Incline and dips - determining clearance
Hello. We're about to purchase a 5th wheel. We have some property where we'll stay for a while. There's a short incline on the gravel road then it levels off. I'm concerned that as we go up, the f...
Forum Discussion
This is one of the downsides of 5ers. A travel trailer hitch can rotate 20-30degrees in any direction on the ball. A 5er, your lucky to get 10 degrees (often less) before you hit the bed rails (depends on how much clearance you have). So they aren't nearly as well suited to rough conditions.
Once hitched up, it's not hard to measure the clearance and calculate the angles available. Determining the angles you need on the driveway, it can be done but you almost need to do a full survey of the drive.
If you have a buddy with a similar rig, you could ask them to pull in (slowly) and see if it works. They can always back out if it's getting too close for comfort.
6" is the typical clearance considered desirable but if you can get it set up for more, that will be helpful (make sure the trailer is still level while towing). It may require adjusting the axles to keep the trailer level.
Possible solutions:
- A sliding hitch will help with fore & aft angle. The closer the pin is to the tailgate, the sharper the angle you can traverse.
- I'm not sure if this is something problematic but there are air ride pin boxes. While the primary intent is to smooth the ride, you could check with the manufacturer to see if you could air it up beyond normal pressure. This would lift the front of the 5er relative to the truck and give you a little more clearance. As long as it's for short distance at low speed, I don't see why it would cause damage.
Once hitched up, it's not hard to measure the clearance and calculate the angles available. Determining the angles you need on the driveway, it can be done but you almost need to do a full survey of the drive.
If you have a buddy with a similar rig, you could ask them to pull in (slowly) and see if it works. They can always back out if it's getting too close for comfort.
6" is the typical clearance considered desirable but if you can get it set up for more, that will be helpful (make sure the trailer is still level while towing). It may require adjusting the axles to keep the trailer level.
Possible solutions:
- A sliding hitch will help with fore & aft angle. The closer the pin is to the tailgate, the sharper the angle you can traverse.
- I'm not sure if this is something problematic but there are air ride pin boxes. While the primary intent is to smooth the ride, you could check with the manufacturer to see if you could air it up beyond normal pressure. This would lift the front of the 5er relative to the truck and give you a little more clearance. As long as it's for short distance at low speed, I don't see why it would cause damage.
