Help!!!

We are trying to trade our pull toy hauler for a fifth wheel toy hauler. My husband wants to put a flat bed on the truck (which will raise it 9") and the factory says not to haul it with a gooseneck. If we put on a conventional 5th wheel hitch, it will be way to high in the front. Anyone have any suggestions? We are supposed to pick up this fifth wheel in about 2 weeks 1900 miles from here.

 

Some folks have turned the axles over on the trailer or added blocks to raise it higher. This is good for 2-4 inches, not 9. As far as the flat bed and hitch, that's a tough one. Is the pin height on the trailer adjustable in any way? There may be a couple inches of movement there. And BTW, welcome to the site O contrary one.

 

Custom 5th hitch recessed in flat bed. May not even have to be custom. I know some of the flat beds sold around here (Memphis) have recessed hitches on them anyway. They are the nice skirted flat beds that are pricey.

 

Ditto. I've seen 5th wheel/flatbeds set up with a plate of steel attached to the frame under the flatbed, and a hatch on the flatbed is removed so the hitch bolts to the steel plate.

B&W also builds a flatbed that accepts a special (shorter) 5th wheel hitch.

http://www.turnoverball.com/custom.asp?page=options#

Click on Companion Flat Bed Hitch.

If I were going to set up another truck to tow 5th wheels (and had the money) I think I'd go with one of the air ride hitches and a flatbed.

This page shows some Highway Product beds set up with 5th wheel hitch...

http://www.800toolbox.com/flatbeds/flatbeds.htm

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Without looking at it, 9" sounds like a lot of rise for a flatbed. Is your husband buying one pre-built or building his own? It sounds to me like he may need to look as a different flatbed design with less rise to it. Just my off-the-cuff thoughts.

 

Rise sounds high.

You can get small fifth wheel hitches from welding shops (at least around here), that mount only a few inches above the surface they are on. They basically look like a smaller version of what semi's use (for reference... if you look at a semi's 5th wheel hitch, it doesn't add much height).

 

I took my trailer to a spring shop and had them fab up a 6" lift for the trailer so It would ride level with the truck. It cost me 625 to have done. Good luck

 

I wish I had bought a air ride hitch, this is the one I see alot here in the oilfield in Colorado
http://www.airsafehitches.com/5th_wh...WID=3510406522
I saw a sticker on a low profile hitch in a friends truck, here is their addy
http://www.trailersaver.com/rigidhitches_32lpk.php

Good luck. Rob.