Fifth wheel height

[BWilson]

I am looking at purchasing a Jayco 255BH and towing it with my truck-see sig. What I need to know is how hard is it to "flip" the axles and possibly add some other type of lift to get this to ride level with my truck, having 35" BFG's and a 3 in body lift.



Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Wellsp]

I have nearly the same suspension setup on my truck and I am looking at purchasing a fiver when I get back to the states. I am sure we will have to flip the trailer axles. I am also considering scaling down to 33" tires. My main concern is being too tall and having stability problems

 

[BWilson]

My thoughts were, if I get it close to level, it should ride fine, right? This would be my first fifth wheel, so I am looking for some suggestions. Also, I was wondering if you could put shackle extensions or lift blocks on the springs to help too.

 

[RThompson]

Try to get it as level as you can by lowering the truck or lifting the trailer. Makes for easier setup when stopping for a short night of sleep when traving long distances. Refer needs to be fairly level to work well over long time. Also it balances the load for and aft on the axles if it sits close to level.

Prefered method of lifting trailer is to have the entire suspension, (springs, shackles and brackets) cut loose and square tubing, 2" or 3" welded on the bottom of the frame with the shackle and pin brackets welded back to get the desired lift. Flipping the axles will do the job and is easier, but it messes with the camber of the axles. I have done it both ways and the additional frame member works best.

 

[RustyJC]

"Flipping the axles" is actually a misnomer. Done correctly, you don't change the orientation of the axles. You merely move the mounting of the axle from above the spring to below the spring. This requires a new set of spring perches and associated hardware that mount on top of the axle - these can be obtained at minimal expense from Dexter. Done this way, camber is not affected.



Having said the above, my Jayco Designer 5th wheel has "Jake plates" as standard equipment. These are extended mounting perches on the frame with a series of holes that let you adjust the suspension attachment points to raise or lower the trailer. Have you checked the Jayco you're looking at? I'd be surprised if it didn't have these as well.



Rusty

 

[BWilson]

Thanks for the info. I'll check it tonight for the jake plates. I think I would rather weld some tubing in between the springs and the frame than try to weld new sill plates on the axles???? Not sure, just thinking out loud... ... .



Thanks again for the information. This club is the most knowledgeable set of people I have ever run across.

 

[RustyJC]

Actually, the new spring perches from Dexter don't even have to be welded on - it's a bolt-on kit. Many people will tack them in place after installation, but that's optional. The whole thing only takes a few hours to install and isn't that expensive - especially compared to building a new subframe.



Something else to consider - flipping the axles is a recognized procedure that won't generate any warranty problems with your new Jayco. Welding in a new subframe is not.



I'm not necessarily against the subframe approach - it's generally done only as an absolute last resort, though.



Rusty

 

[Wellsp]

I'm not an expert on this subject. But I had an Aljo 26' TT and had the axles flipped for $150 by a local RV repair outfit. It raised the trailer up about 5 or 6 inches. I never encountered any stablization problems. Although the trailer was pretty low to the ground to begin with. I wouldn't think it would be too costly for your rig. Check with some local RV services shops. Let me know what you find out.

 

[BWilson]

I only talked to one shop so far, but their price was $405 and a 4 week lead time to get it in. It looks like I could probably do it myself or weld in a spacer tube above the springs. I guess if I just scribe a line at the center of the shackle bolts and line it back up to that when I weld it on it would still track straight right? Would I need to align it further from there? And if so, how?

 

[Ron Bissett]

Originally posted by BWilson

I only talked to one shop so far, but their price was $405 and a 4 week lead time to get it in. It looks like I could probably do it myself or weld in a spacer tube above the springs. I guess if I just scribe a line at the center of the shackle bolts and line it back up to that when I weld it on it would still track straight right? Would I need to align it further from there? And if so, how?

You can get 6'' lift with the over/under kit from dexter . You can order on line at www.dexteraxle.com . Cost 27 $ per axle kit for 3'' or 2 7/8 . Bend in axle must stay up 12 O'clock position . If you do as I did one side at a time ,the other side keeps the axle in proper alignment , used two large jacks and a small bottle jack for lifting axle , I kept the trailer attached to the truck and blocked the other wheels also placed blocks under frame area as a safety stop in case of jack letting go. Took all day Good instructions ,parts align the perches for hight and can be welded to help hold the axle from moving ,I welded the nut and the perch that was over four thousand miles no problems . Except the steps had to be modified and the shock mounts moved . Took all day for Kit and a half day for steps and brackets. LOL Ron Bissett in Metro Louisville KY

 

[KMeek]

I am a bit of an expert on this topic. I have a Jayco 255 BH-a nice 5th wheel. My story is this: I had a 1998 Dodge V-10 4x4. The 5th wheeel fit it only okay-not much clearance for off road. I had to flip the axles to get the Jayco to fit the V-10. When the V-10 went south I bought a 2001. 5 cummins (see below). The 2001. 5 sat 3" higher in the rear than the 1998. Due to the lack of clearance I bought taller trailer tires which I needed anyway. That gave me about another 1 1/2". I have okay clearance now but not as much as I would like. The stability is fine--never an issue. My Jayco is a 1996 and does NOT have a jake plate. My guess is that if there is no jake plate on your Jayco your truck will be way too tall for the 5th wheel unless you do something pretty drastic.

 

[KMeek]

One more point I forgot to mention. The Jayco 255BH comes with a 2 step entry. If you flip the axles you will definitely need the 3 step steps. This is a hidden cost most do not consider when flipping the axles.

 

[BWilson]

It seems to be to be much easier to just grind the welds off on the current spacer tube between the frame and the shackles, and weld another one in. When I looked at it yesterday again, it seemed like it would only take two or three hours to complete this and five or six or seven to install the over/under kit if everythihng went well, which it never does for me... ... .

 

[JThiessen]

With the truck set up you have, you WILL need to add a spacer tube to your Jayco - probably something around 6" - in addition to flipping the axles. My truck sits at the stock height, and I had to move the leafs down to the bottom holes and flip the axles - and it still sits about 1-2" lower in the rear. You mentioned grinding off the spacer tube thats on there - my 2001 Jayco 253D has the shackles/jake plates mounted directly on the frame. I'm wondering if yours was already lifted by the previous owner?????

 

[BWilson]

It all looks pretty stock and there are no holes in the frame (which I would suspect from a leftover jake plate?). I am going to begin on this project next weekend (have to work this weekend). I was planning on hooking up to the truck and lifting the axles to get a measurement of how high it needs to go. I'll let you know how it goes. I think the newer trucks, and the 3500's both sit higher than my truck did stock, and not a whole lot lower now actually. I'll post something as soon as I get a measurement.

 

[BigMike]

I never had to adjust the height of my Cardinal. That was one of the factors in deciding which 5er I bought. I looked hard at the Jayco and was impressed with the adjustment feature. Just couldn't make the right deal. With my Cardinal, I have 7" of clearance.