Another fifth wheel clearance issue

Shulkind · 11-10-2020, 11:56 PM

I have the Denali 244RLX. The rear landing jacks sometimes will hit the ground when entering/exiting a driveway. It seems like the landing jacks are too long or are installed so they extend too low. I had them full raised when they hit. I thought about adding steel skid wheels to the rear bumper but I was told by the welding shop that they wouldn't solve the problem as they would not come down far enough to avoid hitting the landing jacks. If I were to draw a line from the bottom of the rear tire to where the skid wheels would be installed, the rear landing jacks would still hit pavement. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions how to resolve this? Thank you!

dsol · 11-11-2020, 03:52 AM

I feel your pain. I have a 40’ toy hauler fifth wheel and I tow it with a 4WD Ram. The 4WD Rams evidently sit about 2 inches higher than the 2 wheel drives. So raise the front of the trailer by two inches and the back drops in the opposite direction. Combine that with the fact that i believe the loading door/ramp is probably lower to begin with and you have problems.

I did a few things. First I have the fifth wheel hitch as low as possible in the truck bed but obviously making sure the trailer has adequate clearance over the bed rails. Big potential damage while turning while entering driveways if not. Second I have the king pin up as high as possible in the bracket that is on the trailer. Those were the easy ones. The next thing I did is actually replace the leaf springs in the trailer with 7 leaf springs that are not only stronger but also have a greater arch so that holds the trailer up higher. That is relatively expensive but the leafs on these Voltage trailers are a known issue on the two axle trailers like mine. That change also improved my towing stability.

You also might be able to flip the axles but that can raise your trailer quite a bit and cause the trailer steps to be really high so you might need a little step stool when camping to be the first step.

Also, what about removing and relocating your stabilizers further forward? Is that possible? And if all else fails you could just remove them and just go with stabilizers that are not attached that you just crank up and put in place or even a couple of bottle jacks that your place on some 2x4’s and just jack up when you camp.

No great ideas here but maybe something works. Good luck.

sundancer 87 · 11-11-2020, 12:11 PM

Wonder how a 2x4 or 4x4 placed at the curb would work. Wheels go over the wood, ass end goes up.

dsol · 11-11-2020, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundancer 87

Wonder how a 2x4 or 4x4 placed at the curb would work. Wheels go over the wood, ass end goes up.

I have done similar by stacking several 2x8’s long ways and then moving them as I back up but you would be surprised how long a distance you need to cover. In one spot we had to do this for over 10’. That was a lot of moving and stacking lumber to get in and then the reverse to get out. And if the ground is not relatively evenly sloped the wood can sag and then break.

Shulkind · 11-11-2020, 08:30 PM

Thank you both for your ideas! I especially like the idea of replacing the springs although I have no idea how much that may cost. But it's a direction that I can now investigate based on your experience. Thanks again!

Ovalvw · 11-11-2020, 08:58 PM

Depending on what tires you have you might also be able to go to a taller tire with a stronger sidewall not sure how much clearance you need

Shulkind · 11-11-2020, 11:42 PM

We have 15" tires on it now. I can talk to my mechanic and ask him for his thoughts on that. Thanks for the idea!

MikeJW · 11-18-2020, 09:36 PM

E-trailer sells a kit to lift your springs 2" higher off the axle to gain a more level tow. I am going to do this to my 2014 Cougar 5th wheel to gain level and no more tail drag. I tow with a GMC 2500 4wd and its higher than my previous truck.
Mike

leisuresolar@gmail.com · 11-18-2020, 10:34 PM

On my Triton 2951 I went with 2" taller tires (gave away the China bombs to a friend with a much lighter trailer). Also went up from load range e to g for the better sidewalls. Also went with new 16" wheels. I had plenty of clearance under the trailer, and the distance between the front and rear tires decreased to 3" or so, which is plenty.

Shulkind · 11-18-2020, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeJW

E-trailer sells a kit to lift your springs 2" higher off the axle to gain a more level tow. I am going to do this to my 2014 Cougar 5th wheel to gain level and no more tail drag. I tow with a GMC 2500 4wd and its higher than my previous truck.
Mike

That seems like a great idea. I'll look on their website. Do you remember what the name was so that I can search for it?

Shulkind · 11-18-2020, 11:33 PM

That's also a great idea. I was planning to replace the tires in the spring anyhow.

Dchapman · 08-03-2021, 06:18 PM

For future reference if needed. You can cut the jacks down and carry 4x6 for pads when you stop. You may have to get a welding shop to assist, but I have trimmed them back four inches in the past.

kedenver · 03-01-2022, 02:19 AM

Finally found this forum and so glad I did and the first post I looked at is this one. So jumping right in I have the same problem as the OP. And to add to matters the rear landing jack was ripped off on a turn when I kissed a curb. Looking underneath after it happened, I notice the landing jack could have mounted about 3 inches higher. I mentioned the jack looked rather low to the dealer and he said it was fine, well not so much. The jack pad was destroyed and the even the bracket welded to the frame is now bent. Do you think I have a warranty claim with Dutchman concerning this. I kinda hate to start off with a situation like this but we are new to Rving and so looking forward to it and having found this I am happy happy. So throwing out a hello and hoping I can learn a lot of things here.

ATCguy · 03-01-2022, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kedenver

…to add to matters the rear landing jack was ripped off on a turn when I kissed a curb….Do you think I have a warranty claim with Dutchman concerning this…

You’re kidding, right?

Welcome to the forum, but… let me see if I understand your question. You committed driver error by not allowing enough clearance for the RV (probably in a curve)… the rear wheels jumped a curb, and ripped the jack off… and now you wonder if it’ll be covered under warranty???

Let me answer that by asking you this: if you rip the side mirror off your truck, and damage the door by driving too close to & hitting a street pole… do you think Ford, Dodge, or Chevy would cover that under warranty?

The jacks are mounted low on your RV so the stroke on the piston won’t be as long when deployed. This makes your rig more stable in the campground. But if you were seriously concerned about them being too low… you should have insisted the dealer raise them, or adjusted them yourself.

Bottom line… this might be an insurance claim, but it most certainly isn’t a warranty claim.

dsol · 03-01-2022, 03:05 AM

I think ATC guys language was a tad strong but he is right that they will never make it a warranty claim. Unless it failed while using it.

These trailers are long and scrape really easy. Be careful on the corners, especially right handers and driveways. Take the driveways at an angle if at all possible.

lcv800 · 03-01-2022, 10:06 AM

As always, Mr. Tactful. But as always, Mr. Right. LOL.

franktafl · 03-01-2022, 11:09 AM

Kedenmver, if you have comprehensive on your vehicle, your insurance will pay for the repair, less your deductible. They make things for your jacks to sit on (although very overpriced) so they don’t travel so far and you can raise the jack up and have safer road clearance. I think tom’s had too much coffee but I’m afraid he’s right. But, you can always try to pressure your sales guy and see what happens. Since you may have a beef with him.

Dchapman · 03-01-2022, 11:12 AM

kedenver,
Do not get discouraged about the mishap. I have reviewed the height of my jacks and I found that they were installed as per Lippert guidelines. The damage would be covered by your insurance if you have it. Review your deductible first and determine if it is worth it to make a claim. Tips: Make sure the trailer is towing level, approach driveways etc. at a angle and watch for radical elevation changes in the roadway. Since you may require some minor weld repairs, you may consider trimming them up a little and carrying blocks with you.

kedenver · 03-02-2022, 02:14 AM

I hear what everyone is saying, but having only 4 1/2 inches of ground clearance seems rather shallow. I do have insurance and I didn't jump a curb it was a tight turn and the jack caught turning the turn. I plan to contact Dutchman and see what happens. Walking around the RV park we were staying in, all the other jacks I saw seemed to have way more clearance than mine. When I do get it repaired I am going to ask if the jacks can be placed higher since there are at least 3 more bolt holes in the bracket. And I have no issue using blocks to keep the stoke as minimal as possible, when we deploy I can only get 2 maybe 3 of the yellow blocks under the pad before deploying. I will post pics when I figure out to do that. Driving back to NC over the next couple of days from Denver, the Astoria is in NC now. So more to follow, and thanks for the replies and I truly mean that everyone.

farwest · 10-05-2022, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kedenver

I hear what everyone is saying, but having only 4 1/2 inches of ground clearance seems rather shallow. I do have insurance and I didn't jump a curb it was a tight turn and the jack caught turning the turn. I plan to contact Dutchman and see what happens. Walking around the RV park we were staying in, all the other jacks I saw seemed to have way more clearance than mine. When I do get it repaired I am going to ask if the jacks can be placed higher since there are at least 3 more bolt holes in the bracket. And I have no issue using blocks to keep the stoke as minimal as possible, when we deploy I can only get 2 maybe 3 of the yellow blocks under the pad before deploying. I will post pics when I figure out to do that. Driving back to NC over the next couple of days from Denver, the Astoria is in NC now. So more to follow, and thanks for the replies and I truly mean that everyone.

Have the same trailer. Bent one jack as they are too low. I'm going to change them out to a different system. If i fix them they will just get bent again. I have no clue why they let them hang so low. I can't raise mine as they are high as they can go underneath the trailer.

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