How to Correct Nose High 5th Wheel Trailer After Switching to B&W 5th Wheel Hitch

Question:

I have a 2018 Ram 3500 4x4 crew cab Limited edition, 6 1/2 foot bed, with OEM hitch prep package which I purchased back in December. We tow a 2018 Cedar Creek 35IK fifth wheel. The pin box on the fifth wheel is the Trail air Flex Air 1621, I purchased the BandW BWRVK3670 slider for the truck. The BandW is set at the lowest setting, and I believe the pin box is set as high as it will go as far as I can tell. The problem is the trailer is setting pretty nose high after hooking up. Prior to this Ram I had a 2016 Ram Longhorn 3500 dually 4x4 crew cab 8ft bed with a rail mount Curt Q20 set on middle setting, and trailer rode perfectly level with the same pin box setting. Have there been others that have run into this issue? What is the best way to correct? How can I tell by looking at the bolt pattern on the pin box if it is really adjusted as high as possible? Any help and suggestions will be appreciated. Let me know if I need to send photos. Thanks!!

asked by: Gary C

Helpful Expert Reply:

I'll start off by saying that the Curt Q20 # C16130 adjusts between 13"-17" tall, where the B&W # BWRVK3670 sits between 17"-19" tall; so if you were in the 15" range with your Q20, that would explain some of the nose high condition you're experiencing now using the B&W hitch. Additionally, if there aren't any bolt holes left above where your Trailair Flex Air Pin Box # LC328492 bolts onto the 5th wheel, it will be at the highest setting and you're not going to be able to move it up. If there are bolt holes on the 5th wheel pin box mounting box, you could try to move it up and try to level out your trailer.

When it comes to fixing this, you really would only have 2 options. You could switch to a hitch with a lower height setting, like your old Curt Q20 # C16536, which fits in the OEM prep package on your 2018 Ram 3500. The most cost effective option, if your leaf springs are mounted under your axle, is to use an axle flip kit like the Dexter Trailer Springs Over-Under Conversion Kit # K71-385-00 (for 3" axles) or # K71-384-00 (for 2-3/8" axles). These kits will raise your trailer by the height of the leaf spring stack plus the axle diameter and would allow you to level out your trailer without having to switch 5th wheel hitches again.

If you can tell me what the capacity of the axles on your Cedar Creek 35IK are, or the diameter, I can help confirm which of these kits you'll want to use to allow you to correct the nose high issue and continue to use your B&W hitch.