Anyone with a 5th wheel ever flipped the axles?? I'm looking at possibly doing so to allow for enough clearance between bed and camper.

I would like to avoid lowering truck, but may step down to a 250 block if necessary.

We are going to look at a 33' 5ver this weekend and if the deal is right...

 

Yep. My last 2 fifth wheels had their axles flipped. If the job is done right, the trailer tows just fine. Most newer fifth wheels have a larger 'step up' to clear today's 4x4s so you may not need to flip your axles. However, there may be other good reasons to have yours flipped.

My current fifth wheel cleared the bed in stock form. It came with triple axles but only had 15" wheels. I had 16" wheels installed with E rated tires but that then created a new problem. With the weight of my quads in the garage (toyhauler), the tires would rub the body of the trailer. So, I chose to flip my axles for more clearance when loaded. Another benefit is that I can drag my trailer deeper into the woods or desert when I go camping. Having the RV up higher off the ground reduces the risk of tearing up the black and grey drain pipes (or anything else that hangs low...).

Annoying issue to deal with is that your steps will be higher off the ground, which can make that last 'step' a doosie. Be careful with that. I got lucky with my current toyhauler because the shackle mounts had two holes and the shackles were attached to the lower holes. When I had my axles flipped, I had them use the upper holes to make the 'lift' less extreme. I gained the tire clearance I needed but don't have to 'jump' off that last step either..

Things to think about....
Hope this helps. Happy shopping!

 

Get shocks added on there too. Just think of the bouncing your doing in the truck, trailer feels it too, but worse. That nice flat screen getting all wiggly and jiggly on ya.

 

Mine came flipped from the factory. I could stand for the front of the 5er to be a little higher and have been researching ways to make that happen both economically and safely.

 

I only found out a few years ago that trailers need to have their wheels "aligned" just like any other vehicle but the mechanics are quite different.

I have an older 26' 5ver that the previous owner flipped the axles himself. I don't know if the new, larger 5vers are the same but the axles have a bend or arc to them. This bend is actually part of the alignment procedure. Shortly after purchasing the trailer, I could see that the rear set of wheels were angled out at the bottom more than the front set when observing them from the mirrors. This was leading to very rapid tire wear. Upon further investigation, the front axle had an upward arc but the rear axle was perfectly straight.

Checking with a local custom trailer manufacturer, he has some equipment that he uses to align his trailers after manufacture that will hydraulically bend the axles both front to rear and up or down to get both sets in perfect alignment. Problem was that he wanted $600 per axle to perform the service.....

I ended up doing my own alignment using a hydraulic jack centered under the rear axle and putting an upward bend in it. Not anywhere as exact at the shop would have done but has greatly reduced my tire wear and both sets of tires appear to be parallel when looking at them in the mirror.

 

I had a 2000 Thor Tahoe 5'ver with the axles flipped by the dealer and had no issues. It did give me enough clearance in the bed and allowed me a little extra room when camping in the back woods. My new (to me) 2005 Cougar has them flipped already.

 

You cannot flip the axles on my trailer. They have that arc to them built in, it's part of the engineering of the axle.
However the trailer frame itself has different holes, up and down and I moved them to the lowest hole which raised the trailer 4 inches.
I then moved the pin box to the highest hole and the hitch itself to the lowest hole and now the trailer almost rides tail high, but I like it that way so I can pull out of parking lots without dragging the tail.

 

Not fair, you don't have these tall bed-rails to worry about with that Western Hauler bed.

 

Dan is correct. The axles can not be 'flipped' because they have a pre-established arc built into the cross tube. Most competent shops understand this and what actually gets 'flipped' is the location of the leaf spring (from under the axle to top of axle). Usually a new spring perch gets welded on top of the axle to receive the leaf spring.

Actually flipping the axles themselves causes all kinds of problems. The camber of the tires is off and the brakes are upside down as well. I talked to a guy who actually did this and he had lots of problems towing his trailer.

 

However you go about it, just raising the center of gravity on your 5vr is as good as any reason to not do it. Like said, you can't just flip them over because of the axle arch. Brakes are another cause for concern, they'll be upside down. Ya they'll still prolly work, but it's not ideal. The only 2 ways I know of to do it correctly is to remove each axle and weld a new spring perch on top of the axle. And they better be welded accurately or your trailer will crab steer. I did this on my old pop up, and it towed like crap; luckily I left the original perch on the bottom of the axle and put it back the way it was. The reason it makes a difference is you now have spring over axle (SOA) and it makes it much easier for the axles to rotate and twist because of the different leverage.
The other way is to buy some torsion axles with offset spindles that will raise the trailer. Generally though, a lifted truck + lifter camper = not fun towing. Some have been successful.

I would lower the back end of my truck and add air bags to keep it level before I lifted a camper.

 

I did the "flip" on my 5th wheel myself. The "flip" kit I bough was actually a kit to relocate the axles below the leaf springs. I came with new spring perches and longer u bolts. It was a bolt in kit that did not require welding (though I did tack weld the new perches when finished).

Before I did any disassembly I used and angel finder to determine the camber of the axle and made sure I duplicated that number when I installed the new perches.

To lift the trailer I hooked it to my truck and put down the landing gear. I jacked off the frame in the back with a bottle jack and shored it up with 4 foot long sections of railroad tie stacked lincoln log style as well as only doing 1 axle at a time in case we had an earthquake or something.

It did the swap 5 years or so ago and have towed it 20k+ and have had no issues. I tows pretty much the same and I have had no issues with tire ware, but I did have to build a wooden step to throw down under the steps so my kids don't need a rope ladder to get in and out on their own.

One other thing to remember is you may need to extend the brake wiring if you go this route.

Good luck,

Steve

 

thanks guys, some helpful information here.

And yes "flip" the axle was just the phrase I have seen many times. I did not actually mean I was going to flip the axles. Just move the leafs from bottom to top. I have seen a couple kits. Looks like they have adjuster nuts to get the perch exactly 180* from the original by measuring and screwing the adjusters. Then I will weld it for safety sake.

Dexter makes the kits

 

Dexter is the one I used,

Good Luck!!

 

thanks. Hope I have some adjustability in the pin as well. We shall see when I go to take a look at it this weekend!

 

Alright guys, just an update.

Went and looked at a few campers last saturday, didnt find one that I liked.

Saw a RV dealership off the interstate on the way hope, stopped in and found one we liked. Ended up talking to them and coming back monday and struck a deal. We practically stole a 36' Travel Supreme 5ver. Ordered in a nice B&W companion set up and look forward to camping.

However, it will definetly need lifted. Talked to the dealership and they said they charge $300 for it. Shoot, for price of parts It would cost me $100, might as well save my time for $200 and ensure its done right the first time.

I will keep you guys posted. I still need to get my trans and hitch installed. The trans should be here end of week/beginning of next, and once I get hitch installed and new tires put on the camper, we are in business to get it lifted.

Any suggestions on trailer tires. . . 245/75 R16 ??