new hitch new trailer new to towing

[jalvin]

I have never had or towed a 5th wheel before so this is all new to me I just hitched my trailer to rig for first time looks ok to me but what do I know, my hitch manual (pull-rite 18k) says I should have 6" of clearance above bed rails I measured 5.5" on driver side almost 6.75" on passenger and 5.5" on tail I assume variance side to side is because ground not quite level so my question is does this look ok to tow? Truck does not seem to squat that much so I don't think I will need airbags any thoughts on this?
thanks
Jon

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jalvin

I have never had or towed a 5th wheel before so this is all new to me I just hitched my trailer to rig for first time looks ok to me but what do I know, my hitch manual (pull-rite 18k) says I should have 6" of clearance above bed rails I measured 5.5" on driver side almost 6.75" on passenger and 5.5" on tail I assume variance side to side is because ground not quite level so my question is does this look ok to tow? Truck does not seem to squat that much so I don't think I will need airbags any thoughts on this?
thanks
Jon

Jon, While there is not enough information here to give you a "safe to tow" answer, The clearance issue sounds ok. Just MAKE SURE the hitch keeper (the silvery "gate") wraps totally around the pin when you look at it from the back. THIS IS CRITICAL on this hitch (I have one). It is possible to get a "false" latch where the release arm snaps in but the locking mechanism does not rotate completely around the pin. (usually dirty cold gease is the cause)

[jalvin]

Thanks for the info I will be sure to check hitch keeper when I hook up.

[Herk7769]

If I helped, hit the thanks button. I am dying to see how it works.

[Herk7769]

Jon,

I tried to zoom in on your truck to see what model it was.
Is that a 3500?

Nice looking camper BTW.

[fonzie]

According to his profile it is:

My Tow Vehicle GMC Denali 3500 duramax

[mike06081969]

Originally Posted by jalvin

I have never had or towed a 5th wheel before so this is all new to me I just hitched my trailer to rig for first time looks ok to me but what do I know, my hitch manual (pull-rite 18k) says I should have 6" of clearance above bed rails I measured 5.5" on driver side almost 6.75" on passenger and 5.5" on tail I assume variance side to side is because ground not quite level so my question is does this look ok to tow? Truck does not seem to squat that much so I don't think I will need airbags any thoughts on this?
thanks
Jon

Very nice looking rig. From the pics, it looks like your truck is at a slightly different angle than your trailer. Pull it out on a level street and recheck. I think your going to be fine. Have fun with it!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by fonzie

According to his profile it is:

My Tow Vehicle GMC Denali 3500 duramax

Thanks Fonz, I missed that.

[Glenn5995]

If you are going to be mostly on pavement and established campgrounds, you should be OK most of the time, but I have had to watch very carefully at the entrance/exit to several gas stations.

If you find yourself on uneven ground, you will most likely have issues. I have 6.5" of clearance and have frequently hit my bed rails. I am currently planning on lifting the 5'er. I wanted to last year, but finances would not permit it.

[jalvin]

by lifting the 5r can you just move the pinbox? I have room to move it down where it bolts on. this should give more clearance

[Glenn5995]

If the fifth wheel is currently level, by adjusting the pinbox up the fifth wheel will now be high in the front. This will shift the trailer load to the rear axle and potentially overload the rear axle/tires. It will also give you less clearance at the tailgate which is where I usually have problems.

If your fifth wheel is currently a little low in the front when hooked to your tow vehicle, then you could raise the pinbox up a little to level out the fifth wheel and gain a little clearance.

[jalvin]

would putting on the 3" lift kit on my pullrite hitch do the same thing? or is that a better option to get clearance?

[Herk7769]

I also have had to lower the tail gate and take a different line on uneven ground due to clearance (once and will never visit KOA K......t again for that reason) to avoid contact.

If this does happen to you can get a 3 inch lift kit for your Pullrite relatively cheap.
http://www.pullrite.com/pdfs/4408.pdf

You might also need to lift the frame of your camper to avoid an out of level tow. (This is VERY bad since it shifts weight that should rest on all four wheels aft onto the rear wheels. Additionally, it also increases drag due to increased area in contact with the relative wind and your fuel mileage will go further south than it already is.) Not a job for the faint of heart, either.

[Glenn5995]

The lift kit for the hitch will just do the same thing as adjusting the pinbox up.

Try it the way it is first, if you have problems, then you need to lift the trailer (there are several options depending on what type of suspension your trailer has) and then adjust the pinbox and/or add the lift kit to level the fifth wheel.

[Herk7769]

Oh, one more thing.

The instructions for the lift kit show it being bolted to the cross rails and pinned to the hitch. I would reverse that.

I use the 5th wheel to take the hitch in and out of the truck since I don't have a crane. When I drop it back onto the rails I just slide it back and forth till all the holes line up and pin it.

That would be hard to do with the lift kit in place since you would not be able to slide the hitch left or right without it toppling off the lift riser. Since I do this by myself, that would be a catastrophe.

With the lift kit permanently attached to the hitch, the lift kit will slide left and right and the procedure would be the same.

[M109Rrider]

How do you lift the trailer? Blocks between the springs and axles?

[Herk7769]

In my camper, I have the Al-Ko Torsion axles and a piece of steel rectangular tube stock would have to be welded to the frame between the frame and the axle mount.

Unless done at a dealer, It would most likely invalidate your frame warranty.

[M109Rrider]

I have spring over axle and could stand the trailer being a little higher.

[Glenn5995]

If you have leaf springs and they are under the axles, they can be relocated to the top of the axle. This is generally referred to as "flipping the axles". Here is a conversion kit for Dexter suspensions:

httphttp://www.dexteraxle.com/inc/sdetail/1099://

If the leaf springs are already above the axles, you will need to have a sub-frame installed between the spring hangers and the trailer frame. Although there are those which install blocks between the axles and leaf springs, this is not recommended.

With the AL-KO Rubber Torsion axles there are two choices. The first, which Lou addressed, is a sub-frame. This may have frame warranty issues and adds more weight to the trailer and the axles which may be an issue if you are close to capacity. The other option which, I am pursuing, is to replace the axles with axles which have a different drop arm degree. Al-Ko makes them with different degrees on the drop arms and a corresponding lift or drop in the trailer height.

http://www.al-kousa.com/pdf/2000_35F.pdf

http://www.al-kousa.com/pdf/4000_71.pdf

CAUTION: I am providing this information, however one must be careful and informed about any decision they make to lift their trailer as it can result in stability issues if not done properly or if lifted to high.

[jalvin]

Thank Lou good advice I will be sure to do that. Just went to harbor freight and got chain hoist for $44.00 and used the garage door crossmember 6x12 on my garage just enough room to to back truckbed back to where hitch is, and lifted out this worked great and no strain trying to lift works just as well to put back in.