I know that to pull the 5th wheel with the class 2 or 3 truck you need to have a 3" raise on the 5th wheel. My question is how can you tell visually looking at the scamp 5th wheel whether it has the raise on it or not?
Mon, 11/17/2014 - 09:11
#1
3 " raise
When I bought my 5er, the factory asked what kind of vehicle would be pulling it and the distance from the ground to the top rail. They said I would need a rise - so I know I have one. How do I tell by looking at it visually? Look under the trailer, right beside the wheel. You will probably see a 3 inch by 1 or 2 inch tubular bar welded to the bottom side of the frame. The axle will be sitting on that. When I look at my trailer, the tubular bar is about 4 feet long.
When I bought my 5er, I had a '96 Chevy. In 2012, I upgraded to a 2012 Silverado. The side rails on the '96 were a little lower than on the 2012. Originally I was concerned that the new rail heights would be a problem. It didn't turn out to be a problem. The only difference was less clearance between the truck rails and the trailer overhang. Now there is 7 to 9 inch clearance and still leaves plenty of room for going around corners or traveling through dips.
- - Earl
Thank you. My husband posted this. Looks like it wouldn't be that difficult to tell one from the other. That really helps.
Cathy
We do not have a Scamp 5'er. But we did own for ca.10 years a 32' Jayco fifth wheel. When we first brought it home, there was not enough clearance to back out of our driveway, given the drainage "dip" street-side. So we had to raise the fifth wheel hitch a few inches. to give ca. 4-5 inches of clearance to the bed rails. I would think 9" should be more than enough. Is the trailer fairly level (for use when hitched to the truck)?
We are looking for the tow vehicle for a 5th wheel at this time but stalling since it looks like it will be difficult to find a used 5th wheel and if we go with a TT, don't want a truck at all. We had seen one listed at a dealer a few states away but realized at that time, with a dealer especially, that we would need to match the 5th wheel with a truck when it comes to the rise. If purchased from an owner, more simple since they usually let you know what they are towing with. I have come to realize that all around, a TT is a simpler choice yet not really the best when it comes to space. We'll get it worked out. Thanks.
In edit, I have found a good article on someone's blog about conversion and towing with a SportTrak. It just seems there is so much more to consider when towing a 5th wheel versus the TTs. I still think the 5th wheel is just too cute though.
Cathy