Will A Fifthwheel Work In This Driveway???

[KY_JOE]

Hello, All Im thinking of getting a Sandpiper fifthwheel and starting to worry about this driveway its 45 feet in length and has a drop of 4inches every 4 feet the grade of the driveway should be 8.33% and the degree should be 4.76% I just dont want to buy this and it not work in my driveway. could you old pros help me out... Thanks a Millons! Guys

[newk]

bpounds wrote:
I don't think you're going to have a problem. But a way to add extra bed rail clearance in this situation is to use a manual slider hitch. Slide it back before backing up your driveway. This will leave less bed length behind the pin, and therefore increases the bed rail to fiver clearance. An automatic slider would not do this for you, because it would be locked forward when not turning. With the manual you can lock it rearward for the entire backing/parking maneuver.

My thoughts exactly. And if it's necessary, don't forget to slide the hitch back before pulling out too.

You might also have contact with the rear (bumper?) of the camper scraping the driveway when its tires are in the "gutter". The fix for that would be to lay a 2x12 or two in the gutter to level it out a bit.

I'd think the dealer would let you try it in your driveway before signing the papers for it. If they don't know you, they might want to send someone along with it, which wouldn't be a bad idea anyway -- an extra pair of eyes.

[bpounds]

I don't think you're going to have a problem. But a way to add extra bed rail clearance in this situation is to use a manual slider hitch. Slide it back before backing up your driveway. This will leave less bed length behind the pin, and therefore increases the bed rail to fiver clearance. An automatic slider would not do this for you, because it would be locked forward when not turning. With the manual you can lock it rearward for the entire backing/parking maneuver.

[KY_JOE]

I would like to thank all of you that have replied to this topic our plains were to pick this unit up today. but after thinking and thinking more plus reading the post on here we are going to wait till next week. I have a friend that has a sandpiper that is the same length that's going to try it in the driveway before we buy next week. Im just not much of a risk taker I guess...

Thanks again, you all are great..

[J-mans_Dad]

It appears you should be able to back it into the drive. the question will be how far back you can go before your bed will contact the bottom of the 5er. where I see you might have and issue is when the TV rear axle reaches the apex of the grade. you may have to leave the 5er cap forward of the face of the garage. Front legs may be on the level but the pin will still be on the rise portion of the drive. Only way would be to try it and see where the contact may occur.

[Veebyes]

KY JOE wrote:
Veebyes, the max height of my tailgate with the truck wheels almost at the level point is 58 inches.


Thanks guys so far with the help, I feel as if most of you all think this will be fine and have no problems with it, is this correct? I just don't want to buy this fw and wouldn't have any place for it..

You will figure something out. Might need blocks so that the trailer can be raised high enough to get the back of the truck under then lower the legs as the truck comes back.

Nothing like a challenge.

[45Ricochet]

Hey if all else fails you have the " flat bed " option.
I think trial and error is about the only way to figure it out. Those small photos could possibly be throwing everyone off.
Good Luck though

[notruffinit]

I have a incline on mine also. Where I had a problem is that when the trailer wheels are in the street gutter my tail is dragging....Hard. Had steel wheels welded on the back to roll instead of drag. Big difference.

[lakeside013104]

I live at a lake with a steep 8.5 to 9 degree inclined driveway transitioned off a level surface, down or up the driveway back to a level surface. I have a short bed F-350 4x4 TV with 7.5” clearance between bed rails on the truck and the 5er. The first trip down the driveway with our new 5er could have been a disaster if I had not been specifically watching the bed rail clearance. I stopped just as my rear TV wheels started down the incline. There was ZERO clearance left to maneuver with. I backed up the incline to where the roadway was level and pumped up the air bags in my Hensley air ride TS3 hitch to 80 PSI, which gave me 2 additional inches of clearance. I gently stared back down the driveway and observed just under 2” clearance at the transition point at the top of the drive. I have since been up and down my drive about 20 times (with 80 PSI in air bags) without any contact issues between 5er and TV. The extra 2” of clearance that the air bag system gave me made it possible for me to park our 5er right beside the water’s edge alongside of our home. Without the air bags I would have had to leave the 5er at the top of the driveway which would have been a really big PITA. Now we have the best possible campsite all to ourselves. The Hensley TS3 hitch is very expensive, but in my case, worth every penny, plus there is nothing like towing with an air ride hitch. Good luck.

Lakeside

[0rion]

looks to me like the only spot you could possibly run into problems is when the truck is on the road and the 5er is on the drive. That's where it will be the closest. Once the 5er is up on the flat part it's actually going to raise the nose of the 5er in relation to the truck. Looks to me like you'll be able to come in at an angle there and be fine. The only other issue I see is having the pin pulling up on the jaws of the hitch once you get it in position. Ideally you want the truck and the 5er to be somewhat level when hitching and unhitching. You have a few options there though that are easy. You can either back the front tires onto boards to level out the nose of the truck or what I would do is put down a couple 2x12 boards and back the 5er off the pad a little bit.

[KY_JOE]

Veebyes, the max height of my tailgate with the truck wheels almost at the level point is 58 inches.


Thanks guys so far with the help, I feel as if most of you all think this will be fine and have no problems with it, is this correct? I just don't want to buy this fw and wouldn't have any place for it..

[laknox]

Veebyes wrote:
You appear to have space behind the trailer. What is the chance of extending the concrete pad further back so that the pin will be over the flat part of the pad aways.

It is going to take some measuring plus trial & error. Just keep the error part not damaging anything. What is the max height of the tailgate of the truck before the wheels hit the level part of the pad.

The concern, I think, is if the FW will hit the back of the bed while it's on the level and the truck is still on the slope, and NOT while it's parked. OP, please correct me if I'm wrong. I did have the same thought as you, until I realized what the OP was asking.

Lyle

[Veebyes]

You appear to have space behind the trailer. What is the chance of extending the concrete pad further back so that the pin will be over the flat part of the pad aways.

It is going to take some measuring plus trial & error. Just keep the error part not damaging anything. What is the max height of the tailgate of the truck before the wheels hit the level part of the pad.

[broark01]

I wish my driveway was that flat, when I back the trailer over the edge of my driveway it is so steep the rear wheels are almost off the ground with all weight on the front wheels. No bed rail clearance issues. But dont perfom this maneuver much and only with trailer empty.

I am guessing that you will be fine and can adjust pinbox/hitch if not.

[JIMNLIN]

Much depends on how much bed rail clearance the truck/trailer have.

A short bed truck could especially with a manual sliding hitch.

Know anyone that has a 4x4 rig similar to one your thinking about that would come and give it a try ??