Quote:
Originally Posted by Sask Farm
I don’t want to raise trailer axles, my solitude seems tall enough as is.
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Then you don't want to do what's required to make the trailer safe and economical to tow.
You want the floor of the trailer level, front to rear, when on the road. But you still need at least 5" (and preferably 6" or more) clearance between the bottom of the 5er overhang and the top of the bed rails.
If you cannot achieve a level trailer with adequate clearance over the bed rails by adjusting the hitch, then only way to do that is to either lower the truck or raise the 5er on its suspension. Lowering the truck is a big bag of expensive worms. Don't go there. So the only practical answer is to raise the trailer, or replace the pickup bed with a flatbed or hauler body.
Raising the trailer with leaf spring suspension is called "flipping the axles", but you don't literally turn over the axles. You move the spring perches from under the axles to over the axles. That will raise the pin box about 4". If that's not enough to result in a level trailer, then you have to fabricate longer/stronger spring shackles."
If your trailer is fancy enough to have Dexter TorFlex torsion axles instead of leaf spring suspension, then you don't "flip the axles". Instead you modify the torsion axles with a special lift kit sold by Dexter. Not cheap, and raises the trailer less than 3". If you need more than 3" I don't how to do it.
I towed my 5er with flipped axles for about 10 years and 100,000 miles, all over the lower 48. No problems caused by the lifted trailer. The trailer looked phunny - like it was wearing "high-water" pants - and I had to replace the 2-step entry steps with a 3-step assembly, but the trailer towed just fine.
Without removing the AC unit on the roof, my mid-profile 5er barely fit through the barn door to store it. If your trailer is full profile, you may need to remove the AC from the roof to squeeze the trailer through the barn door.
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