5th wheel blues

[Maxtor]

My truck sets high, 58 1/2 inches at the bed rails. (camper package, 4x4)I just left our local 5th wheel lot, and none of the new 5th wheels is tall enough to be level and hook up to my truck. One suggestion was to reverse the axles on the trailer, but don't want to do this because of high winds in our area. Other suggestion is to install the 2" block that is above the rear axle. Stock is 4". Ford says if I have vibration problems or other problems due to replacing the 4" block with the 2" block, I will be out of warrentee. Anyone know of a tall 5th wheel, or good travel trailer in the 30 ft. range? New or near new.

Thanks

 

[BamaSixGun]

My truck sets high, 58 1/2 inches at the bed rails. (camper package, 4x4)I just left our local 5th wheel lot, and none of the new 5th wheels is tall enough to be level and hook up to my truck. One suggestion was to reverse the axles on the trailer, but don't want to do this because of high winds in our area. Other suggestion is to install the 2" block that is above the rear axle. Stock is 4". Ford says if I have vibration problems or other problems due to replacing the 4" block with the 2" block, I will be out of warrentee. Anyone know of a tall 5th wheel, or good travel trailer in the 30 ft. range? New or near new.

Thanks

did any of the 5ivers have adj. tongues ? or would that still not work maxtor ?

 

[WD40]

Also some of the new trailers have adj. spring hanger that will lift up the trailer some. Look at a HitchHiker two and some Jayco have it. Hope this will help.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

.... Other suggestion is to install the 2" block that is above the rear axle. Stock is 4". Ford says if I have vibration problems or other problems due to replacing the 4" block with the 2" block, I will be out of warrentee. Thanks

That sounds like a load of bovine fertalizer. I don't know about the later Super Duties with the 6 point oh's, but the earlier Super Duties w/ 7.3's had the same problems with the bed height being too high with the 4" blocks. They (Ford) actually came out with a Tech Service Bulletin to replace the 4" blocks with 2" blocks to allow adequate bed clearance with 5th wheeler's. If someone had a problem with driveline vibration, the fix was to change to a different shim between the carrier bearing and the frame x-member.

I'd get a copy of the TSB, shove it under their noses and ask why with an earlier truck it's a TSB issue, but with a later truck it voids a warranty.

Sounds to me like a service writer who has a classic case of "forgeting why they're there and who they are supposed to serve".

 

[powerboatr]

That sounds like a load of bovine fertalizer. I don't know about the later Super Duties with the 6 point oh's, but the earlier Super Duties w/ 7.3's had the same problems with the bed height being too high with the 4" blocks. They (Ford) actually came out with a Tech Service Bulletin to replace the 4" blocks with 2" blocks to allow adequate bed clearance with 5th wheeler's. If someone had a problem with driveline vibration, the fix was to change to a different shim between the carrier bearing and the frame x-member.

I'd get a copy of the TSB, shove it under their noses and ask why with an earlier truck it's a TSB issue, but with a later truck it voids a warranty.

Sounds to me like a service writer who has a classic case of "forgeting why they're there and who they are supposed to serve".

ditto
there was a tsb or two for just this BS abd it added ford aproved 2" blocks.
i will search on weds at work,
intellidog.com comes to mind as well

EDIT
I found the tsb but it does not adress your truck year ??? I was wrong.... sorry,
however there are 2" blocks avail. and most rv companies forest river, jayco and fleetwood on thier mid to upper lines have adjust. spring hangers, I know your concerned about height.
we are at 13' 8" now, and have the room on the hangers to go up in 1" increments to 3" ,
you may have to look at that direction., it seems with the 18 " wheels and new suspension on the 05 4x4 SRW and up you may be screwed unless you raise the rv.

we had the same problem on my 1992 f250 4x4 HD, we bumped the bed rails a few times backinto the yard, but that was it. we had just about 3" of room over the rails

 

[Maxtor]

The adjustable tongues are not the problem. It is trying to get the bottom of the front of the 5th wheel to be parallel to the bed rails, and about 6 inches higher so that we will have clearance when not on level ground. Also when you adjust the front to clear the bed rails, the 5th wheel looks like it is pointing to the sky, and more weight is being distributed to the back axle than the front. It should be level so both axles cary the same weight. On the Jayco Eagle that I was looking at, it had an adjustment of 2" by the axles. That will not be enough. Jayco dealer says that the 5th wheel manufactures make their product for the average trucks, and the camper package is a option that makes the truck to high in the rear. We had the salesman, Service Manager and myself trying to fit our truck under the 5th wheel. With the 2 inch lift at the springs, and axle switch, and the most adjustment on the hitch, it would be close, but I do not want to switch the axles due to the high winds we have out here. So there is the dilemma. You are probably right about the Ford Service guy. Only thing that worries me is that Ford went from the 2" to the 4" spacers after 1999, so they must have found something wrong with the 2", due to it must cost them more for the 4" and you know Ford is not going to increase their costs unless they had to.

 

[BamaSixGun]

The adjustable tongues are not the problem. It is trying to get the bottom of the front of the 5th wheel to be parallel to the bed rails, and about 6 inches higher so that we will have clearance when not on level ground. Also when you adjust the front to clear the bed rails, the 5th wheel looks like it is pointing to the sky, and more weight is being distributed to the back axle than the front. It should be level so both axles cary the same weight. On the Jayco Eagle that I was looking at, it had an adjustment of 2" by the axles. That will not be enough. Jayco dealer says that the 5th wheel manufactures make their product for the average trucks, and the camper package is a option that makes the truck to high in the rear. We had the salesman, Service Manager and myself trying to fit our truck under the 5th wheel. With the 2 inch lift at the springs, and axle switch, and the most adjustment on the hitch, it would be close, but I do not want to switch the axles due to the high winds we have out here. So there is the dilemma. You are probably right about the Ford Service guy. Only thing that worries me is that Ford went from the 2" to the 4" spacers after 1999, so they must have found something wrong with the 2", due to it must cost them more for the 4" and you know Ford is not going to increase their costs unless they had to.

i gottcha maxtor, that does look kinda weird. not to mention the damage it would do if ya got into a good deep DIP in the road or in a tight turn. my car hauler trailer has alittle lean towards the back, but it comes to a point at the 5th wheel instead of covering the whole bed.

i can't help with this one, but i hope it works out for ya. let us know what comes of it.

 

[JimmyDee]

Only thing that worries me is that Ford went from the 2" to the 4" spacers after 1999, so they must have found something wrong with the 2", due to it must cost them more for the 4" and you know Ford is not going to increase their costs unless they had to.

I have a 2001 and mine came with 2" blocks. I think it will drop the back of the truck about 5".
Jim

 

[WD40]

I put the springs on my 1993 Hitchhiker on top of axles and it pulled better than it had ever pulled. It was just so high to get up the steps, had to add like two more steps to it.

 

[Maxtor]

Thanks

Thank you for the information. It might be awhile, but I will post the information on what I find out that will work for my truck.