How To Determine If a 5th Wheel Trailer Needs to Be Raised or Lowered To Tow Level

Question:

My original hitch was 55 1/2, an you add 11 3/4 it should be 67 3/4. But putting the hitch at it highest setting the best I can get is 65 3/4. Will this be acceptable, or will I need to add lift to the axles.

asked by: Dennis D

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you are trying to determine if the trailer will be level while coupled to the tow vehicle. If that is the case then what you need to do is measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the skid plate on the pin box and then from the ground to the top of the skid plate on the 5th wheel hitch. The height of the hitch and skid plate are both adjustable so you may need to tweak these as well. I would try to get these two as close to level as you can but keep in mind you will need 6" from the top of the bed rails to the bottom of the loft on the trailer.

If you can let me know the difference between the above two parts I can then provide some options for raising or lower the trailer to become level with the 5th wheel hitch.

expert reply by: Conner L