New to the forum, but have been reading here for a couple of months and thank you all for the wealth of information.

I thought I'd made my mind up on a 2017 F450 and new DRV 5th wheel as we prepare to hit the road next summer. However, I just got back from an RV show here in OK, and across the board all the 5th wheels measured anywhere from 57" to 60" (when sitting level) from the ground to the bottom of the front cap.

According to the 2017 Ford Towing Guide (revision 09.16.16, page 23) The F450 Tailgate Height when closed is 58.0 inches. With everything I've learned on this site, one needs a minimum of 6" clearance, correct? If this is the case, how is anyone towing their 5th wheels without a massive lift installed on their TH suspension?

 

Do you mean that the kingpin plate is 57-60" off the ground? Or, the shell of the camper?

It's not exact info for you, but in my experience, the hitch in the truck is usually within 2" of being flush with the top of the bed rails, so your 6" clearance would be the height of the pin box on the camper. Make sense?

 

57-60" to the shell of the camper.

Hitch height is not the issue, that's adjustable, as well as the king pin box. My concern is ensuring the camper is level during tow.

Truck sitting level (no load) bed rails are 58". Camper sitting (level unattached), bottom of the camper is, worst case, 57". Already at a 1" deficit.

Hook up the trailer, assume a 3" squat, and there is only 2" clearance between the bed rails and the bottom of the camper if I want to keep the camper level.

Sure, I could raise the hitch and drop the pin box to gain clearance, but that would put the trailer in a extreme nose high attitude with, IMO, too much weight transfer to the rear axle of the trailer.

If I am missing something here, I'm all ears. Thanks!

 

First, I would just flip the axles on the trailer but that's just me. Second, doesn't the design of the rear spring attachments account for quite a lot of tip? Two springs attach to a single bracket that pivots at one point. Engineers should speak up but that design allows the weight to be equally shared across two or more axles. I'm speaking from an uneducated standpoint but there are several engineers that should be able to speak to how much of a concern there is to a trailer that is 5 inches nose high or low from an axle loading standpoint.

 

Cowlick...thanks, but the 5th wheel trailers I'm in the market for (DRV, Riverstone, 365, etc.) are sitting on 8K lb axles that don't utilize traditional springs, so the standard axle flip isn't a consideration.

FWIW, I asked all the manufacturer "representatives" at the RV show about this issue, and every single one of them gave me the deer in the headlights look and said "The Superduty was redesigned?", then wanted to tell me about their wall construction...so no help there.

 

DRV axles are mounted under the spring so flipping is not possible. I had a 2" spacer installed on mine to get it level with 6" clearance above bed rails...


my pin weight is aprox 4500 and the rear of the 450 will settle 2.5" when connected..

Lowering the rear of the truck was not a reasonable solution because of interference.

We have a JX450 and carry a Harley Breakout and a Spyder...

Glad to answer any other questions you may have..

 

PLEASE: Before you start flipping axles, contact the mfg and ask if it is recommended by their engineers.

I just went and measured and I am not going to be level for sure. I can drop my pin box 2 inches so that will help but I cal I am still about 4 in nose high.

Most of the under carriage setups I have seen lately its not critical to be level. In the old days when the axle sets were unconnected and total separate units and sprung separately you did put extra weight on the rear set. That in itself is not a huge deal, you can mitigate with better tires and perhaps spring hangers and other than wearing out the rear tires quicker its not a crises. I see plenty of them nose up on the roads.

 

On my 16 f450 I didn't have enough clearance either
I had to have the fifth lifted 3 inches
I chose to have longer leaf packs made and arced to lift it rather then blocks

I also had to have a longer pin box installed to get the trailer further away from the truck
when hooked up the tailgate only had half inch from hitting the front of the trailer
So if you were at all on an angle to the trailer the tailgate would have hit

 

Besides just the weight distribution problem with being nose high is the clearance problem at the tailgate...

 

For minor pitch problems axles with equalizers connecting the springs is acceptable. People get in trouble mostly with individually mounted springs/hangers and torque tube suspensions. These suspensions can be shimmed and adjusted to accept pitch other than level and for tire safety and wear should be carefully brought back to an equal weight on each axle. To not compensate for unequal weight leads to premature catastrophic tire failure.

 

Thanks to all for the data. Gives me hope for keeping with the F450 plan and not having to revert to either a 2016 MY or to the Ram.

I am visiting DRV dealer on Thursday and will take this information with me along with a tape measure. I know these units can be ordered from the factory with a 2" riser installed when it is being built. I will ask if they are willing/able to install a 3" riser for an extra inch of margin. At some point the vertical center of gravity is not going to like being lifted. I'll let the engineers at the factory determine if 3" is feasible.

Invstr55 - thanks for the data, I think I remember you having the Curt hitch. Would you go that route again if you had to start over? What was your deciding factor of the Curt over the Reese Elite? Thanks again

 

I like the positive jaw action of the Curt along with it being made in USA.

 

HSB, I have the a 25k Reese Elite currently. It's a good hitch but am going to the Curt as it's lowest adjustment setting is 1.5" lower than the Reese's. I too am trying to lower the nose of my RV for when my 2017 comes in. I have plenty of bed rail clearance now at 9" so I can easily accept the 1.5" drop with the Curt along with the 1.5" increase in rail height going from my 12 to the 17.

invstr, are you sure the Curt is made in the USA? I know their receiver hitches are made in the USA but have read their 5th hitches are made in China. I'd love to hear that they too are made in America. I believe the Reese Elite is made in Mexico but not sure on that one either...

 

Manufactured in Wisconsin.

 

That is really nice to hear buddy!!!!