New to 5th Wheel Question

[rmw408]

When I pull my 5th wheel home from storage the night before we leave to pack and get my fridge cold, do I need to unhook from the truck or can I leave it hooked up over night? My real question is will it do any damage to the truck to sit for 24 hours with the 5th Wheel hooked on and all the weight on the truck?

Thanks!

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by rmw408

When I pull my 5th wheel home from storage the night before we leave to pack and get my fridge cold, do I need to unhook from the truck or can I leave it hooked up over night? My real question is will it do any damage to the truck to sit for 24 hours with the 5th Wheel hooked on and all the weight on the truck?

Thanks!

If you're worried about it, run the landing jacks down to take the load off.

But, it shouldn't be any difference than towing for 24 hrs.

[slide5r4fun]

If it were me, I would set the landing gear down and remove some/most of the weight from the truck. No reason to leave that load on the truck overnight if you don't have to.

[rmw408]

That is what I was thinking. Thanks for the responses!

[WEMig]

You have no worries about keeping the weight on it over night. You are talking about your Ram 3500?

[fast murray]

I know a few racers that never unhook their 40'+ race trailers all summer long. Over night should be no big deal.

[prairiecamper]

The other thing you have to consider is the fridge level, if you remain hooked up to the truck?

[rmw408]

Originally Posted by WEMig

You have no worries about keeping the weight on it over night. You are talking about your Ram 3500?

Yes

[QCCowboy]

I usually leave mine connected to the truck but do put the landing gear down not just to get a little bit of the weight off of the truck, but more so to add a little bit more stability to the camper. Without it down it really moves around a lot as we are loading and unloading. I just raise it enough to shift the weight to the landing gear, not enough to raise it off the hitch.

[ependydad]

We usually leave it hitched up- sometimes for a day or two or three depending on when we go fetch the camper. We do level it up if we're going to be in and out a lot. Leveling is 4-lynx levelers high. Just going in/out, the movement doesn't bother us.

I've also done overnight stops on the way home and left it hitched up. That time I did run the landing gear and stabilizers down for comfort while we all we inside.

No worries!

[ependydad]

It's not a whole lot difference leaving a load in the truck bed. I took 1,500 pounds of yard waste to the dump 5 days after we loaded it into the truck. My pin weight is about 2,300 so it wasn't as much- but same idea.

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Originally Posted by slide5r4fun

If it were me, I would set the landing gear down and remove some/most of the weight from the truck. No reason to leave that load on the truck overnight if you don't have to.

X2

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by prairiecamper

The other thing you have to consider is the fridge level, if you remain hooked up to the truck?

This is why I run the landing gear down when I am hooked up for a short overnight stay and an early (before quiet hours) launch. Last thing I want is the fridge to stop working due to coolant pooling in the coils.

I also disconnect the umbilical cord from the truck.

[Sirsea]

If the campsite is level and we want to get an early start we don't unhook, put down any stabilizers or connect water; just plug in the power.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Sirsea

If the campsite is level and we want to get an early start we don't unhook, put down any stabilizers or connect water; just plug in the power.

My camper is not level when we are connected to the truck on a level surface; it is slightly nose down.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by herk7769

My camper is not level when we are connected to the truck on a level surface; it is slightly nose down.

I think I'm the same, though I haven't measured to confirm. But- when we overnighted for an easy getaway the next day, we did drop the landing gear and between the squat in the truck and play in the hitch, we were able to level front to back and stay hitched. Saved us a little time in the morning.

[garbonz]

I thought that absolutely level was not needed in the current generation refers.

[ependydad]

I know I don't worry about it- but I've been wrong before. :-)

[prairiecamper]

To be level without unhitching I have placed boards, underneath truck tires to correct for nose down, underneath trailer tires for nose high, and under one side or the other for side to side! After leveling stabs down to minimize rocking. I kept telling my brother he needed to be more level, didn't believe me until fridge had to be replaced, older trailer, quite expensive!

[Oaklevel]

Level seems to still be very important as we have a friend that their frig stopped working sitting "on" & not level.........

Just remember if you put the landing gear down to put it up before leaving...... If level should be no big deal leaving hooked up.... Shouldn't hurt a 3500 to be left hooked up .....