Flatbed and 5th wheel

[Rye_a]

My wife and I are looking at various options for toy haulers, and have decided that we like 5th wheel options for different reasons (she likes the floorpans and I like the towing attributes). The only hangup is that we'd like to be able to boondock on remote forest service roads. That has me concerned about being off-camber, and the potential for damaging the bed of my truck.

One solution that I've come up with is switching to a flatbed on my truck and using an Andersen hitch that I already own with a gooseneck ball. Does any one know if this setup would offset the potential issues of the truck being off-camber with the trailer on rougher roads?

[Skip426]

I don't own an Andersen 5er hitch set up; but I've helped friends install a couple .

I would assume the Andersen would allow the same side to side articulation as it does front to rear .
Nothing in the owners manual for the hitch that might confirm that?

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by Rye_a

My wife and I are looking at various options for toy haulers, and have decided that we like 5th wheel options for different reasons (she likes the floorpans and I like the towing attributes). The only hangup is that we'd like to be able to boondock on remote forest service roads. That has me concerned about being off-camber, and the potential for damaging the bed of my truck.

One solution that I've come up with is switching to a flatbed on my truck and using an Andersen hitch that I already own with a gooseneck ball. Does any one know if this setup would offset the potential issues of the truck being off-camber with the trailer on rougher roads?

We like to go to a lot of those remote places. In my experience, steep and sharp ramps or hills are more of a challenge than side-to side movement for clearance. I have a long bed dually and the tailgate and rear of the bedsides has often rubbed the underside of th tailgate...way more than bed sides. I was too close at 6" clearance on sides but only 5-1/2" or so at the tailgate area. I readjusted the pin box lower so I now have close to 8" and around 7 to 7-1/2" clearance at the rear. I have to do something stupid (which I do sometimes) for it to rub. I have went up 23 percent grades, but the short hills and bumps, especially steep entrances to service stations and such are more a problem.

Hope this helps.

[tuffr2]

Wow - you guys want to really camp in the boondocks. My 5th wheel would fall apart if I took it where you guys do. Plus what about tree limbs? I had to watch tree limbs when going to the local wooded state park.

Not to mention getting stuck. Trying to tow a trailer up a logging road is not fun. It is too easy to get stuck. Especially when using a 4x4 with dumb axles that send power to the wheel with the least traction.

I own wooded property in the mountains of Pennsylvania that I cleared, leveled and added stone to make it ok for a 5th wheel. Having it level is key.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Wow - you guys want to really camp in the boondocks. My 5th wheel would fall apart if I took it where you guys do. Plus what about tree limbs? I had to watch tree limbs when going to the local wooded state park.

Not to mention getting stuck. Trying to tow a trailer up a logging road is not fun. It is too easy to get stuck. Especially when using a 4x4 with dumb axles that send power to the wheel with the least traction.

I own wooded property in the mountains of Pennsylvania that I cleared, leveled and added stone to make it ok for a 5th wheel. Having it level is key.

Never got stuck with GM 4x4 and good tires. Only problem I've had was high centering the 5th wheel pin onto the tailgate or truck bed sides going over a steep and short hill. No real damage to the truck, but the underside of the 5th wheel area has significant dents and scrapes.

My trailer has welded square tube aluminum frame for walls and roof trusses seem quite sturdy. The sides are very rigid, but I'm not barreling through those roads at 100 MPH either.

I do watch for limbs and height, as we're at 12'10" right now. I carry a saw or chainsaw for certain known spots.

[tuffr2]

GM trucks have the e-locker rear axle which all trucks should have. I got stuck once going through a little bit of mud in a Ford 4x4 dually. But I had a dumb 4x4. That was not fun.

I touched the 5th wheel to the bed rails one time and there was zero damage. I got lucky as the 5th wheel would crush the side of the bed if there was more force.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

GM trucks have the e-locker rear axle which all trucks should have. I got stuck once going through a little bit of mud in a Ford 4x4 dually. But I had a dumb 4x4. That was not fun.

I touched the 5th wheel to the bed rails one time and there was zero damage. I got lucky as the 5th wheel would crush the side of the bed if there was more force.

If I had an aluminum bed I'd be concerned. Seeing as mine is steel and pretty darn robust especially with the thock plastic bedrail caps they've had a LOT of weight put on them with no damage other than very minor scratching.

[Dave Pelletier]

a steel bed and plastic cap isn't going to help with significant contact. I have a 1/4" thick steel plate welded rack on my bed which is extremely strong but I think a flatbed is the only way to virtually guarantee no damage from a 5th wheel.



Dave

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by Dave Pelletier

a steel bed and plastic cap isn't going to help with significant contact. I have a 1/4" thick steel plate welded rack on my bed which is extremely strong but I think a flatbed is the only way to virtually guarantee no damage from a 5th wheel.



Dave

Dropped it? My buddy did that with his older Silverado 2500HD ,same damage.The DRW models have sturdier bed caps with are much wider. I'm trying to remember but I think there's one extra internal fold where the cap is made wider, and the plastic tops are really sturdy. They really do reinforce the bed rails quite a bit. I don't think any of the 2500 or 250 models come with them standard, do they?

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by kdauto

Dropped it? My buddy did that with his older Silverado 2500HD ,same damage.The DRW models have sturdier bed caps with are much wider. I'm trying to remember but I think there's one extra internal fold where the cap is made wider, and the plastic tops are really sturdy. They really do reinforce the bed rails quite a bit. I don't think any of the 2500 or 250 models come with them standard, do they?

I would assume it was dropped; not my pic. I wasn't aware of any extra bed structure for 350/3500's or DRW's but it's certainly possible. My only point was that I don't think ANY factory bed is strong enough to prevent contact damage in extreme circumstances. Even with the rack on mine, it would just rip the 5th wheel apart if the box held up which is why I think the only real way to 100% prevent damage is to basically eliminate the possibility of contact by using a flatbed.

2 cents,
Dave

[tuffr2]

A flatbed or hauler bed is the best way to tow any 5th wheel IMHO. That is if you can put up with the other short comings of such a bed. I had a friend that worked in a machine shop and he built his own hauler bed. Amazing what a guy can do with the right machines. It looked like it came from the factory. He put it on a RAM cab chassis and I got to drive his truck 500 miles towing a horse trailer.

Having no sides on the bed is an advantage in some cases.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

A flatbed or hauler bed is the best way to tow any 5th wheel IMHO. That is if you can put up with the other short comings of such a bed. I had a friend that worked in a machine shop and he built his own hauler bed. Amazing what a guy can do with the right machines. It looked like it came from the factory. He put it on a RAM cab chassis and I got to drive his truck 500 miles towing a horse trailer.

Having no sides on the bed is an advantage in some cases.

I couldn't put up with all the shortcomings. I like having a real truck available when I need it.

Didn't the F450 have lower bedsides some years ago just for this reason?

[tuffr2]

My 2012 F-450 had a normal truck bed. The sides were normal hight.

[TB673]

Here is another alternative:


Introducing the Logical Solution to Leveling Your 5th Wheel Trailer