Unlifted Ram 3500 4x4 too tall for 5th wheel?!!!

[Red Wolf]

Troutdog -

I bought a Ram 2500 4x4 after reading from folks here who said there would be no problems at all towing with it. (I couldn't find a new non-4x4 in my area, only rear-drive new trucks were duallies, only used RWD were super fancy leather $50k for a used)

Turns out, it's 5" taller at the tailgate than my old 2002 Ram 2500. This means that the 5th wheel was towing nose high, and also meant that the back of the bed was dangerously closer to the bottom of the overhanging 5th wheel - a little bit of tilt or tipping downward of the truck, and I'd be hitting that overhang.

I called Magnum Trailer, and they said they've modded trailers like mine before - they built a 4" lift kit out of I-beams, with crossed support bars in the front and rear. Magnum did a great job fabricating the life, which is welded to the frame. That was over three years ago, and several thousand miles of towing. It's worked well, but the trailer does sit 4" higher, so I have to keep that in mind when figure out what bridge height I can fit under (14').

Pics - (LINK)

[imzz4]

My 2015 2500HD Duramax 4wd had a B&W turnover ball in it when I got it. So I chose the Pullrite 20k single point hitch in it. Our 2015 Chaparral 29rls sat nose high especially when I set it up to get 6 in of bed clearance.
I decided to make 2" ss axel spacers for under the springs. I also went from 15's to 16" inch tires, and load range G while I was at it.
I was able to lower the hitch to the lowest hole, get the 6 inches of clearance, and it sits level . It was not that hard to do, and gave me peace of mind.
The entry steps are a bit higher now but that's no big deal..

[Hclarkx]

I raised my 8280WS Rockwood Ultra lite 3" to sit level on my 2015 2500 HD but still had only 4.5" of bed rail clearance. It's been a royal pain keeping the trailer off the bed rails but I made it 5 years. In the 5th year I was making a u-turn on a crowned road and didn't watch closely enough and it happened; a half inch dip in one rail. I'm not sure where the money will come from but the 2020 2500 HD (Chevy and GMC) will have a one inch lower bed and 1 inch shorter bed sides for a two inch increase in bed rail clearance in my case. Ford has improved theirs as well.

We boondock and dry camp a lot, but just getting into and out of gas stations or turning corners where there are rain dips in the road are just as problematic as the gravel roads. I really want 6.5 inches.