5th wheel and truck bed height compatibility - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-01-2016, 05:16 PM   #1
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5th wheel and truck bed height compatibility

How do you match the bed height in a pickup truck with a particular 5th wheel trailer? Do you adjust the truck suspension or adjust the hitch up and down or adjust the trailer suspension or can it be a combination of any or all of those?
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Old 02-01-2016, 06:20 PM   #2
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How do you match the bed height in a pickup truck with a particular 5th wheel trailer? Do you adjust the truck suspension or adjust the hitch up and down or adjust the trailer suspension or can it be a combination of any or all of those?
When I bought my Escape, it was both done on the trailer. They matched the trailer suspension as close as possible, then the pin box has multiple adjustments so the trailer tows level.


Which is different than the Scamp since there isn't any pin box nor adjustable suspension.
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Old 02-01-2016, 06:50 PM   #3
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I selected the Frontier because it was low enough to pull the Scamp without raising it. I did not want to raise the center of gravity of the trailer. The "gooseneck" hitch provided by Scamp is height adjustable to allow leveling of the trailer. The Nissan was 2" higher than the Toyota Tacoma that I replaced, so I had to lower the ball.

It is possible to raise a trailer, lower a truck and adjust the hitch. You just have to decide what will be most cost effective and or works best for you.
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Old 02-01-2016, 07:50 PM   #4
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When I bought my Escape, it was both done on the trailer. They matched the trailer suspension as close as possible, then the pin box has multiple adjustments so the trailer tows level.


Which is different than the Scamp since there isn't any pin box nor adjustable suspension.
Thanks Donna D. First I have to say I love your avatar photo. I've been watching this website for years and yours is the only one I remember. Second, I have no idea what a pin box is.

I'm trying to figure out out how a person goes about buying a used 5th wheel and towing it home. Its got to match up with your truck and there's not a lot of time to accomplish that if you're buying used.
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Old 02-01-2016, 08:20 PM   #5
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I was very fortunate when I bought my trailer used. The previous owner delivered the trailer, and we removed the hitch from his truck in my driveway. This may be an arrangement that you could make as part of a deal.
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Old 02-02-2016, 05:07 PM   #6
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That depends on how the hitch is mounted. Some use brackets attached to the frame (in some cases welded) and bolt the hitch through holes drilled in the bed. Some people use the bed mounting bolts if they happen to at the right location, or put steel plates in the bed to pick up the bed mounting points.
Many moons ago I posted how I mounted the hitch in my Tacoma with the composite bed.
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Old 02-02-2016, 07:34 PM   #7
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That depends on how the hitch is mounted. Some use brackets attached to the frame (in some cases welded) and bolt the hitch through holes drilled in the bed. Some people use the bed mounting bolts if they happen to at the right location, or put steel plates in the bed to pick up the bed mounting points.
Many moons ago I posted how I mounted the hitch in my Tacoma with the composite bed.
With the original Scamp hitch, the side brackets mounted to the floor of the bed and to the wheel wells. Which is how mine was mounted to my Toyota. The cross channel could be attached at different heights using different holes in the side brackets.

When I bought the Nissan, I bought Reese rails mounted them using the included brackets attached to the frame, I then modified the original hitch to work with the Reese Rails. The Nissan is high enough that I am using the lowest holes in the side brackets, I cut the plates off above the channel, hence mine is no longer adjustable.
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Old 02-03-2016, 02:26 PM   #8
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John,


I have a very simple solution. Buy my 1988 19' Deluxe and my 2006 Chevy half ton with Scamp installed hitch.


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Old 02-03-2016, 09:40 PM   #9
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John,


I have a very simple solution. Buy my 1988 19' Deluxe and my 2006 Chevy half ton with Scamp installed hitch.


BobH.
I've noticed that some people sell the trailer and truck as a matched set. I'm not quite ready to buy and not a real fan of the scamp or GM products.
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Old 02-04-2016, 08:38 AM   #10
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I've noticed that some people sell the trailer and truck as a matched set. I'm not quite ready to buy and not a real fan of the scamp or GM products.
Then you only have two other choices for an all-molded towable 5th wheel. Escape or Bigfoot. Escape is in business, you may find used or wait months and months to get new. Bigfoot lost their 5th wheel molds years ago in a fire and haven't produced them since.

Good luck in your hunt!
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Old 02-04-2016, 01:30 PM   #11
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Then you only have two other choices for an all-molded towable 5th wheel. Escape or Bigfoot. Escape is in business, you may find used or wait months and months to get new. Bigfoot lost their 5th wheel molds years ago in a fire and haven't produced them since.

Good luck in your hunt!
Thanks. I know. I'm not in a hurry.
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Old 02-04-2016, 03:47 PM   #12
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I've noticed that some people sell the trailer and truck as a matched set. I'm not quite ready to buy and not a real fan of the scamp or GM products.
Occasionally a thread is started here on the topic of how to prevent theft. A bumper hitch trailer is the easiest to rip off, is my impression. The Scamp 5th wheel is much less so, the unsavory characters probably don't cruise around with the 2" ball in the bed, which is unique. I should not be telling anybody about this little secret...
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Old 02-04-2016, 05:16 PM   #13
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Occasionally a thread is started here on the topic of how to prevent theft. A bumper hitch trailer is the easiest to rip off, is my impression. The Scamp 5th wheel is much less so, the unsavory characters probably don't cruise around with the 2" ball in the bed, which is unique. I should not be telling anybody about this little secret...
Yep. I've actually wondered about how easy it would be to steal a camper. Pretty easy I think.

Anyhow, I would like to start off with a used old 5th wheel. I like the old fiberglass bigfoots. I like to restore things so I have no issues with buying something that needs a lot of work. They don't come along very often, but I see them for sale and I'm confident I could find one if patient. They sell fast though and I wouldn't have much time to get a pickup truck ready to hitch one up and tow it home. I ultimately would like an Escape 5th wheel but I'm not willing to shell out the cash for my first trailer.

An actual queen sized bed is an absolute must. The Scamp 19 bed looks like it claimes to be a queen but its actually not.
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Old 02-04-2016, 05:38 PM   #14
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Thanks Donna D. First I have to say I love your avatar photo. I've been watching this website for years and yours is the only one I remember. Second, I have no idea what a pin box is.
Don't know if you've done any investigation, but this image should answer what a 5th wheel pin box looks like. They're adjustable to a certain extent.
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Old 02-04-2016, 07:05 PM   #15
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The Scamp 19D loft is 74 x 60 in., measured. The front corners have a radius of 12 inches, guestimated. How close is it to standard "queen" size? (I do not know.)
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Old 02-04-2016, 07:29 PM   #16
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_si...American_sizes
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Old 02-04-2016, 08:34 PM   #17
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Don't know if you've done any investigation, but this image should answer what a 5th wheel pin box looks like. They're adjustable to a certain extent.
Thanks. After posting that comment I realized I could easily look up pin box and learn about it which is what I did.
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