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Old 10-11-2012, 10:17 PM   #1
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Making sure I'm level

Newbie here again...in looking at new truck I see the wheels on it are 17". The 5th wheels I've been looking at have either 15 or 16's, of course. What should I consider or make certain of to ensure a level ride for the RV and clearance on the side of the beds?

Should I contact the hitch mfgr? Through this buying research effort I've gotten to where I don't have confidence in anything the rv dealers tell me....
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:19 PM   #2
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It's all adjustable. Hitches have to be installed using precise measurements and they are adjustable up and down. The kingpin on the trailer is also adjustable up and down. Since you seem to know nothing about this subject, you would be wise to let a dealer or hitch installer set it all up for you.
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Old 10-12-2012, 07:39 AM   #3
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On many (most) 5th wheels, the spring locations are also adjustable vertically, and the axles can be located above or below the springs. That, in combination with the hitch and pin box adjustments, should allow you to get the trailer level with the 8" to 9" (6" minimum) clearance you need between the 5th wheel and the truck's bed sides.

Rusty
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Old 10-12-2012, 08:44 AM   #4
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Thanks gents...I definitely will let a hitch installer do it..My discomfort comes from trying to get things right the FIRST TIME..I'm buying a truck AND a 5th wheel, at the same time. Listening to dealers/sales people for both has shown me they either don't care or don't know and won't say so about the capabilities of each. For example, I buy the 3500 Ram. I hear about ensuring clearance for the king pin(terminology?) from the experienced folks on this website. I write Reese and tell them which truck I'm buying and the fact it has 17" wheels and the rv's I'm considering has either 15 or 16" wheels...will a Reese hitch set up accomodate the truck's side walls AND allow for a level ride for the RV. Their tech. answer....I am unable to tell you !!!

Sorry, sounds like I'm just blowing steam, but I just feel "foolish" buying an Rv and then a truck strong enough to pull it then bring them together and "hope" they fit. I guess this is all just second hand to you folks AND the RV/truck/hitch people and maybe I should just have more faith in them....? Just trying to do my due dilegence.

Thanks for ya'll's input !

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Old 10-12-2012, 05:18 PM   #5
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No, you're right to be concerned. However, if you buy a new truck with standard tires/wheels/suspension, and a new full-size 5er at least mid-profile and 25" long, then there should be no problem.

The problems arise with folks that want to raise their 4x4s up to the sky and then wonder why they have no clearance between bed and trailer overhang with a level floor in the trailer. Or they buy an ultra-light 5er made for half-ton pickup and then wonder why the front of the trailer has to stick up in the air so high on their three-quarter-ton 4x4.

Here's how to ease your mind. First choose the tow vehicle. Only a rare half-ton pickup is heavy-duty enough to tow even the lightest 5er without being overloaded. For any 5er with a GVWR up to about 8,000 pounds, you can probably get by with a three-quarter-ton pickup. For any 5er with a GVWR over about 8,000 pounds and less than about 12,000 pounds, you want a 350 or 3500 with single rear wheels (SRW). For a 5er with more than 12,000 pounds choose at least a DRW pickup. And if it were me, I'd choose a DRW for any 5er with a GVWR more than about 10,000 pounds.

After you have the pickup picked out, then measure from the ground to the top of the highest point on the side of the bed - probably at the tailgate. Remember that measurement. Add 6" to that measurement. Now you know the minimum distance from the base of the kingpin on the 5er to the ground. When shoping for a 5er, the first step is to measure from the base of the kingpin to the ground when the floor of the 5er is level, front to rear. That distance should be at least the distance required by your truck to have 6" clearance between the top of the bed and the overhang of the trailer.

The kingpin is that gizmo that hangs down from under the front of the 5er and fits into the jaws of the 5er hitch. It's often abreviated to "pin", such as in "pin weight". So pin weight is the same as hitch weight.

There are three different profiles of 5er. Low, medium, and full. Full profile means a tall man can walk around in the front bedroom with his head up - about 6.5 to 7' headroom. Medium profile means a short man has to stoop over to get around in the bedroom - about 5' headroom. Low profile is sorta like the room in a truck camper - only about 4' from floor to ceiling in the bedroom, so Darling Wife has to crawlaround to make the bed. Our first 5er was a low profile. After a year or so,Darling Wife required me to trade for a medium profile.
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Old 10-14-2012, 05:13 AM   #6
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Thanks folks....very useful info.
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Old 10-25-2012, 12:50 PM   #7
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Thanks for the explaination SmokyWren. I will be doing some measuring when I get home. So far I have had no problems but I am worried about having the bed rails on my truck bed and the 5er. I will check for clearance, now that I know what to go for. I have pulled my trailer, so far, with my 1/2 ton and I am very pleased. But the trailer is not fully loaded either. I will find that out next year for my Labor Day week trip. Going to south Texas instead of to the local lake.
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Old 10-25-2012, 01:18 PM   #8
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Just so long as you have clearance from the bed to the 5er so it doesn't hit when going over normal roads, being level is not a matter of life and death....

worse case scenario is cresting railroad tracks or turns into a parking lot / driveway that will twist the rv and truck at different times...

if it were CRITICAL to be perfectly level then we'd need a self leveling system when we go up and down hills

only when sitting still do you want it close to level for your fridge's benefit... otherwise, there's enough movement going down the road to keep the fridge functioning well...
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Old 10-25-2012, 09:14 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyWren View Post
For any 5er with a GVWR over about 8,000 pounds and less than about 12,000 pounds, you want a 350 or 3500 with single rear wheels (SRW).
A 1 ton to pull a baby 5er. Too funny. Hahahahaha
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Old 10-26-2012, 06:04 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azdryheat View Post
A 1 ton to pull a baby 5er. Too funny. Hahahahaha
My "baby" 5er was a Sprinter 25' with one slide and a GVWR of 7,900 pounds. When loaded for bear, it overloaded my F-250 diesel CrewCab 4x2 by several hundred pounds over the GVWR of the tow vehicle. I needed the F-350 SRW to not be overloaded with that trailer.

That was back when. After that, Ford increased the GVWR of their diesel pickups, but they also increased the weight at the same time. So based on my experience, if I were going to buy a newer CrewCab diesel pickup to tow a 5er, I'd buy the F-350 SRW instead of the F-250 for any 5er with a GVWR more than about 8,000 pounds. And especially if the pickup was a 4x4, which weighs about 400 pounds more than a 4x2 with similar options.

Some folks poo poo the manufacturers weight limits. I don't. And I don't consider an F-350 SRW to be a "one ton" truck. It's a beefed-up three-quarter ton truck. Real one ton trucks have dual rear wheels.
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