Truck Rail Clearance in Tight Turns

[poodlepeople]

I just took delivery on my 2010 Sabre 31REDS and attached it to my 2010 Ram 250HD diesel with PullRight SuperGlide 18K hitch. Since I had a separate dealer install the hitch, the RV dealer balked at adding the receiver plate on the Sabre pin box (but eventually did it) and then just looked puzzled when I showed that the pin box trim would scrape the truck bed rail in a tight turn. The RV dealer said it was the fault of the hitch installer, the hitch installer said it was the proper installation for my truck and I should drop the pin box extender to gain a few inches. The RV dealer says this would destroy the handling of the trailer and would not do it and turned his back on me.

I am new to all of this and would like some thoughts from those who have been through this particular mill before. Thanks.

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by poodlepeople

I just took delivery on my 2010 Sabre 31REDS and attached it to my 2010 Ram 250HD diesel with PullRight SuperGlide 18K hitch. Since I had a separate dealer install the hitch, the RV dealer balked at adding the receiver plate on the Sabre pin box (but eventually did it) and then just looked puzzled when I showed that the pin box trim would scrape the truck bed rail in a tight turn. The RV dealer said it was the fault of the hitch installer, the hitch installer said it was the proper installation for my truck and I should drop the pin box extender to gain a few inches. The RV dealer says this would destroy the handling of the trailer and would not do it and turned his back on me.

I am new to all of this and would like some thoughts from those who have been through this particular mill before. Thanks.

It would be great If you could post some pic of your issue. I do not have a 5th wheel but would like to see the problems you are having for the future.

[Fencer]

If I am understanding your description, your RV dealer is full of crap

My truck has a lift gate and it extends 7 inches further than a normal bed to the rear. when going over an incline, the extra length contacts the 5r and I actually had to bondo a hole that it dug in, I lowered the pinbox (local dealer for $125) and after they told me how they did it, I wissh I had done it myself and saved money.

My truck bed mount is raised all the way up, and the 5r box is set all the way down.

I pull a 16K 38 ft 5r with no issues in handling or otherwise up to 80 mph and cruise all day at 70mph with a diesel Chevy 3500 dually.

To drop your pin box
-Hook it up to your truck just as if you were going to pull it, but leave your landing gear(legs) down on the ground. This will hold the weight as you unbolt it (that is the part I new I could not do by myself, hold it up and try to bolt it back it, Its heavy)
- Unbolt the bolts and remove them from the holes
- with the box loose, use your landing gear to adjust the height of the box. get it where you want it and re bolt
- tighten it all back up and you are ready

[Filthy Beast]

I would think also that pulling your trailer level is important to keep the load distributed on all the tires. If the front of the rv is high, it would seem that more weight will be put on the rearmost wheels of the fifth wheel. Looking at the weight range on my tires, this would overload the rear two. I am considering adding height to the trailer by a couple of inches to gain the extra room between the fifth wheel and my bed rails. I know this will raise the center of gravity but not by that much.

[poodlepeople]

After a phone chain of about four numbers (starting with the number on the back of my owners manual), I finally talked to the Sabre sales manager, got his e-mail address and sent off a description of my problem. The manager, Sam, promised that he would act on this "right after the New Year" since "we cannot have our products unusable with a third of the potential customers (owners of Dodge Rams)."

I also learned that the shackles on axels may be adjustable to re-level the trailer after the pin box is adjusted.

As for my dealer, I am not through with them yet so we will see how this all gets handled.

The problem may be with the decorative trim, however, since it looks like things will clear if that is removed even without dropping the pin. That is not easy since the attachments for the trim seem to be partially hidden. I have asked for help there as well. The trim looks nice but not so nice that I want to limit the movement in sharp turns.

Ah well! It's a New Year.

[Kemps]

Poodlepeople,
If I might ask, where did you end up with this. I just took possession of a 2010 Sabre 29CKDS and didn't find out until I got home that the hitch was so low that I had to take off the tail gate to slide back my manual slider. My dealer wants to just adjust the king box down but I have a hitch set at max 17" height in a 21" deep 2008 Silverado 2500HD bed. I am fighting him now to first install the propper hitch. But your comments on the axle shackels has me wondering also.

[skywagon]

Originally Posted by poodlepeople

I just took delivery on my 2010 Sabre 31REDS and attached it to my 2010 Ram 250HD diesel with PullRight SuperGlide 18K hitch. Since I had a separate dealer install the hitch, the RV dealer balked at adding the receiver plate on the Sabre pin box (but eventually did it) and then just looked puzzled when I showed that the pin box trim would scrape the truck bed rail in a tight turn. The RV dealer said it was the fault of the hitch installer, the hitch installer said it was the proper installation for my truck and I should drop the pin box extender to gain a few inches. The RV dealer says this would destroy the handling of the trailer and would not do it and turned his back on me.

I am new to all of this and would like some thoughts from those who have been through this particular mill before. Thanks.

Get a real truck your problems would be over!!ROTFFLMAO

[poodlepeople]

Originally Posted by Kemps

Poodlepeople,
If I might ask, where did you end up with this. I just took possession of a 2010 Sabre 29CKDS and didn't find out until I got home that the hitch was so low that I had to take off the tail gate to slide back my manual slider. My dealer wants to just adjust the king box down but I have a hitch set at max 17" height in a 21" deep 2008 Silverado 2500HD bed. I am fighting him now to first install the propper hitch. But your comments on the axle shackels has me wondering also.

I took the trim off the pin box and I have enough clearance to make full turns. An alternative would have been to cut the sides of the trim to clear but that would expose the sides of the pin box anyway so I figured I would remove the trim altogether.

Dropping the pin down was not an option unless I wanted the trailer to ride higher in the front. I am not able to raise the axels to compensate. I would have had to remove the trim in that case as well.

My slider only activates in a turn so it does not interfere with the tail gate. The automatic hitches are more expensive but may be the only solution for my short bed truck.