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SULTINI's avatar
SULTINI
Explorer
Feb 05, 2015

HITCHING AND UNHITCHING STEEP DRIVEWAY

Trading in my TT for a new FW next week. My driveway is tight plus it goes steep up to where the rear of the FW will sit. I am used to the steep driveway with the TT and the electric tounge jack. Any tips? No other options and the street is narrow. The drive is probably about 2 foot difference in about 35 feet.
  • Just get some 2x6x14" wood blocks and stack 4, 2 high, under each front landing jack. 5th wheel landing gear is slooow. The less you have to lower the better. Be careful about running the jacks all the way up or down. Some 5er designs don't allow for the motor to hit the stop. They will blow a fuse. I made a black felt pin mark about 1/2" from the raised position for a stop.
  • Overall pushing equipment to its extremes is no a good idea. Anawful lot of weight is going to be transfered onto the rear wheels, the rear spring & hanger in particular.

    This may be OK for a weekend at the CG but not so sure about longterm storage. I have had mine up to being able to walk under the kingpin a few times as well. It made for easy access to the front storage but it also made the trailer more shakey, as noted by a previous poster.
  • SULTINI wrote:
    Thanks likes to tow. Question do the landing gear, if that's what their called come down far? Like a couple feet?

    Use leveling blocks or 6x6 wood blocks under the landing gear if you need to extend the legs a lot. They will only go so far and the further they extend, the less stable the RV.
  • Veebyes wrote:
    2' over the full length of the 5er or 2' from wheels to pin? Also, wheels on the slope or wheels on the flat?

    If it is 2' from wheels to pin then that is quite a slope & you are not going to get it level after removal from TV. If wheels are on the slope you had better chock them real good & make sure the weight is on the chocks before begining to remove the TV. Chock all wheels fwd. Nothing has ever defied gravity so no reason to chock them aft.

    Have not seen any 5er legs with 2' of travel so leveling is going to be impossible without some creative use of bottle jacks & wood on the frame.

    I would agree 2' from pin to wheels would be impossible. I think he said 2' over 35' length. My 5th wheel is 35.5' long and I can lift it close to 2' overall because the lift point is a few feet behind the pin. I would think approximately 18" of travel would raise it the required amount. Before I start I chock the rear wheels with heavy duty chocks because the front wheels will have very little weight on them. Unfortunately I never measured mine but I would think it's close to 2' front to back. Mine is over 6' high at the front when level.
  • I would block the wheels, put about 6" of stable blocks under the landing gear and raise it up. No need to keep it level unless you want the frig on.
  • 2' over the full length of the 5er or 2' from wheels to pin? Also, wheels on the slope or wheels on the flat?

    If it is 2' from wheels to pin then that is quite a slope & you are not going to get it level after removal from TV. If wheels are on the slope you had better chock them real good & make sure the weight is on the chocks before begining to remove the TV. Chock all wheels fwd. Nothing has ever defied gravity so no reason to chock them aft.

    Have not seen any 5er legs with 2' of travel so leveling is going to be impossible without some creative use of bottle jacks & wood on the frame.
  • SULTINI wrote:
    Thanks likes to tow. Question do the landing gear, if that's what their called come down far? Like a couple feet?

    They should. Make sure they are fully retracted when you start. I chock the wheels with heavy duty wheel chocks, I use a 2X8 with a 6X6 on top under each leg, drop the legs then unhook and raise until level. It sounds like your driveway is similar to mine. I have to extend mine almost fully to get it level. I can walk under the front of mine when level.

    You'll love the 5th wheel. Likes to tow is correct. Much slower reaction time when backing up because pivot point is more forward. Will take some getting use to.
  • Thanks likes to tow. Question do the landing gear, if that's what their called come down far? Like a couple feet?
  • If there is only a two foot difference in elevation you will not even notice it. You will like towing a 5th wheel. However if the street is that narrow in front of your driveway you must be aware that 5th wheels react much slower to steering wheel corrections as you back up. Go to a shopping mall somewhere and practice. It just takes some getting used to. I have learned that it requires me to pull forward a few times a foot or two to get the truck positioned better.

    I used to be very proud that I could back a pull camper or boat into my driveway without pulling forward corrections, just back it in to the applause of my retired truck driver neighbor. Then when I brought the 5th wheel home that first time it took a few tries and some wheel marks in the grass to get it in, thankfully my neighbor was not home that day. Now after 5 years I can put it back with little problem but I still have to pull up slightly a time or two for corrections.