Looking at used 5th wheel campers and have a 03 Ram 3500 diesel 4x4 4 door. What do I need to look for with respect to Box Height and clearance of the trailer.

Will I have problems with older 5th wheels and clearance. I was looking at a 94 siera 25ft and the gentleman selling it thought that there might be some issues with clearance and the dodge trucks.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

c5r:

I don't know about exact hitch heights, but I had the axles flipped on my fiver, that is, I had the axles put below the springs. My buddy has a 2001.5 CTD and he can pull my fiver on the level. You can see you it looks in the classifieds here.

I had the axles flipped when I got my CTD (see sig) and I had to raise my bed hitch slightly to get level, probably because my truck is a 4x2. It tows just as before the operation. If you find a trailer you like, having the axles flipped cost $240 two years ago, parts and labor. It raises the fiver about 4 inches.

Hope that this helps.

DeWain

 

When in doubt go to the experts at your local RV dealership. They should be able to answer most of your questions.
As you see by my pics mine sits level, they did raise(or lower) the axels to there max points.

 

I think you will find it varies quite a bit from one brand of 5er to the other. My patio hauler (stock) sits within a couple degrees of level with good clearance from the top of the bed. Others appear to be set up to work with a 2WD and need to be lifted, one way or another, to work well with a 4x4.

 

As I have only had my truck 3 months it is still fresh in my mind. For me I have a '93 HitchHiker II and while it was almost level with my F250 SC 4X4 it was way too low for this truck.

This meant I had to raise the trailer. I did this by going to Dexter Axle website and purchasing 2 of their Over/Under Conversion Kits (one for each axle). Spent a day doing it myself (that was a full day with a floorjack and lots of blocks to hold the trailer up correctly) and now the trailer is level when hitched to the truck. The kits have everything you need and total cost was a bunch of my labor and about $100 for the 2 kits. Takes a little tack welding to make sure the new spring perches stay in place after the thing is put back together.

 

I have 03 3500 4x4 4 door also and tow 30' 5er and had to spring over trailer to help bed clearances and still hit back corners of bed rails when in off camber / awkward positions (like pulling out of some fuel stations) so instead of lowering back of truck I had Les Schwab tire install a 2" leveling kit to front end of truck and since pivot point is rear axle it lowered back bed rail corners about 2" and even with 5er on p.u. the truck still looks level and no more clearance problems.

P.S. the reason I had Les Schwab do leveling kit. They supplied kit and installed it for about what I could just buy the kit for. 245.00

 

I have an '04 3500 4x4 and a '96 King of the Road fiver. I did and axle flip on the camper and removed the spacers on the rear axle of the truck. The camper rides level when attached to the truck.