Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-22-2017, 02:20 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 98
Help me understand. 5th wheel height vs truck height.

So When I order my 5th wheel and go to pick it up how do I know if my truck is to tall or short? What I mean is ... Is there a measurement or a way to find out what the trailer level height is? I understand that when the weight is put on the truck it will drop down but that is what the airbags will help with. I don't want it crashing into the bed of the truck or sitting to tall.

So can you get a level height measurement and then measure your truck and 5th wheel hitch to see if you are in the ballpark? I read so many time that the truck is to tall or the trailer is not level. I don't want to drive 1400 miles to find out my truck is to tall or to short.
Is there a formula?

Steve
priv8pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2017, 02:23 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
DrtEmaxChvy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Sandia Park
Posts: 479
Help me understand. 5th wheel height vs truck height.

Total Bed height - top of bed to 5er plate = your standing unloaded hitch height

Good distance between the rails and the 5er is 5-6" total

Sag depends on pin weight and the truck you have.


To see what level would be measure front wheel well down to ground and then the same for rear.

There should be about a 2-3" difference depending on manufacturer

Your goal is to have the pin and total load out essentially weigh it down to a 0-1" rake from rear to front

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
2015.5 Duramax
USMC Vet Operation Iraqi Freedom
DrtEmaxChvy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 08:02 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: smithville, ont.
Posts: 2,677
What truck and what trailer do you have?
__________________
2016 North Point 341RLTS
520watts of solar. Morningstar MPPT
4 6volt 235ah Surrette batteries
2017 F-350 Platinum CC SRW
klassic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 09:11 AM   #4
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 98
Looking at a 2017-2018 Jayco pinnacle . Truck is up in the air, I have a 2002 f250 at this time. I was yelled at on other boards and told I would kill people if I used this truck to tow that trailer! So truck is up in the air. I am still confused on the heights. I mean if the truck is to tall can't it cause the trailer to hit the bed? I cant find anywhere that tells me How tall the trailer sits when level. If I can get that measurement then I can measure truck bed height, Side of truck bed from bed to rails and then the difference from the hitch up to figure it out. very confusing. Just don't want to get a truck, show up to pick up trailer and find out it will not hook up. So I am asking for others experience.
Steve
priv8pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 09:27 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
RoyBraddy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: King George
Posts: 2,761
You will also want to know the overall height of the fifth wheel including the roof mounted air conditioner etc...

Some folks will just measure from the ground up to the roof line of the trailer after hooked up to the 5th wheel hitch with a pocket tape measure than add enough feet to cover for the air conditioners height...

Roy Ken
__________________
Roy and Carolyn
I claim Horse Creek Country in Southern Ill - Momabear is from North Texas
We live in King George VA
RETIRED DOD DOAF DON CONTRACTOR Electronics Tech 42YRS

"We're burning daylight" - John Wayne
2008 STARCRAFT 14RT OFF-ROAD POPUP with PD9260C and three 85AH 12VDC batteries
2010 F150 FX4 5.4 GAS with 3.73 gears - Super Cab - Towing Package - 2KW Honda EU2000i Gen
K9PHT (since 1957) 146.52Mhz
"We always have a PLAN B"
RoyBraddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 09:39 AM   #6
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Saint Clair Shores
Posts: 98
You can go on any 5th MFG web sight and down load a manual..... such as a CURT-20K and they have a simple formula for figuring it out. You have to start with the ground and the 5th wheel being level. You can do all the figuring out on paper but, the real deal would be hooking up to the truck and adjust accordingly.
Donna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 09:43 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Texas Hill Country
Posts: 240
Quote:
Originally Posted by priv8pilot View Post
Looking at a 2017-2018 Jayco pinnacle . Truck is up in the air, I have a 2002 f250 at this time. I was yelled at on other boards and told I would kill people if I used this truck to tow that trailer!
Yep, you're definitely gonna need more truck...
__________________
2001 Dutch Star DSDP 4095 (sold)
2007 Eagle 291 RLTS (trade-in)
2017 Eagle HT 27.5 RLTS
2011 Chevy 2500HD Duramax Crew Cab 4WD
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2017, 10:25 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: smithville, ont.
Posts: 2,677
Ya.. like mentioned.
You're gonna need more truck.
I'm not yelling at you and I certainly am not part of the weight police squad.
But a 2002 is pretty far behind in the weight handling game.

If your getting a new Pinnacle you don't have to worry about truck height.
Unless you are putting a 4" lift on your truck.
My 2017 (see sig) is two inches higher then my 2012 and there arent too many stock trucks higher then a 2017 SuperDuty on 20's

Just maintain a minimum 6" clearance at the bed rails
__________________
2016 North Point 341RLTS
520watts of solar. Morningstar MPPT
4 6volt 235ah Surrette batteries
2017 F-350 Platinum CC SRW
klassic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2017, 11:40 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Milford
Posts: 629
Don't forget that the pin boxes on the trailers can be raised or lowered to allow clearance.

I see lots of concerns about hitch height and have never understood that. Hitch height, by itself, is irrelevant. You want 6" or more clearance over the bed rails and then you adjust the pin box up or down to meet your hitch height. Or, if you have a height adjustable hitch can move that instead.

To get to your question, if you measured the height of the sides of the truck bed (at the highest point) which is likely the rear, and compare that to the underside of the overhang on the trailer, that should give you a good idea. The truck will likely squat a couple inches, so take that into account. It won't be exact, but it will give you a decent idea of where you'll be. If you don't have access to measure a trailer, I am sure someone on here likely has the same trailer (or truck).
__________________
2016 Jayco Eagle HT 29.5BHDS (ordered 12/30/15, delivered 3/8/16)
2015 F-350 crew cab, short bed, 6.7L PSD, Pullrite Superglide 3300 hitch
Cdash is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2017, 10:11 PM   #10
Member
 
Str8shooter's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Central Valley of California
Posts: 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by klassic View Post
If your getting a new Pinnacle you don't have to worry about truck height. Unless you are putting a 4" lift on your truck.
My 2017 (see sig) is two inches higher then my 2012 and there arent too many stock trucks higher then a 2017 SuperDuty on 20's
Klassic, I appreciate your response to Priv8pilots question as I have similar concerns. Would you provide a bit more info on you Super Duty. I replaced my 2011 SD Lariat 6.7L FX4 with a 2017 F250 Lariat 6.7L SD CC short bed FX4 with 20's. I would guess your 2017 is also the diesel 6.7L and FX4. If so, I should be good to go with our 2011 40' Pinnacle. My hitch for my former truck was a PullRite 16K SuperGlide (#4100) with SuperRails in the bed - worked great. I appreciate anything else you can share. Thanks.

PS - My signature shows the Pinnacle and former truck specs.
__________________


2011 Jayco Pinnacle 35LKTS
2017 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.7L
Air Lift 5000 Ultimate w/72000 Wireless compressor
PullRite SuperGlide w/SuperRails
Str8shooter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2017, 03:30 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: smithville, ont.
Posts: 2,677
I will almost guarantee you you will be nose high.
I would assume you're going with your airbags again.
I'm not sure if the 350 rides higher then the 250, but I am 2" higher then my 2012 350 was.
I had the springs of the NorthPoint lowered to the next hole on the spring hangers and lifted the trailer around an 1" or so. It looks much better then it did before
Check your spring hangers and see if there is another hole an inch lower. Then you'll be able to get some of the levelness back.

The truck squat i have now is fine...I'm just touching the helper springs. I'm sure as the truck ages he springs will settle more and I'll have to put Timbrens in again.

I didn't have to adjust my hitch at all. I still had 6" from the bed rails.
__________________
2016 North Point 341RLTS
520watts of solar. Morningstar MPPT
4 6volt 235ah Surrette batteries
2017 F-350 Platinum CC SRW
klassic is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:22 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.