Ram too high?

[Road_Phantom]

I'm looking into getting a Grand design Reflection: 150 Series 260RD. My truck is a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 with the diesel. Presently I own a Keystone Sprinter. It rides nose high, which puts a lot of strain on the back axle which will probably wear out the bearings prematurely. I'd like to reach out to someone with a similar setup and whether or not the truck-trailer rides level?

[Nicholsfamily05]

We had a 16’ Ram 3500 and once we dropped our Fifth wheel on it, they were almost dead set level.
The added weight brought it to that point so you should be fine.
Plus as others have said you can make adjustments at various points.

[94-D2]

Should have an alternate ride height on you ram air ride system. I get about 2” with my 3500 which only puts me 1” nose high on my bighorn 39MB.

[Spacecowboy7]

I believe the spring height is adjustable on the Grand Design trailers, ask your dealer, or call Grand design directly.

[Road_Phantom]

(I started out pulling my GD 303RLS with a 2017 Ram 2500 4X4 with a B&W Companion hitch)

That trailer is a full sized unit and not the same as a 1/2 ton towable. I would be too close to my GVWR with that hitch weight. The rims on a 1/2 ton towable is 14 inches and overall height different as well.

[JIMNLIN]

Thats a no no for trailers braking systems. With 14" on the rear and 15" on the front we have different wheel speeds which the brake controller can't compensate. Which leads to one axle braking differently than the other usually resulting in severally flat spotting tires on one axle.

Plus two different wheel sizes means two different spare tires.

[doughboy]

if your 5th wheel has 15"tires on it. why not change the tires on the 2nd axle to 14" tires? wouldn't that take some of the load off the axle?
just saying

[laknox]

Road Phantom wrote:
I'm looking into getting a Grand design Reflection: 150 Series 260RD. My truck is a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 with the diesel. Presently I own a Keystone Sprinter. It rides nose high, which puts a lot of strain on the back axle which will probably wear out the bearings prematurely. I'd like to reach out to someone with a similar setup and whether or not the truck-trailer rides level?

My old Komfort, with 11,360 GVW rode probably 4" nose high for the 13 years I owned it and, when I had the bearings and seals changed out, the mechanic said I could easily have reused the old bearings as there was no significant wear on them. For the price, a set of new Timkens wasn't going to break the bank. Dexter 5200 lb axles with E tires. =shrug=

Lyle

[JIMNLIN]

Unless you have torsion axles? the equalizer (center pivot) on tandem trailer axles equalizes the loads between the two axles...even if slightly off.

Actually the equalizer bars allows the axles to step over humps and dips independently but don't fully equalize the load between two axles.
I attended a seminar put on by Kaufman equipment trailers some time ago for their commercial customers about the difference in axle loads if the trailers deck wasn't level and axles were weighed separately..... and other pros and cons of running with a level/unlevel trailer.
They had different size trailers with different hitch to the axle distances which made the most differences in F to R axle loading. Trailers like rvs with axles closer to the hitch showed greater rear axle load differences than a same size trailer with axles placed farther aft. Example would be a 36' tandem axle 5th wheel trailer vs a 36' equipment trailer with axles much farther aft.

[2012Coleman]

Road Phantom wrote:
I'm looking into getting a Grand design Reflection: 150 Series 260RD. My truck is a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 with the diesel. Presently I own a Keystone Sprinter. It rides nose high, which puts a lot of strain on the back axle which will probably wear out the bearings prematurely. I'd like to reach out to someone with a similar setup and whether or not the truck-trailer rides level?

I started out pulling my GD 303RLS with a 2017 Ram 2500 4X4 with a B&W Companion hitch. Truck and trailer were level. I now pull the same trailer with a 2018 Ram 3500 4x4 CTD and I'm still level. Both trucks were the same height when measured from the open tailgate to the ground. The B&W can be adjusted for height - so if you are not level, you may consider another hitch.

[rhagfo]

Well a quick way to see how bad it would be would be to measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the 5er overhang on your current sprinter and the Grand Design on level ground that you are looking at. This will give you an idea on how level or nose high the new unit will tow. I would also compare the pin weights heaver will squat the TV a lit tie more.

[Learjet]

Unless you have torsion axles? the equalizer (center pivot) on tandem trailer axles equalizes the loads between the two axles...even if slightly off.

I'm not talking about if you bottom out one of the springs on the frame...that would be extreme.