Looking for some advice. I have a 28' Cimmaron fifth wheel that I would like to be able to use again but feel unable to. I once pulled this behind my 86 chev K30 CC 4x4 LB or my 86 Freightliner conv logger for use on the landings for a few years. The trailers axles had been flipped by a previous owner (for use behind a 4X4 I recon) and the trailer sat level across my p/u bed with apprx 5"s of clearance. Now that I have a 2002 f350 PSD 4X4 with stock suspension I have a problem with clearance between the bed rails and trailer frame and particularly at the rear as the truck sits higher in the back. I actually have several questions but the primary one is this;
What is the easiest way to get my bed clearance so I dont tear up the bed when taking dips, hitting bumps and the like and especially when making turns when the frame crosses over the bed? I'm trying not to set the pin height too low to so that the trailer drags the back end down the road and upsets the trailers suspension balance. I only have a 2" clearance at the tailgate with about 5"s at the the nose at mid bed when setting on level ground. I don't really want to remove the overload spring on the truck as I do also tow a 45' racecar gooseneck trailer which just begins to sit on the overloads when hitched. My truck does not sit level with the chassis unloaded and has a nose down attitude. The front suspension is not worn and the shackles are in good order with the bushings not squirting out from time and milieage. (Truck has 91k original miles). I was thinking or lifting the front with an extra spring, new whole spring set or possibly a raised shackle kit. I figure if I can get the front end up, to level the truck chassis/bed. Then I might be able to squeeze out the needed inches at the tailgate for a better margin of clearance. Has anyone else experienced this. I hate the idea of putting any more lift to the trailer itself. But I'm not keen on lifting the front to upset the trucks handling and aerodymanics and potential loss of mpg's. I know, somethings got to give and there is a drawback to every compromise.
I'm guessing shackle kits would be the cheapest route and I personally have never liked shackle kits remembering everyone using them in the sixties to jack the rears of their hotrods up to give them that funnycar look and causing ridiculously poor handling. Using an extra leaf seems appealing but I know at least with my logger when trying this method I would end up breaking part of the original spring pack from the inherent different rate of the new spring. So it is probably best to buy new whole sets to prevent a failure of an older spring.
Am I on the right channel in my thinking? What have you done to overcome this? I should say I have a live front axle with parallel leafs and not IFS with coils.
I should also say that my trailer king pin has been outfitted with a gooseneck adapter so I wouldn't have to have twenty different configurations to have to tow with. On that note comes my second delemna. My gooseneck ball reciever is a commercially available unit that replaced a home made design which had a three inch ball. I had to change it over because I couldn't come up with a ball to replace it with a large enough thread but suffice to say the new hitch setup came up in the exact location as the old setup and appears to be centered over the rear axle with no offset front to back. Hence comes my second question. Both off my trucks were longbeds but now when I back up to hook to the RV I have to stop, get out and close my gate before I complete the connection. Or else my tail gate is into the front of the trailer's apron. I can not squeeze my way between the back of my truck and the trailer. And no I dont need to go on a diet. LOL I am able to turn but my bed corners are really close and it gives me a headache thinking about it. I have clearance issues everywhere. I have seen offset pin boxes on smaller RV trailers designed to be used with mini trucks and or shortbeds but these always seem to be on smaller trailers. My "second question is this;
Are offset pinboxes safe for larger trailers?It seems they would tear out the box's reciever on the trailer or even fracture and fail themselves.
Are there offset pin boxes designed for larger trailers? I know there are fifthwheel to goose adapters with offsets but I would like to keep the adapter that I have as it is new and I preferred its design over others.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your ideas. Summer is on the horizon and I really want to be able to move this thing and enjoy it rather than watching it molt into the ground...
Bill