New truck.....now what?

[BusaGuy]

I just bought a new to me 2012 Ram 3500 Dually 4*4. This truck sits higher than my 2004 ram did. I am going to have new 5th wheel rails installed but how do I get the correct highth to clear the bed of my new truck?

[Cummins12V98]

BusaGuy wrote:
Well, I lowered my hitch one notch and hooked up the camper. The truck squated and I have about 7inches of clearance between the camper and the bed rails so I should be good to go. I sure do feel better. The setup looks level so I don't have to worry about the camper riding too high either. What a relief!!!

Perfect example of check it out first before spending a bunch of money.

Happy it worked for you!

[Cummins12V98]

Me Again wrote:
The new trucks settle more with load vs older trucks. Hitch up before you get to worried. Chris

That is fact! That is how they newer trucks ride better.

[JIMNLIN]

New truck.....now what?

Hook up the trailer "first" and then see what it if anything it needs. ou may be worrying about nothing.

[Wood_chip]

glazier wrote:

MtnRanch wrote:
I'd like to buy a 2015 Chevy/GMC 2500HD but I measured the height from the ground to the top of the bed rails and it is 59 1/2". That's 1/2" more than the distance from the ground to the bottom of my 5th wheel and I don't think my 5th is unusual. I understand that the truck will sag a bit but not until I connect and certainly not enough to give me reasonable clearance with a level trailer.

If anyone knows of a lowering kit please speak up. The trailer is already spring-over-axle so not much room to go there. It has a MorRyde suspension so I can't use the wheel alignment kit that raises the trailer by 2".

What were GM engineers thinking? I asked a dealer about this and they pulled out a tape measure, made the same measurements that I did and then just gave me a befuddled, glazed stare.

I thought I'd ask some owners while I'm on this cross country trip. So far I've stayed in about 20 RV parks and I've yet to find a late model Chevy with a fifth wheel. Maybe that says it all.

I don't have a problem with my current setup.

MtnRanch
How did this work out for you? I have the identical truck to glazier but it is not here yet from Michigan. My theoretical numbers differ than glaziers but it appears I will be ok as well if my truck reacts like glaziers.

[glazier]

MtnRanch wrote:
Glazier - what is the distance between the bottom of the trailer and the ground when the trailer is sitting level? How much clearance are you getting?

My truck pulls almost perfect level with my pin weight. My trailer is about 1" Nose High.

No Pin weight on my truck, just my hitch and full tank of fuel, no passengers- Top of Bed Rails in Rear = 57-1/2"

Loaded With Pin Weight, Top of Bed Rails in Rear - 55-1/2

Truck Squats 2" under Pin Weight

Bottom of trailer after hooked to hitch, ready to roll - 63-1/2"

Bed Clearance = 8"

[MtnRanch]

Glazier - what is the distance between the bottom of the trailer and the ground when the trailer is sitting level? How much clearance are you getting?

[glazier]

MtnRanch wrote:
I'd like to buy a 2015 Chevy/GMC 2500HD but I measured the height from the ground to the top of the bed rails and it is 59 1/2". That's 1/2" more than the distance from the ground to the bottom of my 5th wheel and I don't think my 5th is unusual. I understand that the truck will sag a bit but not until I connect and certainly not enough to give me reasonable clearance with a level trailer.

If anyone knows of a lowering kit please speak up. The trailer is already spring-over-axle so not much room to go there. It has a MorRyde suspension so I can't use the wheel alignment kit that raises the trailer by 2".

What were GM engineers thinking? I asked a dealer about this and they pulled out a tape measure, made the same measurements that I did and then just gave me a befuddled, glazed stare.

I thought I'd ask some owners while I'm on this cross country trip. So far I've stayed in about 20 RV parks and I've yet to find a late model Chevy with a fifth wheel. Maybe that says it all.

I don't have a problem with my current setup.

[MtnRanch]

I'd like to buy a 2015 Chevy/GMC 2500HD but I measured the height from the ground to the top of the bed rails and it is 59 1/2". That's 1/2" more than the distance from the ground to the bottom of my 5th wheel and I don't think my 5th is unusual. I understand that the truck will sag a bit but not until I connect and certainly not enough to give me reasonable clearance with a level trailer.

If anyone knows of a lowering kit please speak up. The trailer is already spring-over-axle so not much room to go there. It has a MorRyde suspension so I can't use the wheel alignment kit that raises the trailer by 2".

What were GM engineers thinking? I asked a dealer about this and they pulled out a tape measure, made the same measurements that I did and then just gave me a befuddled, glazed stare.

I thought I'd ask some owners while I'm on this cross country trip. So far I've stayed in about 20 RV parks and I've yet to find a late model Chevy with a fifth wheel. Maybe that says it all.

[retispcsi]

I had a 2003 3/4 ton Ram 4x4, now I have a 2012 Ram 3500 dually 4x4. I still tow the same trailer without any issues. First I have the shackles on the suspension up to the top bolt hole and adjustment of the pin box. I also use a B&W 3300 and it sits at the top setting. I measured the other day and I have 9 in of clearance. My truck squats about 2 inches with the loaded fiver. It rides level. My hitch sits just below my rails with at the highest level. My old RBW hitch sat way low and this is the problem that can be fixed but you need the proper hitch.

[BusaGuy]

Well, I lowered my hitch one notch and hooked up the camper. The truck squated and I have about 7inches of clearance between the camper and the bed rails so I should be good to go. I sure do feel better. The setup looks level so I don't have to worry about the camper riding too high either. What a relief!!!

[wandering1]

Put a lowering kit on the truck don't screw up the trailer.

[Alannyiri]

I was concerned about this same issue. We purchased a RW 38GK last September at the Hershey RV Show, and the dealer agreed to store it a year since we don't start FT until the end of 2014. This gave me time to get the best TV for our useage. I had already decided that a standard pickup box would offer awfully low clearance and little lockable storage, so I started looking for utility bed bodies I could mount on a Ram 3500 crew cab chassis cab dually, and found the Knapheide Westerner body. The bed sits an inch higher than the standard pickup, but the rails are seven inches lower, so this should give me plenty of clearance while also giving us about 40 cubic feet of lockable storage for tools and stuff. This rig will be delivered in June and will go to the Knapheide dealer, where they'll install the body. They will have to fabricate some brackets for the 22K Reese's hitch, but this shouldn't be a big problem. The moment of truth will come when I get the TV and drive the 300 miles to the RV dealer to pick up the 5er. It may be perfect, we may have to adjust the height of hitch and/or pin box, or it may all go horribly wrong. I did the research for two months, but some times the best laid plans of men... 🙂 If I had the $30K I'd have ordered a hauler body from Classy Chassis, but that was too rich for my blood. I'll let you know how it all works out.

[Shepherd]

I had a 2" leveling kit installed and helped in my situation, as noted relocating the spring pack spacers well also lower the bed.:C

[mudmaker]

Don't know about the newer trucks but on the older one I had I pulled a spacer block out that was under the spring pack and put it on the top which lowered the rear of the truck almost two inches. Was great cause it was easier to work out of and was at no cost to me.