03CTDCO

Has anyone mounted both of these options together on there
03-04 2500 or 3500 Ram HD trucks?

With the mounting brackets used to mount the Superglide
5th wheel hitch, I was wondering if there is room to mount
the Ride-Rite air bags PN2299. Doesnt look like it will work
but I thought I would throw out a thread to see if anyone
has this same set-up

Thanks in advance

NJMurvin

Sorry, 03CTDCO, but I can't answer your question. But, maybe you can answer a couple for me.

I see you are running a ShortBed QC with the Pullrite 16k Superslide. I have been told that my 5er will hit the back window of the truck on severe turns with that setup. My kingpin is set back (not extended) 4.5" from the front of the trailer and the trailer is 94" wide. I was also told that the 24k SuperSlide would clear (due to 4 more inches of travel). I would really like to avoid the expense of the 24k hitch (not to mention the add'l weight lugging it in and out).

Do you have an extended pinbox on your 5er? If not, what are the dimensions of your 5er (i.e. width and center of kingpin setback)?

Did you have to flip the axles of your 5er to accommodate the height of the 4x4? Otherwise, how does it ride with the high 4x4?

Thanks,
Neil

Azhuskcarr

My dad just bought a new Alfa triple slide 31'. I talked him into getting the 16k superglide and it was the best money ever spent. I took it out last weekend just to see how far I could go. And to my suprise I had it at a 90 degree. Now the Alfa does not have an extended pin box, it sits a little back from the front of the trailer. Now if he was on unlevel ground he probably wouldn't be able to clear, but none the less I was impressed. By the way he has a 2001 qc 2500 2wd short bed. I got him a smoking deal on the hitch and everything.

03CTDCO

Well I never measured my kingpin offset and I have never had
the 5er at 90 degrees to the truck yet. I do have an extended
kingpin but I dont believe it hangs out even flush with the 5er.
I'd have to say its a negative offset but not by much.

Our 5er is in storage but if you send me your email address
I can shoot ya a pic from the side. I've had ours at approx 75
degrees and no contact. Our dealer said we would be fine but
I guess I need to try 90 degree or close to it to find out. We camped twice last fall and I took it real easy during those
week-end trips. Didnt want to push my luck at that time.

NJMurvin

Azhuskcarr.

I would be extremely appreciative if you could kindly measure the overall width of the front of your dad's Alfa and the distance from the center of the kingpin to the front of the trailer. Also, does the Alfa have rounded corners? That affects it as well. I notice your dad's truck is quite a bit earlier than mine will be. I don't know if the bed length vs. axle position has changed. Something to consider, though.

Thanks,
Neil

Chief2

Hey Azhuskcarr,
How is your dad doing with pulling that size camper and does he have any issues with pin weight. I want to get a 3 slide Open Road 37ft 5er, but got some reservations about all the bs with GVWR etc. I have a 03 2500 quad 4x4. It has plenty of power, but need to know if anyone has done any beef ups on the rear suspension to compensate for the increased rear weight load when hooked up. Thanks

03CTDCO

Gotta be careful choosing the correct weight for you truck.
With my 2500, I'm well under the gross combined weight rating
of 20,000lbs but I slightly "exceed" the gross vehicle weight
rating of the truck (9000lbs) when packed up and ready to camp.
Here's how...GVWR 9000-(weight of my truck) 6900=2100 for people and the pin weight of our 5er. The 5er pin weight is 1650lbs. That leaves me 450lbs for 4 adults. (me/wife/2 teenage
boys)...Our combined weight is approx 680 lbs so we exceed the
GVWR by approx 230lbs....but we are 4000lbs under the GCWR.
Make sense?
That why I'm looking for airbags..our truck squats more than I
like with all of us in it and the 5er packed up with full LP tanks
and a full 34 gallons of diesel fuel. I would like to level it back
out a few inches. It doesnt squat bad but enough that the front
looks lifted going down the road. The HO CTD pulls our weight
just fine and I'm impressed how the 5er handles when hooked
up and driving 65mph down the road.

Azhuskcarr

The trailer is heavy, and he is overweight. But as you probably already know it does not take long for the weight to add up. When he has it hooked up, the helper spring just makes contact on the bump stops. The trailer and truck sit perfectly level. There is no rear squat to the truck whatsoever. The truck handles it fine for all I can tell, I'm not gonna say I wish he had a dually for better stability, but he got a great deal on the truck he bought. I live in Mesa, AZ and most of the snowbirds I see have 2wd 2500 single rear wheel. So from all of the information I gathered from talking to these people is that it should be fine, you just have to be more aware of what is going on down the road. Most people are overweight anyway.

NJMurvin

. . . Which is exactly why I chose the 3500 (this time). Almost every salesman I encountered had plenty of 2500s on the lot and no 3500 SRWs. In each case, they tried to convince me I didn't really need a 3500, the 2500 is the same thing w/o the overload springs, yada yada.

Been there. Done that! This is one of the reasons (but not the only reason) I sold my F250 because I didn't know any better at the time. All of what they said may be true, but the sticker on the door jamb is what counts. Bottom line, if it says 9900 instead of 8800, I have 1100 more lbs to play with.

If I were already into a 2500, I would likely do as you are doing and beef it up to make it safe and pleasant to drive, but if you're buying new, it's better/cheaper to get the larger capacity up front.

My $.02

Neil

03CTDCO

yep...your right... I looked and drove a couple 3500 SRW's
at that time we had not yet picked out our 5er and I was
only looking at towing capicity which I kinda of regret.
Its the truck weight rating and the tow rating that is important.
9000lbs vs 9900 GVWR means alot when you have 4-5 adults
plus the 5er kingpin weight to deal with. I'm glad we bought
a medium weight 5er. I had no idea the truck weighed just under
7000lbs when I was looking...Had I known that I wouold have
chose a 3500. Atleast I'm not that much overweight and can
deal with the problem with airbags. The truck doesnt squat
too much bit its enough that I want to level it out. Without
all of us in the truck it sits real nice with the 5er hooked up.

Big Ed

A cheaper solution to airbags may be a set of Timbrens. I had purchased a set for my previous '03 2500 that had a E-Z Dumper installed the bed. they really helped out with the squating issue when loaded and when unloaded they din't make contact.

Also, has anyone priced out a set of 3500 SRW springs? As 2500 owners we may just need to purchase the overloads and longer u-bolts.

y-knot

I never installed the same hitch, but they are all pretty standard. The end plates that bolt too the outsides of the frame rails will interfere with the air bag mounts. I used Air Lift, but they are both the same mount. I had to use spacers for the bottom bolts, the tops are on the hitch plate and mounted flush. The bottoms hang down past the plate and need to have spacers inserted between them and the frame rail. In order to get the proper distance required for the bags, I needed to remove the overload spring pack, you will probably have too also. Only bear was drilling Thur the hitch end plates and frame rail together, but at the same time it adds strength to the hitch. Good luck

SuperGewl

Yes I have them both on my truck. Works great and easy to install.
The brackets don't interfer on the 3500.

03CTDCO

SuperGewl
Could you tell me which Superglide hitch you have and which
Ride-Rite PN kit you installed? PN 2299?

Could I bother you to shoot me some pictures showing the
upper mounting plates resting against the SuperGlide frame
mounts? Pictures always tell more.

I would greatly appreciate it !

Thank you

SuperGewl

The SuperGlide is the 3300 and yes the Ride Rite is the 2299.
It took me about 3 hours to install the Ride Rite kit.
I let the RV Dealer install the SuperGlide.