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05-11-2020, 02:03 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 158
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new to fifth wheel towing
Do the following pics look like I have enough clearance? first pic the back of pinbox to tailgate, second pic level with bedrail. I have 8" clearance from the bedrail to the bottom of the fifth wheel
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05-11-2020, 07:40 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Brighton, CO
Posts: 180
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8" is more than sufficient. I believe 5" is generally considered the minimum. I have about 8" and I have been towing for many years without issue. If you happen to be in a very uneven site, where your truck must go over a steep downhill hump ahead of the trailer, be mindful of watching the clearance above the top of your tailgate as your truck pitches downward. Other than that...enjoy your drive and enjoy pulling that fiver.
__________________
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2014 Spartan 1032
2015 GMC 3500HD Denali 4WD/Duramax
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05-12-2020, 08:28 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 158
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyMtnMarty
8" is more than sufficient. I believe 5" is generally considered the minimum. I have about 8" and I have been towing for many years without issue. If you happen to be in a very uneven site, where your truck must go over a steep downhill hump ahead of the trailer, be mindful of watching the clearance above the top of your tailgate as your truck pitches downward. Other than that...enjoy your drive and enjoy pulling that fiver.
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I ended up raising the ball on the anderson 1 more notch to give me a little more bed rail clearance if I were in an extreme turn situation. Pulled great yesterday for the first time, the airbag levelers were worth every penny.
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05-12-2020, 08:41 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,140
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How level are you? I wouldnt want it to nose high and put extra wear on the rear most tires / bearings. I have about 7" of clearance and have never had any issues
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05-12-2020, 08:43 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 158
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronheater70
How level are you? I wouldnt want it to nose high and put extra wear on the rear most tires / bearings. I have about 7" of clearance and have never had any issues
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I will have to check it out when I get it back, it is back to the dealer getting fixed right now. I agree I do not want it out of level and will be sure it is not. My issue is with the king pin clearance not the clearance to the camper.
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05-12-2020, 01:27 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Riverview Campground
Posts: 58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scayne62
I will have to check it out when I get it back, it is back to the dealer getting fixed right now. I agree I do not want it out of level and will be sure it is not. My issue is with the king pin clearance not the clearance to the camper.
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The pitch of the trailer shouldn’t put uneven weight on the axles as long as they’re equipped with the equalizer on the springs.
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05-12-2020, 03:03 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Piedmont SD
Posts: 95
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I had the same concern/question with my Andersen set up. Watched an install video at their website. The video shows you points to measure in your truck bed, and at the pin box. Based on those measurements, they recommended that I rotate the pin box adapter( the red plastic thingy) 180 degrees to the rear. That moved the pin box 6/8 inches further away from my tailgate, with still plenty of room left between 5th wheel nose and truck cab. It worked out great for me. I did have to rerout my latch cable to the other side of pin box. Just 2 screws. Hope this helps
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05-12-2020, 07:48 PM
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#8
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Recently new!
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Arizona, in The Land of Scorch!
Posts: 1,206
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It has the appearance the electrical junction box just might hit your tailgate under extreme articulation front-to-rear. Might just be the camera angle, but look at it while going up or down uneven hills/bumps.
Have fun. You will find the fiver turns and tracks differently than a tow behind, so be careful with your turns and take them wider than you would with a tow behind, or pull out a bit further, as the fiver will track to the inside of your turns. Tires will hit curbs faster than you realize!
__________________
1987 Starcraft Nova tent trailer, purch. '87, sold 8.14
2013 Crusader 290RLT bought new, 8.14 lotsa mods!
2001 Ford F-250 7.3
Loving wife, R.I.P., 6/6/19
and Mason the always dirty dog! R.I.P, 2/19
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05-12-2020, 09:07 PM
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#9
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New to FR. Old to TT
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SW MI.
Posts: 235
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scayne62
I will have to check it out when I get it back, it is back to the dealer getting fixed right now. I agree I do not want it out of level and will be sure it is not. My issue is with the king pin clearance not the clearance to the camper.
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If I understood you have an Andersen 5th wheel hitch, we have the same and had problems with the bottom back edge of the air ride kingpin hiting the top of our tounu cover rail. I turned the Andersen reciver 180 degrees so the orange funnel now points to the rear, closer to the trailer. I was able to lower the hitch ball one hole and still have 6-7" of bed rail clearance. I still have almost 80-85 degrees turning, don't like to on anything but gravel, and only are close with the tailgate down with truck turned but still won't hit the trailer. We have a 6'-8" bed.
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05-15-2020, 09:19 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 158
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tall frog
If I understood you have an Andersen 5th wheel hitch, we have the same and had problems with the bottom back edge of the air ride kingpin hiting the top of our tounu cover rail. I turned the Andersen reciver 180 degrees so the orange funnel now points to the rear, closer to the trailer. I was able to lower the hitch ball one hole and still have 6-7" of bed rail clearance. I still have almost 80-85 degrees turning, don't like to on anything but gravel, and only are close with the tailgate down with truck turned but still won't hit the trailer. We have a 6'-8" bed.
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When I go get it at the dealer this weekend I am going to spin that around and see if that helps me
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