Towing 5th wheel with a 4 inch lift?

[roadtriptoforev]

I am looking into buying a truck and verbally committed myself to a F-350 diesel with a 4 inch lift. I am towing a rather heavy 5th wheel toy hauler and do fall just within the maximum weight fully loaded (it will probably never be fully loaded but tow rating on truck is 16,300, toy hauler is 12,000 dry and rated for 16,200 if loaded with toys)

I don't want to buy it if it's going to be a safety issue or less reliable.

Thanks

[buzzard616]

First things to happen to the TV in signature were return to stock height and tire size.

Lifted truck belongs in saloon parking lot.

Oversized tires bad for fuel economy; effectively turned 373 axle to 356, preventing 4 - 5 upshift. 60 mph cruise was 3000 rpm in 4th; now 2250 in 5th. This is not maybe a factor for oil burners, but still causes extra stress on driveline parts.

I am actually now considering a 2" drop.

[Cummins12V98]

If you want to look like the rest of the idiots traveling I-10 along PalmSprings with their truck sitting high and AZZ end sitting low and front of RV nose high and plenty of them laying along the road side when a gust of wind hits them, go for it!

A VERY potentially unstable situation.

[mkirsch]

People have trouble getting 5th wheel trailers to clear the bed rails on STOCK height trucks made in the last 10 years or so. You're looking at at least 6" higher with the lift and oversize tires.

Unless your toy hauler is extremely high at the pinbox already it won't clear the bed rails. You will have to resort to extreme measures to get the trailer high enough to clear. These trailers start out over 12' high to begin with. You may have to watch bridges and overpasses after you've lifted the trailer 8-10".

By the time you take off the lift kit and put stock tires back on, the great deal you're getting won't be anymore. I would pass on this truck.

[goducks10]

dodge guy wrote:
If it has a lift kit then I assume it has larger tires? Has the gearing been changed to accommodate the larger tires? A 4" lift isn't a lot I just hope they used a good kit and not just one that stacks blocks between the rear axle and springs! Towing with larger tires would also require upgrading the brakes to help with the leverage from the larger wheels!

X2. If the truck has 35-36" tires on it then you've educed the rear gears and lowered the tow rating. Pretty easy to figure out with a gear/rpm calculator.
If you go from 32" to 35" with 3.73 gears you end up with 3.41. Lots of things come into play by doing that. It's harder on the tranny, cooling and will suck more fuel.

[Old-Biscuit]

I had to raise my 5vr 2" to get bedrail clearance and have 5vr tow level.
Overall height of my 5rv is now 13' 4"

And I don't have a 4x4 OR lifted truck.

[valhalla360]

As others have said:
- Was the lift done professionally and to the same standard as the original? You might have lost signficant payload and pulling capability.
- The real trick is getting the 5th wheel to tow level. The newere 4x4's already sit much higher and often require the trailer axles to be flipped. If they are already flipped, you may have to add frame extensions and then the trailer get really high off the ground.

[rhagfo]

Should we bring up how the previous owner of a lifted truck treated it? Was the truck a "Toy" or was it a working truck?

[dodge_guy]

If it has a lift kit then I assume it has larger tires? Has the gearing been changed to accommodate the larger tires? A 4" lift isn't a lot I just hope they used a good kit and not just one that stacks blocks between the rear axle and springs! Towing with larger tires would also require upgrading the brakes to help with the leverage from the larger wheels!

[azrving]

I cut across 78 from the Slabs area past Glamis yesterday. From what I saw on that drive I didn't know they made pick ups WITHOUT a lift that pulled toy haulers. 🙂

[JIMNLIN]

What type of lift.
Be careful if its a suspension lift as not all of these types are up to carrying heavy loads as some have found out the hard way.
Do your home work before buying a HD truck with a suspension lift.

[roadtriptoforev]

I'll find out. Thanks

BarneyS wrote:

Is the lift on the truck removable and capable of being restored to stock height?
Barney

[BarneyS]

I don't tow a 5th wheel trailer but you do want it to tow as level as possible. I suspect a 4" lift on the truck is going to make that very difficult. It also could possibly make the underside of the trailer contact the side bed rails of the truck when turning or going over uneven terrain.

Is the lift on the truck removable and capable of being restored to stock height?
Barney