This may sound kind of stupid. But what is your hitch height from the ground to the hitch plate? I already know mine is too high. I went to a RV dealer and they told me the average height for a 5er is 46". The problem is my truck's bed is 43 from the ground. The bed is about 8-10 inches above the frame, so I am having the place that installed my hitch and bed, cut out the bed to fit the hitch into it. Even by doing that I may still be too high to pull a 5er. I looked under the truck and under the rear leaf springs there is a 5" spacer. Is it possible to get a 1" or 2" spacer to replace this? If I get the hitch installed ON the frame AND lower the rear of the truck, it should work. Anybody ever heard of this being a problem? This really sucks! >:( :'( >:(

hi hi, dont know if this will help you but , from all the dealers and the transport companys i have talked to in the pass month have told me that max height of truck should not aceed 54 in and that most 5th wheel pins at level positoin comes in at 52 In. good luck hope this is of some help <br> TnT

CMN_NOT_STROKN, My fiver hitch has a 3&quot; vertical adjustment in one inch increments my 5er hitch pin box also has a 4&quot; vertical adjustment. <br>I'm confused when you say, &quot; The bed is about 8-10 inches above the frame&quot;. The bed should be about 2-2 1/2&quot; above the frame. Do you mean 8-10 inches above the axle? I berlieve the spacer is 4 inches higher on a 4x4 than a 4x2. If the rear is lowered that will effect the front end geometry and may cause stability problems. <br><br>A better solution is to have a large RV service facility install your trailer springs above the axles. this will result in the hitch pin 4-5 inches higher. You could also consider larger wheels and tires on the 5er if there is wheel well clearance. Most new high profile 5ers are built with springs on top of the axles and larger wheels. <br><br>I hope this helps. You might also check, http://www.goodsamclub.com/forums/index.cfm/CFB/1.cfm<br><br> ;)

What I am looking to do is hotshot hauling camping trailers for a commercial carrier, so therefore modifying the trailer to fit truck is not an option. I have a flatbed and it is raised about 8-10 inches off the top of the frame. The hitch that I have is currently set up at the lowest setting and is 60 inches from the ground to the plate. My bed is 43&quot; from the ground. I need to get the hitch at it lowest setting to be around 42&quot;. The hitch adjusts from 16&quot; to 20&quot; high. It is a 21K Hijacker hitch. Like I said I would like to know about lowering the rear springs. I think it is too tall even after mounting the hitch on the frame. Anybody have any experience with a shorter rear spring block? I don't think it will mess up the geometry since it will only be about 3&quot;. What do y'all think?

Cmn_not Strokn, just check my catalog, Reese has a fiver hitch which i believe meets your specs. It adjusts from 9&quot;- 13&quot;. It is a heavy Duty 5er hitch 30,000# capacity. Lists for $999. At Camping World Presidents Club members price is now $863. This would give you a hitch without modification of truck or trailer. <br><br>Hope this helps. :D

What about the TSB to lower the rear of the truck? Would that help out?<br><br>http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2001/02-001-01.htm<br><br>Tony

Phil,<br>Wish I would have checked into that hitch prior to purchasing the one that I have now. At the time I didn't think that the height would be a problem. Now I know better.<br><br>TPilaske,<br>That TSB is what I was looking for. Thanks for the info. I don't know if that will work for me but if it will lower the rear of the truck several inches like it states that may be an option. I'm not crazy about losing the overloads that it has on it but if that is my only option, then that is what I will have to do.<br><br>Thanks all for the info. If anyone else has any ideas/thoughts, let me know.

Guy here installed the 05066073AA lowering kit for his 3500, mentioned in the TSB. He says it's OK, but removal of the auxiliary springs is necessary, and it's a problem with heavier loads -- the kind you'd carry with a 5th wheel or a gooseneck. So now he's &quot;uninstalling.&quot; Catch-22. Might want to look at Sierra Phil's suggestion again.

GP

CMN NOT STROKN, Without the overloads your truck essentially becomes a 3/4 ton. My 98 Ram 2500 did not have the camper pkg but the tow pkg. When I sat the 5er on its hitch the rear dropped 3 1/2&quot;. My 5er's hitch weight was 2200#. I don't know your 5er's hitch weight. So without the overloads you might get the drop in rear you need. If it drops too much you might add air bags to adjust height.. Hope we've given you some options.

What I did was take the overloads off and install the Road Master aux springs. As you probably anyway , they hook from the rearspring to the center U bolt area and replace the OL springs. On my 3500 I've towed like this 3 years and it works for me. My pin weight is 26-2700 lbs. The only thing with this setup is the shocks will have to be in good shape to handle the pressure on the rear springs. For me I like it this way.<br><br>..Preston..

Well I am not sure of what the pin weight will be. I will be towing all kinds of trailers with all kinds of pin weights since I will be hauling these trailers for a commercial carrier. Trailers will vary from small 20' to large 40'. Pin weights will vary as well and for the larger triple axle 3 slide trailers the weight of the trailers can get up to 17-20k pounds. I think that I will need the overloads or an aftermarket aux spring setup. I don't really want to go with air bags cause the ride quality sux running empty. I may drop the rear spring blocks and add an air ride suspension like the big rigs and an aux spring. This is in addition to the mods I will be doing to the bed. May be cheaper to get a different bed all together. I will be discussing this with the bed installers. Don't really need the full functionality of the bed for what I will be doing. I just don't want to lose the WHOLE bed.

The 36-40 foot fiver's like Excel, Hitchhiker,Travel Supreme, and Teton are to large for our 3500's. The 33' Teton I ordered is 1470 loaded and I was concerned about weight there. The trailers in the 36-40 foot range will have over 3K pin weight. I think that is to much for our 3500's.<br><br>..Preston..

Well I understand that the larger trailers would be too much for a normal 3500, but mine is a chassis cab and thus has a trailer tow rating of 19,200 and a gcwr of 30k. I just got 30k plates and have taken the written test for my Class A license and will be taking the skills test this week. I will only be hauling these trailers at their minimum weight and I don't think that any of them will be over 19,200 lbs. I have an appointment for Wednesday to have my truck modified to fit the hitch on the frame and lower the rear of the truck.

turbo thom,<br> How do you like your Teton??? Never been in one, just saw them in the mag's. Wondering how they stack up against the Alfa's and other high-end 5er's? I have a Forest River and really like it, but later down the road I'll be looking for something different. <br> Big dawg

I use the lil rocker hitch and with it in the middle position and my hitchhiker as set from the factory it sets perfectly level and no need to lower the hitch at all. I would maybe change hitches before tearing up the bed.

I've no intention of being a wet blanket, however it might behoove you to visit the escapees website and read the experiences of guys that worked delivering RV,s. Thier posts indicate they can't make more than minimum wage at this occupation, and the wear and tear on their trucks was terrible.

I spent a weekend visiting with two guys in Alaska who make their living by driving and towing RVs purchased in lower 48 to Alaska Dealers. They do it year round.

Well I just found the hitch that I will probably be installing. It is the B&amp;W made specifically for a flatbed. I called them and they told me to recess it 4-6 inches below the bed floor and it should be ok. The 5er hitch is only 10&quot; tall so if I recessed it 6&quot; it should only stick up out of the bed 4 inches. That would put it at the perfect height and I wouldn't have to lower the truck any. I think I will get the front end raised so it will sit more level, and be easier to hook up to trailers. Sounds like it will work out perfectly for me. I already have a 12&quot;X12&quot; hole cut in the bed for my gooseneck already, so if I cut the old gooseneck hitch out and cut a slightly larger hole for the new setup with a 1/4&quot; floor for the hitch to mount and box and weld everything in properly, it should fit without much modification. I will probably make a new cover plate for the cutout so it will be a true flatbed again!

Before I got too crazy about all this it sounds like you want to haul commercial, we haul new stock trailers from Iowa to Canada and there may be some more issues to consider. Commercial vehicles have different equipment requirements and we run commercial 5th wheels, RV wheels are not legal even in a one ton truck towing commercial. I have a flip up 5th wheel that sits 7&quot; above the deck and top of deck is mounted comes to 9&quot; from top of frame. My 5th wheel is a holland #6200 18&quot; 26k which is basically a baby Holland 3500 in design, the other option is a Binkly 32000 12&quot; wheel and the worst part about all this is the price is cheaper than the tin foil RV wheels. These trucks stand tall are not really user friendly when it comes to hauling some RV's, they create some wicked angles and put excess stress on the rear axle of the low trailers. For commercial trailers most of the gooseneck tongues are adjustable and these 4x4's push the limit but work fine. I have been in the trucking business for 26 years and you had better lay this whole thing out on paper real careful, not saying you cant make a living but if your looking for gold dont go here. Hope some of this helps you out and good luck. PK

Amen to what Kennedy said [eyecrazy]

<br> Before I got too crazy about all this it sounds like you want to haul commercial, we haul new stock trailers from Iowa to Canada and there may be some more issues to consider. Commercial vehicles have different equipment requirements and we run commercial 5th wheels, RV wheels are not legal even in a one ton truck towing commercial. I have a flip up 5th wheel that sits 7&quot; above the deck and top of deck is mounted comes to 9&quot; from top of frame. My 5th wheel is a holland #6200 18&quot; 26k which is basically a baby Holland 3500 in design, the other option is a Binkly 32000 12&quot; wheel and the worst part about all this is the price is cheaper than the tin foil RV wheels. These trucks stand tall are not really user friendly when it comes to hauling some RV's, they create some wicked angles and put excess stress on the rear axle of the low trailers. For commercial trailers most of the gooseneck tongues are adjustable and these 4x4's push the limit but work fine. I have been in the trucking business for 26 years and you had better lay this whole thing out on paper real careful, not saying you cant make a living but if your looking for gold dont go here. Hope some of this helps you out and good luck. PK<br><br><br>Hey thanks for the info. I am not looking for GOLD but just want to make an honest living. I got hurt on the job and am 60% disabled in my right knee. The doctor screwed up the surgery and the only thing I can do now is get a complete knee replacement but they won't do that since I am only 30. This is work that I can do that will not involve too much lifting and strain on my knee. I thought about doing currier work, but that involves loading and unloading some heavy stuff. Can't do it. I would just like to work about 3-4 days a week and make a decent living. Not looking to get rich.<br><br>As far as the hitch is concerned, I don't think I need to get that serious with it. 23k should be sufficient. The largest trailers that I will be towing are 17k unloaded, or so I was told. A medium duty truck would be ideal, except for the mileage/maintenance. I will probably also get into hauling some cars around as well. I already have a couple of dealerships interested in my services and may just end up going that route. I can't really do anything until I get discharged from the DOC, so I am not in a HUGE hurry. Still getting checks from the Work Comp.

Commercial guys, how high are your hitches?<br>I know mine is too high since the front axle doesn't touch when I'm empty. http://www.swampfoxcustoms.com/hot_shot.htm<br> The pin on the trailer is adjusted as high as it will go so either it was built wrong or the previous owner put the wrong hitch on the truck. The plate is about the same height as a regular Tractor trailer rig right now.<br>So, how high should it be?<br>In inches (Since frame height can vary).<br><br>Thanks gang,<br>Steve

The factory height of a commercial tractor is 48-52&quot; for standard highway trailers, oilfield and heavy haul are usually 4-8&quot; higher to accommadate the loading ramps on the rear of the tractors. I had to &quot;flip&quot; the axles on my RV trailer to match the truck everything now sits level. The gooseneck trailer has an adjustable pin height which most should have with either a round or square tube receiver. mine came with the ball coupler and I changed it to a standard pin and 18&quot; upper fifth to match my wheel. Most RV's and Goosenecks with 5th wheel pins only have a 12&quot; upper fifth, the 18&quot; offers more weight distribution across the wheel. When they put decks on trucks most are mounted high enough to allow the tires room when &quot;overloaded&quot; to miss the bottom of the deck and in some cases are way to high to mount 5th wheels at a reasonable height. The advantage of a deck vs a box are there is no side rail to clear with the pin box on an RV and regular goosenecks are built so this isn't an issue, therefore you can lower the trailer by lifting the pin box 6-10&quot; allowing easier levelling of the trailer. Travelling to far with the trailer tilted up stresses the rear axle and its components, sorry I dont have pictures for quick answers. PK

There are two directions that you can go on the hitch hieght. You can go standard and pull any trailer which 45 or 46 inches will work, or you can mount at your chassie hieght and only pull your trailer. A flat bed with electirc 16 inch axles will level out at your frame hight. JUst remember that it takes about 48 foot to pull three cars. There are not too many car haulers in your area. Go to the auctions and see about getting hauls.

Thanks Haulin, the legs are just about healed and ready to go so I figured I'd better get this thing figured out.

Dawg:<br> The one thing I can say about the Teton is I never thought I would ever own anything with as much quality. The order time is 5 months but now I see why. Just an unreal unit. And the Mor/Ryde is fantastic.<br><br>..Preston..

Hay Turbo Tom your right the mor/ride suspension has to be the best thing for towing I have a Holiday Rambler 5er with Mor/ride an you don't even know the trailer is there.<br> Now for the mans question I tow a lot of differant trailers so what i do is I keep my 5er hitch adj. all the way up this way my hitch is never to low for some of the smaller trailers yea some ride high in the front but with no weight in them it don't hurt a thing, I've pulled trailers for about 25 years now with no trouble, so I say keep it high an avoid a lot of hassels down the road.<br> just my 2 cents Bob

OK guys,<br>I went out &amp; measured my 5er tonight: at level, she sets at 55 inches. Then, went over to the truck and measured it setting in my driveway on a slant, IT MEASURED 55 inches!! Now, what in the h*ll do I do? My hitch in the truck is at bottom, and the pin box is a couple from the top. I have went up one and it seemed too close to the truck rails, so I put it back down. Now What? I have heard that you can do something to the trailer springs, BUT, can it help this situation???<br><br>Boy, what a dilema....... :'( :'( :'(<br>(32' Kountry Aire 10,000 grw)<br><br>Please try and help<br>Thanks<br>Grampaw

Grampaw,

Check to see if the springs on your are mounted below the axles. If they are, the &quot;axles can be flipped&quot; (springs can be mounted above the axles. This should be done by a reputable RV shop. This will give you an extra 4-6 inches.

From your measurements it sounds as if your truck is a 4 x 4. There is a lowering kit for the rear of Ram 4 x 4s that is available from dealers. This will give you a couple more inches.

Good luck.

<br>I've no intention of being a wet blanket, however it might behoove you to visit the escapees website and read the experiences of guys that worked delivering RV,s. Thier posts indicate they can't make more than minimum wage at this occupation, and the wear and tear on their trucks was terrible.<br><br>I work for an RV dealer and have 2 other dealerships that I do there delivery of all there trailers from Goshen, In.<br>I'm not going to say that knock the bank wall down, but I do make enough to pay the truck payments, Insurance, all the maintance, and I still have enough to enjoy all the fun I want to do.<br>So I guess you have to find the right people to work for.<br>As for working for a trucking company, and using your truck to fill there pockets, and they are so kind to give you 21% of the revenue.<br>NOT ON YOUR LIFE&gt; THEY ALL S***!!!!<br>Allen

I will comment on this subject because, I don't get rich either but could not possibly do it with what the rv's pay. Generally an rv delivery pays about 65 cents a mile and that is with your truck, insurance, etc. I do not pull for less than 1.50 within 140 miles or 1.38 over that. I usually get more than that with steady customers. I don't really get excited about the custom vans either because they don't pay any more than making a 200 mile pull with basically junk cars on it. For me the key is to get four cars on the trailer where the minimum will be 1.84 a mile. The average car that I pull is in the early 90's and no one looks for any damage at all. I don't damage but the new stuff can get to be a pain. I recently paid $89.00 for a plastic fascia on a GMC that I did not do, but that is the breaks. With the new stuff, if you miss a nick going on the trailer, you pay for it.

What ever you do DONT buy the loweringkit from MOPAR, its way too much cash for what it is......If you want a coupkle of inches off the back end, get the blocks from a SUPERDUTY FERD......Get new u bolts made that are shorter and away you go...Way cheaper, (25 bucks at a wrecker fro blocks, 40 for new u bolts and double lock nuts at spring shop)<br><br>

Allen T,<br><br>Goshen, IN? Must tow a few Montanas from there.<br><br> :)