as I do not want this to happen again and I have the funds to make good on what I need.

[Second Chance]

We towed about 35,000 miles with a GM short bed (6'6") using an Andersen Ultimate - but we were towing a Reflection fifth wheel which is narrower than your Solitude. Do you have everything on the Andersen turned around so the trailer is as far back as it can be when on the truck? If so, I'm afraid you're rather between a rock and a hard spot with a Solitude on a short bed truck. If it were me, I would seriously consider an auto-sliding hitch like the PullRite or Demco. If you need the truck bed in between towing, lots of folks have rigged a hoist in their garage to pull the hitch and a dolly on which to roll it out of the way.

Just to clarify, we had already moved to a long bed, dual rear wheel truck before we switched to a Solitude. I also don't need the truck bed for anything other than towing, so our (fixed) PullRite OE hitch just came out of the bed for the first time since 2017 for maintenance.

Rob