5th wheel tripod with superglide hitch

[muddyrode]

is anyone using a tripod on there 5th wheel that runs a superglide hitch if so what mods did you do to make it work with the capture plate?

[wbdavey]

Had a Superglide on a 5th wheel and it works fine with a tripod. The capture plate has a hole in the middle and the pin protrudes down through the plate (which is only about 0.25" thick). The tripod slides up over the pin and screws upward around the pin.

[frozen]

I cut a half inch thick oak disk that fits tightly down inside the "cup" on the tripod. That gave the little bit of clearance that was needed to keep the king pin from binding in the cup.

[muddyrode]

my capture plate has a set screw on the rear side bottom that goes up aginst the kingpin to hold it in place as it is a universal capture plate?
thus the set screw is the problen for the tripod

[frozen]

We don't like to start cutting on things, but could you cut a slot in the cup to fit around the set screw? In addition to the wood disk I mentioned in an earlier post, I also cut a little off the top of the cup, making the cup shallower. My problem was a lack of space between the king pin and the wedge on the capture plate. I understand that yours is a different problem.

[BamaBob]

Personally? IMHO, ditch the tripod and install JT Strongarms. One less thing you will have to stow in the basement, and the JTs are vastly superior to the tripod.


JTs + BAL X-Chocks are the best stability solution short of going to a full-up 6-point Lippert hydraulic stabilizer (and several thousand $$ cheaper to boot )


If you are going to the FROG International Rally in Goshen, Lippert usually runs show specials on the JT's and you can get them installed on the spot (since Lippert is right there in Goshen )

[muddyrode]

Originally Posted by frozen

We don't like to start cutting on things, but could you cut a slot in the cup to fit around the set screw? In addition to the wood disk I mentioned in an earlier post, I also cut a little off the top of the cup, making the cup shallower. My problem was a lack of space between the king pin and the wedge on the capture plate. I understand that yours is a different problem.

but you can't cut a slot in the cup because you have to turn the cup to adjust it up for support?

[frozen]

Originally Posted by kmac

but you can't cut a slot in the cup because you have to turn the cup to adjust it up for support?

Yup, forgot about the need to rotate. I have a Reese Revolution hitch on my Rockwood, but chose to continue using my Superglide instead. There's no need for a capture plate, but there's a wedge bolted directly onto the pinbox. The wedge actually contacts the back of the king pin, so I was forced to cut the top of the tripod cup away. I just went out and measured: the cup has been cut back to 2 7/8", and the oak disk in the bottom is 7/8" high, so I have 2" of cup depth remaining. It works as well now as it did with my previous trailer before I made the cut.
The suggestion others have made to use the Strong Arm system is a good one, but there comes a point where I want to stop throwing money into the pit.

[frozen]

Sorry for the sideways photo folks. I need to be trained.

[N9ID]

We use a tripod with our capture plate all the time. I haven't made any modifications to either the tripod or the capture plate.

Mike

[Tennesseetroy]

They make a tripod that the lower portion of kingpin just slides into and then just adjust legs and your set. BAL rv product group model #25066 . Camping world

[muddyrode]

thats not a bad idea to put a hard wood block in the bottom of the cup to let the pin sit on so the top of the cup won't have to sit against the bottom of the plate
thanks to all