New fifth wheel. Questions

rjxj wrote:
It may not be you failing at technology, sometimes I have to keep posting and going back and doing it again as this site faults out or something. Your rig doesnt look real bad and 5 inches may be ok most of the time but it will be that one crazy entrance at a gas station or when you boondock and get off road when it will get you. I double tow and never would have thought that the bottom of my ball would have touched but it sure did. It looks like it may have only contacted the cement one time but it was severe. My rail clearance is almost 8 inches.

So lets just guesstimate that you need to come up 2 inches. If you add an inch back to the pin it will then be around 3 inches. It may not make you 100 % level but it would probably be close. I would pull the fw up onto some 2 x 8 or 2x10 lumber or whatever to see what it takes to actually level it. You will then have a number and then add what you want for more rail clearance. Sometimes the springs can be dropped in the hanger brackets or an aftermarket axle alignment kit can get you about 2 inches. You could also go to 16 inch tires for about 1/2 to 3/4 or even 1 inch of lift. Some people even add shims between the axle perch and the spring which I'm not crazy about but maybe a small amount along with other things. In more extreme cases they sometimes have subframes built and drop the shackles that way.

Again, first thing is drag it up on some lumber and you can also stand back and look at it and see if you can live with it as is or have a good idea of how much to add. Let me also ask you how your frame is constructed. Is it a solid type of "I" beam or is it three pieces welded to create an I beam?

As you do this stuff you will also make the bottom step taller and make the stabilizers reach farther to touch the ground. Welcome to the club :)

I have no idea if it's a solid I beam or 3 piece. I have the Arctic package and the picture I posted I'm guessing it's the best to see.

Thanks for the advice!!! I need to raise the ball one again. I liked into a friend's yard and they have an incline, my first attempt to pull in I almost hit the rail on the trailer, if I had moved forward it would have. Backed up and tried again at a different angle, at one spot I was 1/4 inch away before the rear tires started going up the hill. So I definitely need more clearance.

I'll go to the shop next week as I'm not a mechanic. I'll bring all your advice and see what they can do. I wish have 16 inch rims, they are 235/80/16. I can get 85 series tires to give me another inch. I might go that route as these are worthless tires.