Crushed rr window

[HD4Mark]

We have a class A but I am asking this for or neighbor and friend.They just bought a 29' Keystone Cougar. He also has a brand new Dodge Ram club cab (4 doors) with th Hemi engine. Due to the cab it appears to be a "short box".

First time backing in the driveway the 5er crushed his back window and dented the truck. Is this something that is just an oops or is it possible the dealer should have at least known there may be a problem?

[George Z]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD4Mark We have a class A but I am asking this for or neighbor and friend.They just bought a 29' Keystone Cougar. He also has a brand new Dodge Ram club cab (4 doors) with th Hemi engine. Due to the cab it appears to be a "short box". First time backing in the driveway the 5er crushed his back window and dented the truck. Is this something that is just an oops or is it possible the dealer should have at least known there may be a problem?

I'm sure the dealer knew with a short bed you must watch the turning angle backing up, but he was not backing in the drive, the owner was. the owner is responsible for his driving abilities and watching clearances and other obstructions when maneuvering. The dealer definetly is not at fault.

George

[HD4Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Z I'm sure the dealer knew with a short bed you must watch the turning angle backing up, but he was not backing in the drive, the owner was. the owner is responsible for his driving abilities and watching clearances and other obstructions when maneuvering. The dealer definetly is not at fault. George

I agree with you George. I'm not trying to place blame or financial burden on the dealer but I took one look at it and thought a long bed truck would have cleared the window. The dealer (we bought a class c from once) does not get very good reviews on RV Service Review We never had any service issues but were luck enough to not need much.

I just though that if they took the guys money and installed everything they might have known there could be a clearance issue and and gave him a heads up.

[Jim Stewart]

They used to make (do not know if they still do) a sliding fith wheel hitch for short bed pick-ups (used at low speeds). Any Dealer installing a fifth wheel hitch should know about the problems of clearance when installing one in a short bed truck and inform the Owner. Same is true for installing the hitch on a 4-wheel drive with the extra height and compensating for it at times.

All that being said, "caveat emptor"!

[RustyJC]

Both manual (Reese Kwik-Slide) and automatic (PullRite Superglide, Hijacker AutoSlide) sliding hitches are available for short bed trucks towing 5th wheel RVs. Your friend has learned the hard way why they're needed.

Rusty

[shipwreck1]

should have been offered a slide hitch and or then given proper instructions on how to back up!

[TXiceman]

The sales person probably did not know the difference. But I feel that you need a slider (auto or manual) in a short bed or just get a long bed truck.

Ken

[NLOVNIT]

Ken's right, the sales person probably didn't know, but the tech tasked to install the hitch should of noticed there'd be an issue & brought it to your friend's attention. However, it's, ultimately, the responsibility of the buyer to be sure they're getting the right equipment to tow without issues. Most times, 5-r's & short bed trucks w/standard hitches don't mix.

Is the pin box placed different on Cougars now? We had a 2004 Keystone Cougar 5-r & the pin box stuck out pretty far. Towed it w/a short bed Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab with a standard, no-slide hitch installed & we never had an issue with the nose of the 5-r impacting the cab of the truck - even when at a 90-degree angle. Granted it was extremely close, but still, it missed the rear window. I wonder if where our tech placed the hitch in the bed made the difference?

Lori-

[HD4Mark]

Here is an update. Talked to him last night and he does have a slider. He asked the tech if the tailgate would hit and should he take it off. Tech unhooked it and moved the slider forward so it would not hit the tailgate (down I assume). So instead it hit the window when he backed in. He really wanted to remove the gate and either use a net or one of the notched gates.

He isn't angry about it and has glass coverage. Just disappointed and embarrassed. I told him not to worry, every one of us has done similar things.

[RustyJC]

OK, that has me confused. The slider should ALWAYS be in the forward position for towing. The slider is only moved back for slow speed sharp turns, maneuvering, backing, etc. Is your neighbor saying that the slider cannot be used because, in the rear position, there is interference between the trailer and the truck's tailgate??

Rusty

[HD4Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC OK, that has me confused. The slider should ALWAYS be in the forward position for towing. The slider is only moved back for slow speed sharp turns, maneuvering, backing, etc. Is your neighbor saying that the slider cannot be used because, in the rear position, there is interference between the trailer and the truck's tailgate?? Rusty

I guess I am also confused but admittedly not knowledgeable about fifth wheels. I will quiz him about it next time I see him.

[wingnut60]

Confused also--tailgate should not come into play unless for some reason he wanted it down while backing. Maybe in the rearward position, there is a clearance problem with the pin box and top of the tailgate, requiring it to be down? Something else in play here.
Joe

[SuperGewl]

It's an expensive lesson but a lesson no matter what. Rv dealers are just trying to make a buck, they will tell you that you can pull that 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck also. It's up to the buyer to gather as much data on what they are buying. I have seen on several occasions about $12K worth of damage to truck and 5th wheel. I was at least smart enough to spend and extra $2500 up front for the Pullrite Superglide. So far it has been worth every penny.
As I have said, that is what research and friends are for.

[KTM Guy]

On the topic of the SuperGlide, see my latest post in the Hijacker Hitch thread under this forum. You can't beat a SuperGlide and it doesn't have to be expensive.