Help and Advice on a badly placed 5th wheel

[Wiccedbug]

So I have a 35 ft 5th Wheel, that was put into a spot (barley) with a fence right on front of it. We had to improvise to get it unhooked but managed. Problem is now, the space between the fence and the hitch is not enough for any RV movers to even attempt to move this since they can't get their truck in there easily and we don't have any other option. Is there any way to pull this thing backwards 10 feet or so to make space for a truck to hook up? I was thinking come-a-longs to the back axle but I'm not sure of balance issues. If I bring the Jack's all the way up will the 5th wheel just fall forward if not hooked up to anything?

[RedLionCookie]

If you're going to pull it backwards, would it make more sense to put something under pin to slide on rather than the jacks? Raise the camper up with the jacks, build a "table with a track for the pin to slide down". Retract the jacks so all the weight is on the "table" then pull it back.

Raise it back up, move the table, repeat.

As long as the table is sturdy enough to carry the weight it should work.

[RedLionCookie]

In the campground where my 5'er is parked they use a backhoe to place and remove campers in tight spaces. They back the backhoe in and use the little bucket on the back. I would think this would work even on the soft ground as they would be able to put the landing gear down before picking it up.

But again this would cost money that it doesn't seem the OP has to spend.

[laknox]

sayoung wrote:

bucky wrote:
This is all conjecture without a PICTURE!

I said earlier the rv is probably junk & the neighbor built the fence to not see it. OP would have shown us if it was looking like new.

OP said he was living in it due to losing everything in a hurricane.

Lyle

[Edd505]

still no answer on what was used to put it there.

[sayoung]

bucky wrote:
This is all conjecture without a PICTURE!

I said earlier the rv is probably junk & the neighbor built the fence to not see it. OP would have shown us if it was looking like new.

[JRscooby]

ependydad wrote:


The only way you won't bend the jacks if you fully retract them.

RV landing gear are surprisingly weak. Nothing like you'll find on a semi-trailer chassis.

Not necessary to fully retract, just enough to get them off the ground.
And many legs on semi-trailers have been bent by pushing the trailer.

[bucky]

This is all conjecture without a PICTURE!

[4x4ord]

Years ago a fellow I knew parked his camper at a buddies place and didn't move it out when he was asked to. By the time he finally got around to moving his camper there was a 40 x 40 shop built right in font of his camper. I ended up building a simple turntable out of some pipe and an old tractor rim. We jacked his camper up slid the turntable underneath and lowered the camper down on it. Then we simply rotated the camper 90 degrees. In your case it could be rotated 180 degrees.

[ependydad]

Wiccedbug wrote:
The physics of a well oiled sanded board seem sound. If it slides well it's not going to bend the jacks. I'm going to go with this method.

The only way you won't bend the jacks if you fully retract them.

RV landing gear are surprisingly weak. Nothing like you'll find on a semi-trailer chassis.

[laknox]

rjstractor wrote:

Super_Dave wrote:
Small forklift rental in my area is under $250 for a full day. A small Kubota is likely even cheaper.

Not a bad idea, but forklifts are usually terrible on sandy, uneven terrain (unless it's an all terrain model) and a small tractor won't have nearly enough loader capacity to handle the kingpin weight and still have enough rear wheel traction to move the trailer.

Which is why almost every front loader manual tells you to add counterweights on the 3-pt hitch, and the company usually sells a pre-made box you can fill with whatever you like; spare wheel weights, concrete, scrap iron, etc. Counterweight on our 2 tractors with loaders are backhoes. :B

Lyle

[rjstractor]

Super_Dave wrote:
Small forklift rental in my area is under $250 for a full day. A small Kubota is likely even cheaper.

Not a bad idea, but forklifts are usually terrible on sandy, uneven terrain (unless it's an all terrain model) and a small tractor won't have nearly enough loader capacity to handle the kingpin weight and still have enough rear wheel traction to move the trailer.

[laknox]

In TX, I can't believe that there isn't a neighbor with a tractor and 4-5k capacity front loader that wouldn't do this for a case of Lone Star and bragging rights. :B

Lyle

[Walaby]

Really don't understand why OP won't post at least one pic so we can get an understanding of exactly what the deal is.

Mike

[JRscooby]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
two floor jacks, the kind with wheels on them, on plywood sheets. Transfer the weight to them and slowly pull it backwards.
B.O.

I think a better idea would be block on 2-4 of the dollies we use to move cars around in the shop. We found a floor jack works if, and only if, you pull the jack. Push the car, car slides off jack or jack turns over.

[B_O__Plenty]

two floor jacks, the kind with wheels on them, on plywood sheets. Transfer the weight to them and slowly pull it backwards.
B.O.