Bed rail clearance with 4wd pickup and fiver

[David2014]

I just bought a 2014 Excel 31IKE and hope to buy a 2013 Ram 3500 4wd dually mega cab short box diesel for towing (2nd choice: 2013 3500 HD Silverado diesel dually extended cab long box). (Am buying 4wd to enhance resale value and “just in case”).

Both vehicles have a bedrail height of around 57-58” unloaded (might be a little less since the dualies have 17” tires). The Demco pin box has a height range of 41.5-45.5”. Have any of you successfully leveled your newer fivers/ trucks and attained the minimum 6” bedrail clearance using the above scenario?

Will an Excel axle flip, changing spring shackle holes, and maybe a 5th wheel tailgate be enough or will I need to lowering the Ram or Silverado’s suspension?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
David

[David2014]

I have checked this many times. The 2013 3500 mega cab's short box is definitely 6'4". Please see Ram 3500 product brochure at: http://goo.gl/SL0ZN I doubt if they made a typo.
David

[garysol]

Miles Away wrote:

David2014 wrote:

Miles Away wrote:
I don't mean to rain on your parade, however the short box on the Dodge you are looking at should be called a "mini" box. It is really short. I know several fiver owners who tried it and found it to be too short to properly accommodate a fifth wheel trailer especially when making tight turns or backing.

Newer trailers may already have the axles mounted below the springs, so you may not have and adjustment there. I had to swap out the rear leaf spring brackets to lower the back of my truck two inches in order to lower the front of my fiver and still maintain the six inch clearance between the trailer and truck bed rails.

Yes, the Ram short box box is just 6'4", but Gary's picture above (Ram short box) indicates that a 5th wheel fit can be achieved with a slider hitch and with added help from the newer Excel's cut-back (contoured) lower front corners. That's what I'm banking on (hopefully!).

Thank you for your comment.
David

The Ram MEGA Cab bed is NOT 6'4",is only about 5'. The Ram CREW Cab has the longer boxes.

Not to be argumentative BUT if you go to ramtrucks.com and click build they list the 2014 Ram Magacab as having a 6'4" box the same as the crew cab. Maybe Ram is incorrect but I sorta doubt it.

[Miles_Away]

David2014 wrote:

Miles Away wrote:
I don't mean to rain on your parade, however the short box on the Dodge you are looking at should be called a "mini" box. It is really short. I know several fiver owners who tried it and found it to be too short to properly accommodate a fifth wheel trailer especially when making tight turns or backing.

Newer trailers may already have the axles mounted below the springs, so you may not have and adjustment there. I had to swap out the rear leaf spring brackets to lower the back of my truck two inches in order to lower the front of my fiver and still maintain the six inch clearance between the trailer and truck bed rails.

Yes, the Ram short box box is just 6'4", but Gary's picture above (Ram short box) indicates that a 5th wheel fit can be achieved with a slider hitch and with added help from the newer Excel's cut-back (contoured) lower front corners. That's what I'm banking on (hopefully!).

Thank you for your comment.
David

The Ram MEGA Cab bed is NOT 6'4",is only about 5'. The Ram CREW Cab has the longer boxes.

[David2014]

Miles Away wrote:
I don't mean to rain on your parade, however the short box on the Dodge you are looking at should be called a "mini" box. It is really short. I know several fiver owners who tried it and found it to be too short to properly accommodate a fifth wheel trailer especially when making tight turns or backing.

Newer trailers may already have the axles mounted below the springs, so you may not have and adjustment there. I had to swap out the rear leaf spring brackets to lower the back of my truck two inches in order to lower the front of my fiver and still maintain the six inch clearance between the trailer and truck bed rails.

Yes, the Ram short box box is just 6'4", but Gary's picture above (Ram short box) indicates that a 5th wheel fit can be achieved with a slider hitch and with added help from the newer Excel's cut-back (contoured) lower front corners. That's what I'm banking on (hopefully!).

Thank you for your comment.
David

[Miles_Away]

I don't mean to rain on your parade, however the short box on the Dodge you are looking at should be called a "mini" box. It is really short. I know several fiver owners who tried it and found it to be too short to properly accommodate a fifth wheel trailer especially when making tight turns or backing.

Newer trailers may already have the axles mounted below the springs, so you may not have and adjustment there. I had to swap out the rear leaf spring brackets to lower the back of my truck two inches in order to lower the front of my fiver and still maintain the six inch clearance between the trailer and truck bed rails.

[David2014]

Gary,
Thank you so much. Very helpful to this spatially-challenged newbie. That photo is definitely worth a thousand words.
David

[garysol]

Here is a picture of my 2014 RAM 3500 SRW (which sits higher than the DRW when unloaded) I am using a Superglide hitch mounted on a MOPAR picture frame adaptor. I adjusted the pinbox up to the top holes and the trailer is perfectly level.

Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum limit of 640px maximum width.

[tinner12002]

I think most 5ers recommend a max truck rail height of 59". I had to adjust my 5er hitch to it's highest position and set my reese hitch to it's lowest to get my toy hauler to set level...I have about 5.5 inches of clearance to top rail on my 4x4 ram. I also upgraded my tires/wheels from 15" to 16" to give the rear a little height boost.

[David2014]

rhagfo wrote:
Pin box height and bed rail height are not directly related. It is bed rail and distance from the ground to the bottom of the upper part of the 5er that will determine if you will need to work raise the 5er.

OK, that makes sense, even though someone had to point it put out to me. Thanks! David

[rhagfo]

Pin box height and bed rail height are not directly related. It is bed rail and distance from the ground to the bottom of the upper part of the 5er that will determine if you will need to work raise the 5er.

[David2014]

MNRon wrote:
Nice rig you're getting. I'd give Excel a call. I find it hard to believe that their new 5er's don't accommodate current truck heights. Not exactly the same, but I too was worried about clearance issues when we got our 5er this spring. Turns out a 2013 4wd Silverado 3500 fits nicely under a 2005 HH with a Demco pin box.

Thank you for posting your reassuring experience. BTW, a HH was also at the top of my choice list.
David L.

[MNRon]

Nice rig you're getting. I'd give Excel a call. I find it hard to believe that their new 5er's don't accommodate current truck heights. Not exactly the same, but I too was worried about clearance issues when we got our 5er this spring. Turns out a 2013 4wd Silverado 3500 fits nicely under a 2005 HH with a Demco pin box.