Hi everyone. I need help understanding how to adjust my leveling legs on my newly purchased 5th wheel. Specifically, how do you adjust them so I can lower the front beyond the stops on the leg (see photo)I unhitched the trailer and lower the front as far as the stop allows and it still need to go a bit lower to be level. What do you do? This is my first experience with a 5th wheel. Thanks for your response Lew

Loosen your stabilizers. Hitch it back up to the truck then raise the landing gear enough to take pressure off the pads. Pull the ring and the pin will release the bottom leg. Slide the inner leg up about 5 holes into the outer leg and make sure the pin engages completely in a hole. After unhitching lower your trailer to your desired height. As a rule of thumb, keep the inner leg short and the outer leg long. This will give the trailer more stability.I had mine delivered and couldn't get the trailer low enough to get it on my hitch. I had to put a jack in the bed of the truck and jack up the kingpin so I could adjust the landing gear as above. Enjoy your trailer and welcome to the forum.

Dont put so much of the leg out, lift the feet up and take up several inches of the foot, then lower more of the jack out to unhook and you will have more jack to lower with...I hope that made sense...let me try again....you have the pin in about the 20th hole...try only pinning the leg at the tench hole...and then screw out more of the jackClear as mud...but youll figure it out ;)Good luck, enjoy your rv

It is a learn as you go game. When you get the trailer into the site look at the level bubble. You will eventually get a feel for how much motorized leg you need to let out before unhooking from the truck. Basically the further you need to lower the front of the 5th wheel to be level the more motorized leg you need to run out. If the front needs to go down 6 inches you need to make sure you have run more than 6 inches of the leg out before lowering the pin adjusted leg. Then when you unhook you have enough motorized leg to run back up inside to get your nose down to level.

schlep1967 wrote:It is a learn as you go game. When you get the trailer into the site look at the level bubble. You will eventually get a feel for how much motorized leg you need to let out before unhooking from the truck. Basically the further you need to lower the front of the 5th wheel to be level the more motorized leg you need to run out. If the front needs to go down 6 inches you need to make sure you have run more than 6 inches of the leg out before lowering the pin adjusted leg. Then when you unhook you have enough motorized leg to run back up inside to get your nose down to level.X2!Schlep the perfect answer.

It looks to me as though that "Stop" is for a stopping point when you raise the legs, not lower them. IOW you can lower the leg past the "Stop" but you need to stop at that point when raising them.

Adjusting front legs on 5th wheel | Good Sam Community

15 Replies

schlep1967
Nomad
Apr 20, 2017
Thanks MudChucker. I don't get accused of making sense very ofen.
MudChucker wrote:
Holy carp does this ever make so much sense...clearly i was half asleep last night when i posted.

schlep1967 wrote:
It is a learn as you go game. When you get the trailer into the site look at the level bubble. You will eventually get a feel for how much motorized leg you need to let out before unhooking from the truck. Basically the further you need to lower the front of the 5th wheel to be level the more motorized leg you need to run out. If the front needs to go down 6 inches you need to make sure you have run more than 6 inches of the leg out before lowering the pin adjusted leg. Then when you unhook you have enough motorized leg to run back up inside to get your nose down to level.
mtofell1
Explorer
Apr 20, 2017
The RV pad on the side of my house slopes down to the back so to drop the nose of my 5th enough to sit level I must run my legs completely out. I etched marks just before they are fully extended because a fuse will sometimes pop if I "grind" them at the end.

I've messed up a couple times while setting up camping and it sucks having to hitch back up (I just hope no one from RV net is watching :))
jamway
Explorer
Apr 20, 2017
We have a Hoppy level 8525 on the side of the trailer near the switch for the jacks. This level will tell us how many inches the trailer is out of level.

We let the jacks down a little more than the level shows the trailer is out of level. Then we pull the pin that lets the jack plates down. That way we have enough power jacks to get the trailer level.
MudChucker
Explorer
Apr 20, 2017
Holy carp does this ever make so much sense...clearly i was half asleep last night whwn i posted.

schlep1967 wrote:
It is a learn as you go game. When you get the trailer into the site look at the level bubble. You will eventually get a feel for how much motorized leg you need to let out before unhooking from the truck. Basically the further you need to lower the front of the 5th wheel to be level the more motorized leg you need to run out. If the front needs to go down 6 inches you need to make sure you have run more than 6 inches of the leg out before lowering the pin adjusted leg. Then when you unhook you have enough motorized leg to run back up inside to get your nose down to level.
tinner12002
Explorer
Apr 19, 2017
I leave about 7 holes visible on mine all the time and just use the power button to adjust. They still are about 10-12" off the ground when powered most of the way up.
laknox
Nomad
Apr 19, 2017
I have a camping spot where I need to run the jacks down nearly 2' before I drop the extensions the remaining 4-6" to the ground. After I unhitch, I have to lower the nose that far to get level. You learn what you need to do as you go. First time I parked there, I had to re-hitch and drop the legs further.

Lyle
johntank
Explorer
Apr 18, 2017
smokeylew wrote:
Hey thanks guys! I think it makes sense now. What I was doing wrong was dropping the legs all the way to the ground from their full up position and then raising the trailer off the hitch. What I should have done was run some of the leg down before pulling the pins and letting them the rest of the way down to the ground. Right?

Yes you did, what I do is to run the main legs out 10 to 12 inches before I drop the adjustable inside leg to the ground.
jjj
Explorer
Apr 18, 2017
I raise my legs with the holes all the way up and pin them in. Then lower the whole thing with the power button until the foot is about a inch higher then the curb on the sidewalk.I then marked it with black paint for future reference. Then I lower the adjustable leg to the ground and pin it then I use the power button to raise or lower to where I need it. This has always worked for me. Good luck.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Apr 18, 2017
You got it in one. :)
smokeylew
Explorer
Apr 18, 2017
Hey thanks guys! I think it makes sense now. What I was doing wrong was dropping the legs all the way to the ground from their full up position and then raising the trailer off the hitch. What I should have done was run some of the leg down before pulling the pins and letting them the rest of the way down to the ground. Right?