Lower my truck's rear end or raise up the 5th wheel camper?

[Daniel.mullins4]

I had torsion axles as well, very little bed clearance to 5th wheel, I installed 3 inch drop shackles, tightened the front truck torsion a few turns to raise an inch, this was to level the truck, also purchased from etrailer the 2 inch lift for the torsion axle, also added the firestone air bags to level truck and trailer, when towing the trailer is level and 8 inch bed clearance, the air bags make for a smooth ride. Been driving this way for 3 years and no problem towing or not towing.

[DuluthCamper]

Wow--a "four-step" plan! That's the most I've heard of someone doing to level things off yet, and to also achieve truck rail clearance under the fifth wheel's overhang.

Thank you for the details! I don't want to raise my trailer, just for overhead clearance concerns, and also to keep it from being any more tippy on turns or accidental sudden maneuvers. Maybe I'll have to raise it . . .

I figure that, when I get it out of storage in a few weeks, I'll find some level paved road shoulder and measure the actual rail clearance under the overhang. Then back the camper up onto 2" blocks and re-measure the clearance.

It seems that would be about the same as installing 2" risers on the camper, or dropping the truck 2". It should give me something to think about--for free.

I could also install a 2" riser kit on my hitch in the box, if I lower the truck.

The challenge is getting the camper to ride level AND having enough rail clearance, since the camper's riding front-high right now.

Thanks again, so MUCH, for your ideas and personal experience! I'm very interested in any other comments or ideas you may have on the topic, so feel free to add on to your thoughts.

Yours,

Rick

Originally Posted by Daniel.mullins4

I had torsion axles as well, very little bed clearance to 5th wheel, I installed 3 inch drop shackles, tightened the front truck torsion a few turns to raise an inch, this was to level the truck, also purchased from etrailer the 2 inch lift for the torsion axle, also added the firestone air bags to level truck and trailer, when towing the trailer is level and 8 inch bed clearance, the air bags make for a smooth ride. Been driving this way for 3 years and no problem towing or not towing.

[DuluthCamper]

Daniel, when you lowered your truck 3", did you have work to do on your drive train to keep the angles correct, such as welding shops have told me to do on my 4WD Silverado 3/4 Ton?

Once I heard that, I was turned off with lowering the truck; I assumed drop shackles were all that was needed. But the one shop I've called so far wasn't interested in the work because it required too much time & monkey business adjusting the drive train in a 4WD truck.

What are your thoughts?

Rick

Originally Posted by Daniel.mullins4

I had torsion axles as well, very little bed clearance to 5th wheel, I installed 3 inch drop shackles, tightened the front truck torsion a few turns to raise an inch, this was to level the truck, also purchased from etrailer the 2 inch lift for the torsion axle, also added the firestone air bags to level truck and trailer, when towing the trailer is level and 8 inch bed clearance, the air bags make for a smooth ride. Been driving this way for 3 years and no problem towing or not towing.

[nayther]

I can't comment on the torsion axles as I've only had conventional springs. The only real solution (I'm in the same boat) is to raise the trailer. Lowering the truck really reduces wheel travel. I tow nose up, no choice unless I lift my trailer about 4". on conventional suspension adding a 4" box section under the frame and rehanging the axles is the best option (my axles are under-spring already) but I don't know if that is a possibility.



I'd not be too concerned about additional top heaviness, not enough to be noticiable.

[tomkatb]

I did not buy another brand of fifth wheel because of this!

The factory rejected the four alternative issues. Raises the center of gravity.

Taller tires. Spacers and longer bolts. Adding suspension parts. Moving axles.

For sure, you need 6” clearance or you will hit the truck. The manufacturers know you will be towing nose high 6”. They chose not to update their rv.

5-10 years ago, hd trucks grew 3-4” . A half ton would fit better but, the heaviest rated half ton is the Ford. Has to be special,ordered.

My 2018 CC Hathaway is 4” taller in front. Sits level on the Ram diesel. We seldom disconnect while traveling on long trips. We put the levelers down for stability, let out the slides, and serve the gin. 10 minutes tops.

I have a structural background. New taller tires and 3” lifts would work. However, makes the rv more roll over prone.

[Daniel.mullins4]

I know it's hard to take this in, but if you lower truck 3" you are dropping the height of the front of 5th wheel by 3", which is in your interest, now by adding the 2" lift to your 5th wheel suspension you have not gained any in height to the front of 5ht wheel because you just dropped the truck suspension by 3", you have gained 2" in the back of the 5th wheel, which will hopefully bring the 5th wheel more level and not nose up. Next you can drop that pin box a couple of inches if it is possible to get higher clearance to the bed. you said you currently have 2.5", by dropping the pin box 2" you would then have 4.5" above the bed.

[Daniel.mullins4]

Originally Posted by DuluthCamper

Daniel, when you lowered your truck 3", did you have work to do on your drive train to keep the angles correct, such as welding shops have told me to do on my 4WD Silverado 3/4 Ton?

Once I heard that, I was turned off with lowering the truck; I assumed drop shackles were all that was needed. But the one shop I've called so far wasn't interested in the work because it required too much time & monkey business adjusting the drive train in a 4WD truck.

What are your thoughts?

Rick

I have 2 wheel drive and found no information that I would have to modify the driveline, I found info that the driveline had enough play to lower 3", lowering is no different than hauling a heavy load which will drop your rear 3", the stock chevy 2500HD is 4" high on the rear. It is expected for the rear to drop when loaded, the amount of drop depends on the weight. I lowered 3" and tightened the front torsion a few turns to raise 1" to level the truck, I did not notice any change in the drivability, I checked with alignment shop, they said no need to adjust alignment for 1" raise in front, I did find I needed the air bags due to the weight of the 5th wheel dropping the rear, I add air to the bags to level the truck and the 5th wheel.

[Qwkynuf]

I have read all of the posts in this thread, and I feel like a lot of the confusion results from imprecise descriptions and possibly misuse of terminology.

When most people talk about "rails" in the context of a truck bed, they are specifically speaking about the side rails that run front to back. But it seems to me that you are talking about the top of the tailgate - is that correct? If so, i think you will find that many people wouldn't automatically think of that based on your description.

I have read tons of posts on here about "bed rail clearance", and it has always been about getting clear of the side rails, so the advice to raise the hitch or lower the hitch box makes sense. If you only have a couple of inches of clearance to your side rails, you don't have to get very far off camber before there's a body shop in your future.

It seems to me that what you are describing is that your trailer is very off-level front to back, and that the point where the overhang crosses the tailgate is only a couple of inches, but it angles upward, so there is plenty of clearance at the nose. Is that the case? Is the plate on your 5th wheel hitch level when connected? Or does it slope toward the back of your truck? Is your truck lifted (aftermarket) or is it stock ride height?

If the truck and the trailer are both stock, and the trailer rides nose-high, then something is going to have to be modified. If you lower the truck, you are affecting its load-carrying capability and limiting suspension travel. If you raise the trailer you are potentially creating stability and/or clearance issues. It may just be that you bought the wrong trailer for your truck.

[moose074]

So you seem to be doing a lot of research, I will agree you need a level ride a 5th wheel with a 1k hitch should remove most of your two inch rake. How far do you have before you bump stops hit axle are you sure prior owner didn’t add springs or some thing else like sumos or timbrens . I also looked at the height of your 5th wheel it’s less than 12 ft mine is 12’7 just verified on brochure where all the 2017 Wildcats on that brochure were 12’ or higher. Hook up and get a good measurement. Your staring off lower than most of us you should be ok in that department for 99.6 percent of underpass

[corn18]

I have the same issue so I lowered my 2015 Chevy 2500HD rear end with drop shackles to level the truck. That helped the clearance issue a lot. But now my rear truck axle had 3" less travel and bottomed out all the time. The bump stop on top of the axle was nearly touching the frame just sitting there. That was a miserable ride. So I took out the drop shackles.

I dropped the pin box down 2 holes and now I have 7" of bed clearance. And a trailer that rides 2.5 deg nose high. Now I am looking for ways to fix that. The front of the trailer is 13' 6" to the top of the air conditioner, so raising the trailer with axle boxes will put me over that. That might be problematic. So I may have to get a low profile front a/c unit and then raise the trailer.

For now, I am ok with riding nose high vs. destroying my truck and trailer. We've only owned the trailer (Salem Hemisphere 290RL) for 6 months and haven't been on any long trips.

[Daniel.mullins4]

Originally Posted by corn18

I have the same issue so I lowered my 2015 Chevy 2500HD rear end with drop shackles to level the truck. That helped the clearance issue a lot. But now my rear truck axle had 3" less travel and bottomed out all the time. The bump stop on top of the axle was nearly touching the frame just sitting there. That was a miserable ride. So I took out the drop shackles.

I dropped the pin box down 2 holes and now I have 7" of bed clearance. And a trailer that rides 2.5 deg nose high. Now I am looking for ways to fix that. The front of the trailer is 13' 6" to the top of the air conditioner, so raising the trailer with axle boxes will put me over that. That might be problematic. So I may have to get a low profile front a/c unit and then raise the trailer.

For now, I am ok with riding nose high vs. destroying my truck and trailer. We've only owned the trailer (Salem Hemisphere 290RL) for 6 months and haven't been on any long trips.

Yes those bump stops, the 2011 2500HD when installing the air bags the bump stops are removed, air bag bracket replaces the bump stop giving a couple inches more clearance, but I wanted more clearance, I had the suspension shop remove the bump stop mount bracket to the frame and remounted the airbag bracket to the frame. We love this 5th wheel, cost of newer 5th wheel which has higher clearance would be over $30 k, much cheaper for me to modify.

[corn18]

Originally Posted by Daniel.mullins4

Yes those bump stops, the 2011 2500HD when installing the air bags the bump stops are removed, air bag bracket replaces the bump stop giving a couple inches more clearance, but I wanted more clearance, I had the suspension shop remove the bump stop mount bracket to the frame and remounted the airbag bracket to the frame. We love this 5th wheel, cost of newer 5th wheel which has higher clearance would be over $30 k, much cheaper for me to modify.

I have airbags with built in bump stops. When I had the drop shackles in, I was on the bump stops in the airbags with 5 psi in the bags. That was a terrible setup. Don’t get drop shackles. You will regret it.

[DuluthCamper]

Thank you so much for weighing in on these questions, Qwkynuf!

Here's some clarification:

When I talk about the truck's bed rails, I'm talking about the sides of the box, on top of which ride the tonneau rails. The sides of the truck are the same height as the tail gate. On a bad enough dip in the road, the bottom of the fifth wheel's front overhang gets too close to the top rear corners of the truck, at the rails, and at the tonneau cover's track.

For my purposes, the rails are the same height as the tail gate. Plus they have another inch of lost clearance on top of each rail that's given to the tonneau cover's track.

I agree, the simplest, least-expensive immediate fix is to raise the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck.

Alternatively, I could lower the king pin of the trailer. Or both!

Both actions result in the front of the trailer riding higher in the air, and that's a problem. I'd like the trailer to ride level with equal weight on both axles. But it's already riding front-high. Increasing the fifth wheel hitch height, or lowering the king pin, to increase the clearance of the camper's overhang at the rear corners of the truck's box results in a greater imbalance between the trailers two axles. Even more weight will ride on the rear axle, and less on the front one.

I'd like to avoid that. I'm not sure I can without running into some other undesirable consequence. (I'm talking about raising the trailer with spacers above the axle, which will solve some of the problem, at the expense of being more top-heavy, and losing clearance below bridges. And also the draconian solution of picking a different truck.)

The trailer rides slightly front-high--not very much. But it's obvious to look at. The problem seems to be that the truck (2016 Chev 2500HD Turbo Diesel) has such a large rake (high rear end, low front end) from the factory that its rear end's height gets in the way of the 5th wheel's overhang.

The truck is stock. No lift has been applied to it. This is just the way Chevrolet thought people would like a 3/4 Diesel truck to look. Emphasis on the racing angle AND the heavy-duty look of high clearance, suggesting it can handle a huge load, based on all the space above the tires in the wheel wells.

The area in danger on the bottom of the trailer's overhang is approximately 3' or 4' back from the front of the king pin over the truck's rear axle.

It seems the solution would be:

A. Lowering the rear (or the front AND rear) of the truck. But per other comments in this thread, someone who did that ended up with underside clearance problems in the suspension, and their ride was so poor that they undid the 2" drop they'd done to the truck.

B. Raising the trailer. I could buy replacement torsion axles that have a different angle on them to raise the trailer. They're about $2000 for a pair, plus labor. It's more than I'd like to spend, and it's something I don't have equipment to do myself.

C. Raising the fifth wheel hitch, or lowering the king pin, or both.

D. Some combination of all of the above. If I did raise the hitch and/or lower the king pin AND lowered the truck, I still might have to raise the trailer to get it to ride level.

E. Buy a different truck. That's not the end of the world; I've only put 12K on this one in a year, and given it's a '16 turbo diesel, it's easily got 200K+ left of life in it, and it should sell easily. Selling it & buying a different one is a bit extreme, but could possibly be the right solution in the end.

Frankly it's turned into a bit of a can of worms; each suggested solution has consequences that seem too negative to accept.

In this case, I like the trailer; finding a different one that meets my camper criteria is not on the table. It'd be easier to find a different truck.

I truly do appreciate your request for clarification, and your analysis of the problems, and the conclusions you provided.

Thanks so much!

Rick

Originally Posted by Qwkynuf

I have read all of the posts in this thread, and I feel like a lot of the confusion results from imprecise descriptions and possibly misuse of terminology.

When most people talk about "rails" in the context of a truck bed, they are specifically speaking about the side rails that run front to back. But it seems to me that you are talking about the top of the tailgate - is that correct? If so, i think you will find that many people wouldn't automatically think of that based on your description.

I have read tons of posts on here about "bed rail clearance", and it has always been about getting clear of the side rails, so the advice to raise the hitch or lower the hitch box makes sense. If you only have a couple of inches of clearance to your side rails, you don't have to get very far off camber before there's a body shop in your future.

It seems to me that what you are describing is that your trailer is very off-level front to back, and that the point where the overhang crosses the tailgate is only a couple of inches, but it angles upward, so there is plenty of clearance at the nose. Is that the case? Is the plate on your 5th wheel hitch level when connected? Or does it slope toward the back of your truck? Is your truck lifted (aftermarket) or is it stock ride height?

If the truck and the trailer are both stock, and the trailer rides nose-high, then something is going to have to be modified. If you lower the truck, you are affecting its load-carrying capability and limiting suspension travel. If you raise the trailer you are potentially creating stability and/or clearance issues. It may just be that you bought the wrong trailer for your truck.

[DuluthCamper]

Daniels, you've added a couple of new ingredients to the recipe, and I'm interested in learning more.

I'll ask some specifics:

1. You mentioned: "lowering is no different than hauling a heavy load which will drop your rear 3", the stock chevy 2500HD is 4" high on the rear."

If the rear of the truck were lowered 3", that leaves 1" higher than level. When I put the camper on the truck's 5th wheel hitch, it drops more than an inch. Is this a concern? Will there be insufficient vertical distance to accommodate the bed of the truck lowering a few more inches due to the 1000 lbs the king pin will put on it? Someone else offered the observation in this thread that they lowered their truck for the same reason, then had a problem with the suspension bottoming out. Their ride was negatively impacted do the degree that they had to put the 2" lift back in that they had removed.

2. You also wrote that you: "tightened the front torsion a few turns to raise 1" to level the truck."

I've never been a true wrench-head, and this is the first time I've hear of tightening front torsion to raise it by turning something. Would you mind expanding on this? Maybe drop in a Youtube link showing someone actually doing this? I wasn't aware this adjustment was even available.

3. You wrote: "I needed the air bags due to the weight of the 5th wheel dropping the rear, I add air to the bags to level the truck and the 5th wheel."

Air bags are another new one on me--one of the many "joys" of being a novice to trucks & trailers.. I'd love to hear more on why they're needed, how they're installed, since it seems like they'd raise the rear end when it was just lowered. I must be confused about what you meant. Can you help me better understand the nuts & bolts of how & why air bags were a good fit for your needs?


I sincerely appreciate your input!

Yours,

Rick

Originally Posted by Daniel.mullins4

I have 2 wheel drive and found no information that I would have to modify the driveline, I found info that the driveline had enough play to lower 3", lowering is no different than hauling a heavy load which will drop your rear 3", the stock chevy 2500HD is 4" high on the rear. It is expected for the rear to drop when loaded, the amount of drop depends on the weight. I lowered 3" and tightened the front torsion a few turns to raise 1" to level the truck, I did not notice any change in the drivability, I checked with alignment shop, they said no need to adjust alignment for 1" raise in front, I did find I needed the air bags due to the weight of the 5th wheel dropping the rear, I add air to the bags to level the truck and the 5th wheel.

[DuluthCamper]

Thank you, Nayther, for that input. It's nice to hear from someone who's done the trailer lift and not had things seem tippy.

Yours,

Rick

Originally Posted by nayther

I can't comment on the torsion axles as I've only had conventional springs. The only real solution (I'm in the same boat) is to raise the trailer. Lowering the truck really reduces wheel travel. I tow nose up, no choice unless I lift my trailer about 4". on conventional suspension adding a 4" box section under the frame and rehanging the axles is the best option (my axles are under-spring already) but I don't know if that is a possibility.



I'd not be too concerned about additional top heaviness, not enough to be noticiable.

[corn18]

Originally Posted by DuluthCamper

Thank you so much for weighing in on these questions, Qwkynuf!

Here's some clarification:

When I talk about the truck's bed rails, I'm talking about the sides of the box, on top of which ride the tonneau rails. The sides of the truck are the same height as the tail gate. On a bad enough dip in the road, the bottom of the fifth wheel's front overhang gets too close to the top rear corners of the truck, at the rails, and at the tonneau cover's track.

For my purposes, the rails are the same height as the tail gate. Plus they have another inch of lost clearance on top of each rail that's given to the tonneau cover's track.

I agree, the simplest, least-expensive immediate fix is to raise the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck.

Alternatively, I could lower the king pin of the trailer. Or both!

Both actions result in the front of the trailer riding higher in the air, and that's a problem. I'd like the trailer to ride level with equal weight on both axles. But it's already riding front-high. Increasing the fifth wheel hitch height, or lowering the king pin, to increase the clearance of the camper's overhang at the rear corners of the truck's box results in a greater imbalance between the trailers two axles. Even more weight will ride on the rear axle, and less on the front one.

I'd like to avoid that. I'm not sure I can without running into some other undesirable consequence. (I'm talking about raising the trailer with spacers above the axle, which will solve some of the problem, at the expense of being more top-heavy, and losing clearance below bridges. And also the draconian solution of picking a different truck.)

The trailer rides slightly front-high--not very much. But it's obvious to look at. The problem seems to be that the truck (2016 Chev 2500HD Turbo Diesel) has such a large rake (high rear end, low front end) from the factory that its rear end's height gets in the way of the 5th wheel's overhang.

The truck is stock. No lift has been applied to it. This is just the way Chevrolet thought people would like a 3/4 Diesel truck to look. Emphasis on the racing angle AND the heavy-duty look of high clearance, suggesting it can handle a huge load, based on all the space above the tires in the wheel wells.

The area in danger on the bottom of the trailer's overhang is approximately 3' or 4' back from the front of the king pin over the truck's rear axle.

It seems the solution would be:

A. Lowering the rear (or the front AND rear) of the truck. But per other comments in this thread, someone who did that ended up with underside clearance problems in the suspension, and their ride was so poor that they undid the 2" drop they'd done to the truck.

B. Raising the trailer. I could buy replacement torsion axles that have a different angle on them to raise the trailer. They're about $2000 for a pair, plus labor. It's more than I'd like to spend, and it's something I don't have equipment to do myself.

C. Raising the fifth wheel hitch, or lowering the king pin, or both.

D. Some combination of all of the above. If I did raise the hitch and/or lower the king pin AND lowered the truck, I still might have to raise the trailer to get it to ride level.

E. Buy a different truck. That's not the end of the world; I've only put 12K on this one in a year, and given it's a '16 turbo diesel, it's easily got 200K+ left of life in it, and it should sell easily. Selling it & buying a different one is a bit extreme, but could possibly be the right solution in the end.

Frankly it's turned into a bit of a can of worms; each suggested solution has consequences that seem too negative to accept.

In this case, I like the trailer; finding a different one that meets my camper criteria is not on the table. It'd be easier to find a different truck.

I truly do appreciate your request for clarification, and your analysis of the problems, and the conclusions you provided.

Thanks so much!

Rick

Rick,

How much higher is the front of the trailer now? Even with my drop shackles and the axle bottomed out, I still was not level with my 5er. I had to drop the king pin to its lowest setting, and then I was level. Yeah!!!! But oh my, the problems I created. I have the Andersen Ultimate setup and I had the adapter set to the forward position. Once I dropped the kingpin to its lowest setting, I had no clearance from the back of the kingpin to the side bed rails. I didn't notice this at first, but luckily my buddy saw it. If I had gone past 45 deg, I would have destroyed my bed. So I reversed the Andersen adapter to move the kingpin forward and that fixed the side clearance issue. But now the front of the trailer was closer to my rear window and limited my turns.

I also have a tonneau cover that sticks up about an inch. My clearance was 4" from the top of the tonneau rail when I had the king pin at the lowest setting. That is not enough.

But at least I was level, right?

I am done with flirting with disaster. So I set the kingpin to it highest position and set the Andersen adapter to give me maximum front clearance. Now I have 7" of clearance and I can go almost 90 deg without anything hitting. I am also 2.5 deg nose high. I can live with that for now.

My recommendation is to set up the kingpin for proper clearance. Do not lower your rear end. Once that is done, use an inclinometer or a good bubble level to see how nose high you are. I am of the opinion that nose high is not a bad thing. I almost destroyed my truck in search of level. I may get there eventually, but I'd rather be a little nose high with good bed clearances than level with a good chance of destroying my truck.

And be careful with a new truck. Bring a tape measure because I don't think the new HD trucks are any lower than your 2016.

[DuluthCamper]

Thank you, Moose074.

I feel more confident after your analysis and comments.

I just picked up the camper from winter storage. Later this week I'll get it out on the paved road & do a little more detailed height measurement for the top of the camper.

I do recall the highest part of my camper is 12' 7" when it's attached to the truck, even though the brochure says the top is 12' high. That 12' measurement doesn't include the top of the fan covers, nor the top of the air conditioner. It also doesn't include any truck rear-end rake height. It's just the "level-parked" height.

And will look for the space between the bump stops when the trailer's connected. I don't know the previous owner didn't add something to lift or make the rear end more stiff, but I'll check that out as well.

Thank you again, so VERY much!

Yours,

Rick

Originally Posted by moose074

So you seem to be doing a lot of research, I will agree you need a level ride a 5th wheel with a 1k hitch should remove most of your two inch rake. How far do you have before you bump stops hit axle are you sure prior owner didn’t add springs or some thing else like sumos or timbrens . I also looked at the height of your 5th wheel it’s less than 12 ft mine is 12’7 just verified on brochure where all the 2017 Wildcats on that brochure were 12’ or higher. Hook up and get a good measurement. Your staring off lower than most of us you should be ok in that department for 99.6 percent of underpass

[Daniel.mullins4]

Originally Posted by DuluthCamper

Daniels, you've added a couple of new ingredients to the recipe, and I'm interested in learning more.

I'll ask some specifics:

1. You mentioned: "lowering is no different than hauling a heavy load which will drop your rear 3", the stock chevy 2500HD is 4" high on the rear."

If the rear of the truck were lowered 3", that leaves 1" higher than level. When I put the camper on the truck's 5th wheel hitch, it drops more than an inch. Is this a concern? Will there be insufficient vertical distance to accommodate the bed of the truck lowering a few more inches due to the 1000 lbs the king pin will put on it? Someone else offered the observation in this thread that they lowered their truck for the same reason, then had a problem with the suspension bottoming out. Their ride was negatively impacted do the degree that they had to put the 2" lift back in that they had removed.

2. You also wrote that you: "tightened the front torsion a few turns to raise 1" to level the truck."

I've never been a true wrench-head, and this is the first time I've hear of tightening front torsion to raise it by turning something. Would you mind expanding on this? Maybe drop in a Youtube link showing someone actually doing this? I wasn't aware this adjustment was even available.

3. You wrote: "I needed the air bags due to the weight of the 5th wheel dropping the rear, I add air to the bags to level the truck and the 5th wheel."

Air bags are another new one on me--one of the many "joys" of being a novice to trucks & trailers.. I'd love to hear more on why they're needed, how they're installed, since it seems like they'd raise the rear end when it was just lowered. I must be confused about what you meant. Can you help me better understand the nuts & bolts of how & why air bags were a good fit for your needs?


I sincerely appreciate your input!

Yours,

Rick

We are camping this week, when we return I will get all picks, of my truck suspension with the air bags, Trailer loaded with suspension travel, i purchased the Firestone air bags, compressor with wireless remote, $650 for the kit, something you can look up in the meantime

[PeterTheWolf]

I had to raise my shackles 3" on our 5th wheel trailer since the F350 was too high. Did not want to alter the truck do to warranty. Shame the the truck MFGer and Trailer MFGs are not on the same page. Also added a cross bar on center shackles for lateral strength.

[cadman99]

I also have a Rockwood 5th wheel. The Forest River 5th wheels are all equipped with their " Revolution " pin box which has no provision for adjusting it's height. I also have a Reese sliding hitch which can be adjusted up or down about 6". I tow with a 2009 Silverado 2500 diesel. My setup is level when hitched. So either your truck is higher or your trailer lower. Where in the bed is the hitch installed? Possibly you could move the hitch a bit to the rear.