increasing pin box clearance

[LSchlekau]

I have a 2004. 5 CTD auto LB Quad SRW 4. 10 4x4 and tow a 30' TT. I am considering buying a Titanium or Montana Big Sky 5ver, roughly 34' with GVWR from 12,200 to 14,400 (haven't made final decision on model). I know the standard pin box height is 60" and I would not have enough clearance, it SEEMS, on the truck as is. I gather I'll want six to eight inches.



By doing a search of these forums, it seems I have 4 options:

1) Lower the truck about 2"- drawbacks include expense, altering the appearance and ground clearance of the truck, and maybe changing the handling.

2) Have the axles flipped on the 5ver before delivery, which would gain me what- 3 or 4 inches? Drawbacks include needing an extra step to enter trailer, overall trailer appearance, and decreased stability and handling.

3) Extend the pin box to the max and hope it's enough. Drawbacks include putting an angle on the 5ver which may be slightly adverse for towing.

4) Do nothing, and count on the pin weight (1,800-2,400 lbs) dropping the truck bed enough to gain the minimum clearance.



Are the above options correct? How much does the truck bed drop when hooking up such a 5ver? I'm leaning toward doing 3 and 4, but if 2 is required it would be easier to have it done at the time of ordering, when I MIGHT be able to get them to build it with the extra step.



Have I overlooked anything or misunderstood anything? This would be our first 5ver, always towed a TT. Bought this truck with a large (not gargantuan) 5ver in mind. Our previous TV was a Suburban that had to be towed off wet grass once, hence the 4x4 (which will help with snow and ice).

 

[RHamner]

I can't help with your year truck. Many of us have been through this though. I don't think flipping the axel is a negative except for the parked height. I would try to get it resolved before buying though. I have, in the past "flipped the axel", changed wheels and tires(larger),cut the rear axel blocks, and modified springs, and wished I had made sure it was the way Iwanted it prior to towing off the lot.

 

[klenger]

An extended pin box won't help with bed to trailer clearance. Lowering the truck is a no cost option ( see http://www.klenger.net/dodge/lowering-rear-end/slide01.html ) and if you don't like it, you can easily switch it back. When my 5er was built, I had the axles flipped at the factory. With the combo of the lowered truck and the higher trailer, I have about 8" clearance. The 3rd gen 3500 seems to settle more with weight than my 01. 5 2500 did, so that helps too. Enjoy the toys

 

[Radshooter]

Some fiver hitches are adjustable for height, but that wouldn't gain you any more than extending the pin box. When we switched from our 2500 to the 3500 DRW, we considered flipping the axles on the trailer, but raised the hitch instead. We then towed it to an RV dealer we trusted and showed them our setup. We asked if we needed to flip the axles, and he said we would be wasting our money because we were pretty close to level anyway. The front of our trailer is a little high, but the dealer said it was not enough to worry about. We wound up with about 7 inches of clearance at the bed rails. When the weight of the trailer settles on the truck we get about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of settling on the truck suspension. There is a picture of our truck hooked up to the trailer in my reader's rig section if you want to see how level it sits.

Enjoy



Steve