2013 Jayco HT 26.5 is 3" nose high

[Garyp4951]

I can't lower the hitch because the pinbox will hit the bed sides when turning sharp, so I guess I'm looking at installing a sub frame to raise the rv.
I should have known going to a lighter weight 5th wheel that it would sit lower for 1/2 ton trucks, and my 3/4 ram is pretty tall.
Thanks for any advice.

[drdarrin]

I'm confused why this is a problem. I've not been towing a 5er very long and I know having it tow level is the ideal but 3" doesn't seem like a lot to me, as long as the trailer suspension can handle it.

Edit:
I checked my trig calculator and a 3 inch rise in 156 inch run (1/2 the length of 26 feet) is 1.10 degrees of rise.

[Garyp4951]

I found out even newer 1/2 tons are having this problem also, and my lowest step is 1" off the ground. If it ever stops raining I'm going to get some measurements to be exact.

[glennwest]

Check wheel weights or wheel temps. This will give you info if problem exists. More load more heat. If rear axle temps or weight higher than front, need to level.

[Garyp4951]

Well it finally quit raining, and I took some measurements today. From the ground to the frame in front its 28", and in back its 21". I had to raise my hitch 2" to get 7" of clearance over the bed, and that made it worse. It looks like it going to take 6" of lift to get close to being level.

[schrod]

Sounds like you were actually 3 inches lower in front initially and then you raised it 5 inches for bed clearance so now you are only 2 inches higher in front? Pretty sure my addition and subtraction still works.........................

[Halwiseguy]

I have a 36.5 Landmark that had the same problem. I' m towing it with a 2011 3500 4x4 6.7 ram which has higher bed sides . I solved the problem by moving the axels below the springs . Also installed disc breaks while I had it all apart . Good Luck l

[Garyp4951]

Thanks for the responses, it looks like a 5" to 6" lift will be needed. I wish it needed tires so I could go to 16", and get some height there.

[1960C182]

Originally Posted by Garyp4951

Thanks for the responses, it looks like a 5" to 6" lift will be needed. I wish it needed tires so I could go to 16", and get some height there.

Are your axles on top or below the springs ? If on top "flip em"

[Garyp4951]

Thanks, but the axles are under the springs.

[RussOnTheRoad]

Originally Posted by Garyp4951

I can't lower the hitch because the pinbox will hit the bed sides when turning sharp, so I guess I'm looking at installing a sub frame to raise the rv.
I should have known going to a lighter weight 5th wheel that it would sit lower for 1/2 ton trucks, and my 3/4 ram is pretty tall.
Thanks for any advice.

I'm new to 5th wheels and trucks--just beginning to look around. It sounds like your issue should be something I am conscious of as I go forward. I want to be certain understand the discussion here. May I ask for a little clarification?

If I understand correctly, if you lower the hitch height enough so as to level your fiver, the pin box of your fiver will hit the bed walls of your truck during sharp turns instead of passing over them and this is because your new fiver was built with lower truck bed walls in mind, lower than the bed walls of your current truck. Do I have that right?

I also gather from this thread that having a fiver close to level while towing is important.

If I understand things correctly, wow, I can see how this would be a thorny problem. I'm so sorry you find yourself in that unenviable position.

It would seem that either you need to lift the rear of your fifth wheel, lower the bed walls of your truck, somehow raise the height of your pin box, or some combination of these things. I am uncertain if any of these are practical or even possible.

Since your springs are already on top of your axles you cannot reposition them by moving them from underneath the axles to on top in order to raise the rear of your trailer. Would it be possible to create some sort of spacers and insert them between the springs and the axle to raise the rear of your fifth wheel? Just a thought. Then, I must wonder about raising your trailer's center of gravity too high so as to make it unruly while towing. You might also want to think about how raising your trailer might effect climbing the entry stairs.

At the same time I wonder as someone new to fifth wheels how I can be certain to avoid running into the same problem. I mean, I do not recall ever reading a specification provided for a fifth wheel that mentions the maximum height of a pick up truck bed wall in order to avoid collisions with the pin box while allowing for level towing.

How does a person make certain what the allowable bed wall height would be? Would it make sense to measure from the ground to the lowest spot of the pin box when the fifth wheel is level and compare that to the distance from the ground to the top of the truck's bed walls? How much clearance is needed between the two?

I think this would be valuable information for all fifth wheel wannabes, or I guess anybody shopping for a fifth wheel.

[Garyp4951]

Originally Posted by RussOnTheRoad

I'm new to 5th wheels and trucks--just beginning to look around. It sounds like your issue should be something I am conscious of as I go forward. I want to be certain understand the discussion here. May I ask for a little clarification?

If I understand correctly, if you lower the hitch height enough so as to level your fiver, the pin box of your fiver will hit the bed walls of your truck during sharp turns instead of passing over them and this is because your new fiver was built with lower truck bed walls in mind, lower than the bed walls of your current truck. Do I have that right?

I also gather from this thread that having a fiver close to level while towing is important.

If I understand things correctly, wow, I can see how this would be a thorny problem. I'm so sorry you find yourself in that unenviable position.

It would seem that either you need to lift the rear of your fifth wheel, lower the bed walls of your truck, somehow raise the height of your pin box, or some combination of these things. I am uncertain if any of these are practical or even possible.

Since your springs are already on top of your axles you cannot reposition them by moving them from underneath the axles to on top in order to raise the rear of your trailer. Would it be possible to create some sort of spacers and insert them between the springs and the axle to raise the rear of your fifth wheel? Just a thought. Then, I must wonder about raising your trailer's center of gravity too high so as to make it unruly while towing. You might also want to think about how raising your trailer might effect climbing the entry stairs.

At the same time I wonder as someone new to fifth wheels how I can be certain to avoid running into the same problem. I mean, I do not recall ever reading a specification provided for a fifth wheel that mentions the maximum height of a pick up truck bed wall in order to avoid collisions with the pin box while allowing for level towing.

How does a person make certain what the allowable bed wall height would be? Would it make sense to measure from the ground to the lowest spot of the pin box when the fifth wheel is level and compare that to the distance from the ground to the top of the truck's bed walls? How much clearance is needed between the two?

I think this would be valuable information for all fifth wheel wannabes, or I guess anybody shopping for a fifth wheel.

Russ, measuring the 5er unhooked, and level is a good way to start your process. The main thing to consider is that you need 6" to 8" of clearance over the bed rails to the 5er to allow for dips, and humps in the road surface. After getting this measurement you can then decide on the hitch height of your pinbox to the hitch. This pretty much dictates where the front of the 5er needs to be height wise, and there are many ways to raise, or lower the rear.

[RussOnTheRoad]

Originally Posted by Garyp4951

Russ, measuring the 5er unhooked, and level is a good way to start your process. The main thing to consider is that you need 6" to 8" of clearance over the bed rails to the 5er to allow for dips, and humps in the road surface. After getting this measurement you can then decide on the hitch height of your pinbox to the hitch. This pretty much dictates where the front of the 5er needs to be height wise, and there are many ways to raise, or lower the rear.

Good info. Thanks.

In terms of raising or lowering the rear of a fifth wheel I have heard about moving the leaf springs attaching point from below to above the axle or vice a versa. What other methods are there for raising and lowering the rear of a fifth wheel?

[Garyp4951]

Lift or Lower blocks are sometimes used between the spring and the axle, and sometimes sub frames are needed for a larger lift.