Truck box height vs 5th wheel

[seasonedsole]

What is the average height on the front of a 5th wheel trailer? My box height is 58", am I to high?

[shortlance]

I have an 06 GMC 1 ton dually and my bed is 55 inches high. In order to keep the 6 inch recommended clearance and have the 5er sit level I had to flip the axles which lifted the 5er 4 inches. My truck only drops about 1 1/2 to 2 inches when hooked up to the 5er. This solved the level problem but my 5er is now 13' 4'' high. Here in Pa. the max legal height is 13' 6''. I really have to be aware of low overpasses but have not had any problems "yet".
I hope this helps answer your question.

[seasonedsole]

Thank you. So your 5th wheel is 65"? Are they all about the same? Probably no such thing as an industry standard. I'd hate to raise a trailer 4" and still be 3" to high in the front. I guess maybe I'll have no choice but to get a TT or a differant truck. Thanks again.

[shortlance]

If you don't have a hitch in your truck you could go to a dealer and talk him into just sitting a hitch in your bed and dropping a 5er on it to see what you have to work with. Maybe the truck will drop enough that you can level up a 5er. I'm sure a good RV mechanic can find a way to make things work and still be safe. I think you will regret not getting a 5er and then finding out you could have.

[jawildman]

My Dodge 3500 drops 5-6" with the trailer on it. I can also adjust the gap between the bed rail and trailer with the air hitch.

[caissiel]

I have seen all 5ers being pulled by any kind of trucks. The new higher and deeper boxes on the trucks surely causes problems for most 5th wheel hook ups. With my 98 RV I had to remove the lifts on the rear of my truck to keep a level setup. With the new 2009 I installed the lifts again and I am riding level again so the newer trailers do have higher pin height. At leased the heavier units.

I would not like to set up a 5th wheel on the rear of a F150 or F350 4 x 4 SRW, or Ram 3500 4x4 SRW and all GM SD 4 x 4.

But I guess letting the rear drop is the solution, because the reason to be so high is so they can drop down more with a heavy load.

The designers of thosemodels never used the truck on the 5th wheels for sure. I noticed that in 1997 when the new Ford SD come of the assembly lines.

[Billieg]

Most good 5th wheel hitches are adjustable for height. Add an air pin and you can jack it up quite a bit. I'd talk to some hitch dealers and see what they say first.

[seasonedsole]

Thanks for all the input. Last weekend, I must have checked 20- 5th wheels for height at dealerships. They vary from 56" to 64" but in the new models are about 59", even in the mid-profile. Heartland, Thur, and Forest River have seemed to set a industry standard probably with the new box height in mind. The most unique set up is the new Open Range Light. If I can find one of those at a reasonable price, I may go that way.