Probably dumb question, but here goes....

[tnclays]

One of the limitations we had for buying our last fiver was that a number of the longer ones we were interested in couldn't make it up our driveway without bottoming out somewhere, e.g. sewer drain, rear bumper, etc. We settled on our current unit because a) it had a floor plan that met our needs and b) it made it up the driveway with no problem. Luckily, it was all for the best as I learned more about pin weights from this forum I discovered that some of the longer (and heavier) units probably would have been too much for my truck (naturally, the dealer never helped with that consideration!).

So now, to the question. I am about to pull the trigger on a dually that will greatly expand our weight horizon; and we have started looking at some longer fifth wheels. But I am mindful of the "bottoming out" issue with my driveway.

I think I have seen reference on the forum to folks who have "flipped axles" to increase the clearance of the bottom of their units. Is this easily done--by a service shop--- and how much additional clearance can be gained (probably specific to the unit) by this?

I appreciate any thoughts/comments. Thanks!

[rattleNsmoke]

I have a set of 6" 'skid wheels' mounted to my frame. Works beautifully.
Mike

[rsg63]

Not a dumb question at all. But a dumb subject line? Certainly.
Not helpful at all for searches, or even for people wanting to help and answer questions while looking through the forum.

[Dtaylor]

If the axles are already mounted on the underneath side of the springs, they cannot be flipped. Another option would be to add a leaf to the springs. This is not terribly expensive to do either.

[R12RTee]

If you are dragging only when going from the street into a driveway or lot then I'd say you only need to install a set of skid wheels or skid rollers. Have them installed by a competent shop that can reinforce the frame if needed. It is a much better solution than raising the fiver for the few times they are needed.

Here are a couple pics to show what I am referring to.

[tnclays]

Thanks all for the helpful comments and suggestions!!

We will keep working this and see where we get. We have a covered storage space with electricity not too far from the house, so we could get the fridge cold then park on the street in front of the house with food, clothes staged and ready to go. But there is nothing like your own driveway to tinker, clean, de-winterize/winterize, etc.

We appreciate all the helpful information we get from the forum!

[laknox]

tnclays wrote:
One of the limitations we had for buying our last fiver was that a number of the longer ones we were interested in couldn't make it up our driveway without bottoming out somewhere, e.g. sewer drain, rear bumper, etc. We settled on our current unit because a) it had a floor plan that met our needs and b) it made it up the driveway with no problem. Luckily, it was all for the best as I learned more about pin weights from this forum I discovered that some of the longer (and heavier) units probably would have been too much for my truck (naturally, the dealer never helped with that consideration!).

So now, to the question. I am about to pull the trigger on a dually that will greatly expand our weight horizon; and we have started looking at some longer fifth wheels. But I am mindful of the "bottoming out" issue with my driveway.

I think I have seen reference on the forum to folks who have "flipped axles" to increase the clearance of the bottom of their units. Is this easily done--by a service shop--- and how much additional clearance can be gained (probably specific to the unit) by this?

I appreciate any thoughts/comments. Thanks!

Just a few thoughts:

Most new units I've seen the past couple years already have the springs on top of the axles, so a "flip" has already been done.

Many units have adjustable spring hangers, or have these as an option, so you may have some room there.

Going to a larger diameter tire will only gain you minimal clearance. You have to be concerned with tire-to-tire and tire-to-wheel well clearances. You =might= gain 1" height if the axles on a particular unit are spaced wide enough, but you might lose your clearance in the wheel well.

Safest option for raising a FW seems to be adding a sub-frame and new spring hangars. If you do this, you'll have to watch overall height, especially if the FW is already near legal max. The advantage to this is that it strengthens the entire frame over the suspension, which can be a weak point on certain frames.

Some seem concerned with a slightly higher CG. If this is a major concern, travel with a half-full fresh water tank, or don't dump your waste tanks, instead of running empty. IMO, if a crosswind is enough to roll a FW, an extra 3-4" height isn't going to make a huge difference. If winds are that bad, you probably shouldn't be traveling in the first place.

Lyle

[john_bet]

I think most 5th come with the springs already on top of axles. You might take a look before you buy one. The springs on my Montana are on top and I have 16" rims with "E" rated tires all from factory.

[ryhed]

Build a wedge for your driveway, use it for the 5er and put it away. tow truck drivers use them for flatbeds and low clearance vehicles.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Luciano-Levitator-wedge-lift-Tow-Truck-Wrecker-trailer-/150474969535

[Slownsy]

Flipping the axle will increase the hight thickness off axle+thickness off springpack 5-6" if les is desired a subframe off 3-4" kan be added ower springs, this is also more stable if crosbrased.

[Peg_Leg]

My HitchHiker II came with a $85 adjustable height option. It was on the lowest set of holes when I got it. I moved it to the center set which was about 2" higher.

[netjam]

Some of the larger trailers come with the axels on the bottom of the springs from the factory so flipping is not an option. (my KZ Escalade has axels on the bottom of the springs from the factory)

[CobraGT40]

I have flipped axels on my '98 Jayco 293-RKS ...Mainly because I have a 4" suspension lift on my SuperDuty...
Pulls down the road just fine...although I broke a rear spring on my truck a couple months ago (although I blame that on SuperLifts sh***y springs)

[The_Mad_Norsky]

One thing to keep in mind is a lot of the larger fivers already have 16 or 17 inch wheels/tires on them from the factory.

There exists the possibility you may not need to make any changes with the increased ground clearance these units offer.

[mamestra]

We raised our Sunnybrook by 4 inches were concerned about getting on and off the ferry that we take from Vancouver Island to the mainland, a deck hand on the ferry mentioned that if there is a low tide there might be a problem as we exited the ferry. We also had to raise the hitch on the truck to keep the trailer level. Since 5ers vary in height I doubt that 4 inches will cause a major problem. Make sure that you know the height of your trailer and act accordingly.