Close, ours is a 275 BHSS. Probably a sister model or something. Ours has a bathroom access door on the driver's side that I don't see on yours, but otherwise, your profile looks almost identical to ours. We're running about 5" from the lip of the tailgate to the underside with where it's sitting at right now. I haven't contacted yet, but yep, there's plenty of times I've taken it slow watching everywhere at once to see if it's going to contact.

 

I would also be thinking about tire loading. You may wind up with heavy scruffing of the tires. And, depending on the load, you may be exceeding the load rating of the rear tires. Maybe you could go to a scale and weight the axles individually? I did that with our first 5er (the Surveyor). It turned out that the axle loading was within 50 pounds of each other. So, the equalizer must have been doing its work.

 

I remember that model. It replaced the one we had in the Surveyor line-up.

 

How is the hitch mounted and what kind of hitch? Raise the pin box as high and as far forward as you can, lower hitch and check the nose to bed rail clearance. This is my F350 & 5W B&W hitch & LCI pin box all stock, not near that bad. The trucks also got the optional 20's on it.

 

Reducing the clearance of the bed rail to the overhang could possibly result in damage. Generally, people go for a 6 to 7 inch clearance. So, he may not have the option to go any lower with the hitch (or higher with the pin box).

Another issue is the difference in clearance by the tailgate versus the up by the king pin and forward. The severe angle of the trailer reduces the clearance by the tailgate.

Previous generation trucks are MUCH lower in comparison to the 2017+. That is clearly an advantage. Ford clearly helped create this problem.

 

I believe the only way the OP is going to get that corrected so it's fairly level and not causing damage to the trucks bed is taking it a welder and having the hangers cut off adding blocks then reattaching the hangers.

Which might cause him to upgrade entry steps or at least getting a portable step to be placed when that first step is a leap.

There is no correcting that rear height with hitch adjustments, lowering will cause bed damage or always driving with worry on uneven areas.

 

Lowering the rear of the truck is a good idea. There are a few guys that have done it, but it does end up changing the pinion angle. If it doesn't work, put the old block and u-bolts back on.

 

I said check bed clearance in the post, or he may. . None of these adjustments work he may need to look at converting to a goose neck.

 

Thanks again for the good discussion on this topic. I have a few things to follow-up on like checking my current axle and tire ratings.

We purchased this RV because it was F150 towable, by about 200lbs GCWR and 50lbs GVWR as measured. Now that we have the F350, we would rather invest in a different RV, if this RV will last until that point. If the axle and tires can handle the load as it rides today, I expect it will.

 

I understand you're looking to upgrade 5th wheels soon, so I can appreciate your reluctance to mod the suspension on the one you have now. Are all your trips going to be short range quick turn weekend type trips? I would personally hate to tow that rig in that configuration any real distance at all. You're going to go through rear trailer tires, hopefully not spectacularly (like BOOM-shredded tire), but the tread wear will be severe. Also, your braking efficiency will be reduced, as normally the front axle brakes (on trailer) do more braking that the back axle brakes. Now your front axle tires will have less traction weight for stopping traction than normal, which you may feel on hard brake events, or stopping on a down grade, or stopping on gravel/dirt roads or surfaces.

And all this is assuming you won't break a rear spring or shackle on that back trailer axle.

It's always easy to spend other fella's money. But I would either lift the rear suspension on your current 5th wheel (saving the old parts to offer with the future sale) now, OR, start looking at trading that 5th wheel on the larger model you want very soon.