How to do you safely lift a 5th wheel

[Ribble]

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

God bless you! Finally, a builder that does something right!
Tell your entry levelers to afford the extra garage space and skimp out on the carpet or some other useless crap they HAVE to have. Lol!

I always try to talk them into it. Some people don’t see the value. I tell them it’s a resale item. Now the push is wiring for an electric car. Crazy stuff.

[cmikal]

Originally Posted by Cincinnati Kid

My neighbor has a really nice diesel 350 Ford dually. It cost a lot more and is way better for towing than our gas 250.
But ours sits higher, and our neighbor's teenage son asked his dad why he can't a cool truck like ours.
And that's why they make them so ridiculously high.

I agree. The manufacturers look at the popularity of lifted trucks and decide to do some lifting of their own. One manufacturer does a small lift, then the next year another one lifts theirs a bit more, then after a few years, you end up where we are today.

I am in Texas at the moment. Because of the weather here (no snow or ice and no salt), you see a lot of really old trucks because the frames and bodies are still in good shape. It's amazing to see a 1980s, 1990s or even an early 2000s pickup truck sitting next to a modern pickup truck. The older ones look like mid-sized or compact trucks in comparison.

[Lake Huron]

Originally Posted by cmikal

I agree. The manufacturers look at the popularity of lifted trucks and decide to do some lifting of their own. One manufacturer does a small lift, then the next year another one lifts theirs a bit more, then after a few years, you end up where we are today.

I am in Texas at the moment. Because of the weather here (no snow or ice and no salt), you see a lot of really old trucks because the frames and bodies are still in good shape. It's amazing to see a 1980s, 1990s or even an early 2000s pickup truck sitting next to a modern pickup truck. The older ones look like mid-sized or compact trucks in comparison.

The people that are in sales and marketing are so stupid, here's an idea. Just looking at it from a sales and marketing side, why dont they make the truck a "normal" height and for those that want it all lifted and useless for towing, offer a "lifted" package and charge more for it.
Think about it, companies like Rhino Lining and LineX came out with spray in bedliners. Much better than those stupid drop in plastic bedliners from the factory back in the day. Everybody and their brother was pitching the drop in and going spray on. NOW the factory has finally got their head out of their backside and offers the spray in, and people are gladly paying for it.

[Eric H.]

Originally Posted by Ribble

I need to raise the camper about 2 inches. I thought about bigger tires on the trailer. I still might go this route. I have already adjusted the hitch as low as I can safely adjust it. I have also lowered the leaf springs to the lowest setting on the shackle.

Right now the camper is nose high by two inches.

The picture is before taller tires on the truck. I dont have a picture with the new tires and camper yet.

www.trailerblocks.com for lift blocks. I made my own but they were just like these. I also had 8 leaf springs made to replace the sagging 6 leaf packs that came with the trailer. If adding any lift, be it blocks, tires or springs, you are increasing the load on the spring hangers and shackles so make sure they are reinforced. They should be reinforced even if not lifting because they are a common point of failure.

[Eric H.]

Originally Posted by spoon059

Don't think you need a spring shop to "make" some springs for you... just buy some longer springs. They aren't that expensive and honestly aren't that difficult to change yourself in your driveway with some jacks and hand tools. I bought 2 springs at a trailer dealer in NY when I broke a spring on a trip a couple years ago. Paid about $70 per spring. Bought 2 more online when I got home from the trip, paid a little bit less for those.

Buttigeig's supply chain issues have made things more expensive, but I would still guess under $100 per spring. Check your weight ratings and add some length to raise your trailer. Perhaps an email to etrailer.com or easternmarine.com to inquire about how long you need to get the lift you need.

This is not correct. You do not add longer springs to increase height. The springs have to be the correct length when replaced. You can have springs re-arched if they sag but spring length from eye to eye is critical when ordering new springs. You don't force springs into a tighter arch by forcing them into hangers meant for a shorter spring. If you did do this, you have added a lot of stress to the shackles and hangers and the springs will not flex as designed.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Ribble

I need to raise the camper about 2 inches. I thought about bigger tires on the trailer. I still might go this route. I have already adjusted the hitch as low as I can safely adjust it. I have also lowered the leaf springs to the lowest setting on the shackle.

Right now the camper is nose high by two inches.

The picture is before taller tires on the truck. I dont have a picture with the new tires and camper yet.

I had a truck that was sitting low from the factory and I broke a leaf spring. I went to the spring shop and the replaced the leaf and re-arched both springs and made it higher. I bet any good spring shop could do the springs on the 5th wheel