5th wheel question

[bigbobed]

Picked up my 3500 the other day and am getting it set up to tow my fiver. This truck is several inches taller than my current hauler and that could be a problem. However, looking at the spring package, it seems it will settle quite a bit when a load is applied. Anybody measured the drop?

Thanks,

Bob

[richp]

Bob,

My K2500 Dmax only drops about 1" with a 850# pin weight. My trailer has torsion axles and would have been tricky to raise.

I opted for replacing the stock shackles with Summit aftermarket units (about $60 as I recall) which lowered the rear end 2". This left the truck sitting a bit higher in the rear than front, but allowed the trailer to hitch up almost level. This approach allows you to put the old shackles back on for resale or if you stop towing.

Also, I don't know what kind of trailer you got, but many of the new ones now have adjustments in the spring hanger plates that allow raising the trailer without flipping the axles or dropping the truck. Might want to take a look.

For what it's worth.

Rich Phillips
Member #28

[cantravel]

I worried about clearance to my 5er too as I waited for my K3500. But when my hitch was installed, and I finally hooked up, I was glad I had made no suspension changes to either my truck or my RV.

I pull a 36' Nu Wa Sno Vila, with a tounge weight over 2000 lbs. Hitched to my Reese I have 5+ inches of clearance between the 5er and bed rails. Lots of clearance, in fact more than I had with my 98 D***e 24 valve Cummins.

Clearance was not a problem, and as I look back on things now, I wasted some energy worrying about what was not to be a problem.

Enjoy!

01 K3500 Chev D/A LT LongBx Crew
Diesel Page Member #40

[DZ302]

Bigbobed :
Do a search on (shackles) you will find great info for your 3500. If you add a summit or velvet ride shackle. I believe that some of the 3500 owners had to cut the upper shackle bolt head off too get the bolt removed. So purchase a new bolt before you start.
Reason is that the overload spring bracket prevents rising the spring above the truck frame for bolt removal.

You didn

[MaxDMax]

FYI on the 5er,
I have a 02 3500 D-Max and a 36.5' Sportsman Sportster 5er. I live right above a super nice blacktop plant and have friends that work there, but they are not open for the blacktop season so I have not weighed everything together yet. I suspect wet and loaded about 11,500 to 12,500. When I got my 5er I had to adjust the springs down raising the trailer 4" inches. This put the unit almost level, but with this weight the rear of the truck only lowers about 2" max remaining high in the back. I gave the front torsion bars 3 turns and it is pretty close to level now fully loaded. I have a retrax that adds about 1" to the rail height and am sitting around 7.5".

[Edmac]

Bigbobed:
The tongue weight of my trailer is about 2800 lbs and the truck will settle about 1- 1 1/2 inches when the load is applied.
Something that I did when I set my hitch in this truck, was to measure the height from the ground to the top of the hitch of my old truck (F brand) and install the hitch at the same height in the new GMC, This worked out fine in my case. I have about 7-8 inches of space over the rails.
My trailer is a 36 ft Carri-Lite that weighs between 13200 and 13,800 lbs when ready for the road. Have pulled it 14,500 miles with this truck in less than a year without problems.

[imported_]

With 2900 lbs tongue weight my dually drops 2" with the gooseneck mounted 5-1/2" forward of center.

[newmar]

BIGBOBED
CLASSY CHASSIS ALSO SELLS A LOWERING KIT FOR 3500 WITH HELPER SPRINGS HOPE THIS WAS SOME HELP TO YOU I BOUGHT A CAB AND CHASSIS AND HAD A CUSTOM BODY MADE I TOW A 37 FOOT NEWMAR

[3-Fan]

I thought I was gonna have the same problem with my 5er and my new truck. I bought from Dexter axle, conversion kits for the axles to flip the springs from under slung to over slug, thus raising the camper up about 4 inches or so. But when I went to hook up to the camper for the first time, I actually had more room between the bed rails and the camper then what I had with my 1500. So no modifications needed. If anyone would like to buy these conversion kits off from me, they are for sale. See here for what they are.

http://www.dexteraxle.com/dexter_marketplace/product_info.php?kit_id=205

Thanks,
Greg
john6@zande.com

[bigbobed]

Thanks for all the info. I guess I'll hook it up and see what happens and, if I have a problem, use the appropriate suggestion from you guys.
For what it's worth, my new truck is overkill. I tow a 31' Sunnybrook that tops out at 9500 or so. In fact the whole mess (trailer and Dodge 2500 V10) probably weighs less than the trailers some of you are hauling. Can't wait.