pressure_welder
brandon
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Joined: 02/05/2012
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Hey guys! new to this forum, looking forward to going through the topics. Anyways the wife and i own a 27' 2004 gulfstream conquest w/ slide fifth wheel. This year we purchased a new 2012 gmc duramax denali dually. I finished installing the hitch myself last weekend, and today i got a chance to hook up the camper so i could make some final height adjustments to make her level. But i have found that the trailer is sitting nose high. I have 4" of clearence at the tailgate to the bottom of the camper, and then at the nose i have 5" of clearence to the bedrail so i most certainly cant come down. So my question is have any of you flipped axle's on your fifth wheels? i didnt think i would need to in purchasing this dually but i believe this is my only option. Id prefer to be totally comfortable and have 5 to 6" clearence between the bottom of the camper and bedrails. We also have a 20' walleye boat that we hook on behind and pull all at once too, so being as level as possible is important to me.
2012 Duramax Denali Dually
2004 27' gulf stream conquest fifth wheel
1850 crestliner sportfish w/ 150 optimax
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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Joined: 06/20/2009
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I take it you have no adjustment at spring shackles or center pivot?
Spring pack goes under axles?
Then you will need to install new perches on top of axles for spring pack, new u-bolts and if you have shocks you may need to have new mounts or longer stroke shocks.
6" bed rail clearance is what I have and sometimes it is close......haven't 'kissed' yet but have come close couple of times.
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DaSu
St. Cloud Mn.
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Joined: 08/30/2005
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Sounds like your quite handy and may be able to do this yourself . We had a 21 footer that we had the axels fliped to fit our F250 . It was done at an RV shop and it cost quite a bit , around 4 bills . Sounds like a lot , but I knew they knew what they were doing and felt they did a good and safe job. When your double pulling , you want everything working in your favor . There are many wiser fiver guys here than me , but I also think the wheels need to be aligned to run true. I left it to the specialist. Good Luck . Life is Good
2005 F250 6.0 Power Stroke SRW Crew Cab
2006 33'Jayco Eagle
"Life is Good"
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jrp26789
wyoming mn
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Joined: 08/17/2003
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I flipped mine. It was easy and I used a thread from here as a guide. I did not have mine aligned after but there is enough play in the hardware that if it is fairly close it will track straight. Mine does. Welding is a needed skill.
If it is fun the State of Minnesota will try to outlaw it.
1998 Dodge 2500 v10 auto 24.5 ft fifth wheel the treasure ship
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pressure_welder
brandon
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Haha yep welding is one skill i do possess, 12 hrs a day pressure welding! im decently handy when it comes to mechanical items. But maybe somthing like this would be nice to have professionally done, as stated previously towing tandem thats alot of money to have being crushed/tipped over whatever the scenerio may be. Iam going to ask a reputible spring/axle shop here in town how much it would cost to do, sometimes you have to weigh the options as to weather it would be worth crawling underneath the the trailer for 1/2 or all day or just pay the few hundred. Iam not entirely certain how much lift i will need, but even 6 to 8" between the bedrails and bottom of the camper would be nice.
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Ed9824v
Agua Dulce, Calif. 70 mi S.E. of Los Angeles
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I did the exact same thing, installed hitch then did the spring flip, Etrailer.com for the spring mounts wanted about 4 times around town. this also had the advantage to get the sewer drains higher and better for some camp grounds.
Its a little of a chalange to get the the entire vehicle on stands safely. I had some rail road jacks that helped. I left the old spring mounts in place and used them to level and set the new mounts. good luck Ed
Ed So.Calif
1950 Ford F1 street rod
1968 Baha Bug with 2.2 ecotec motor 170 hp, kingcoil
2000 National Sea Breeze 5th wheel trailer
1998.5 Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins,4.10 gears,turbo,trans,injectors,oil cooler,lockers,edge EZ, 35" BFG's, air dog lift pump etc.
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Peg Leg
Anderson, IN
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How about removing the spring hangers from the trailers frame. Weld some square or rectangular thick wall tubing to the bottom of the frame then weld on new spring hangers.
I have seen a lot of tubing tear outs from welding. I would not weld across the tubing, only along the corner edges. This might need extra fabricating metal welded in to provide mounting steel for the hangers.
2012 Chevy 3500HD Dually 4X4
Crew Cab long bed 6.0 gasser 4.10
06 Hitchiker
Yamaha EF3000iSE
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ExRocketScientist
Laurel, MD
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Joined: 11/11/2010
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The axle "flip" will raise the trailer 4.5 to 5.5 inches, depending on your axle tube diameter and the height of your spring pack. Have someone hold a string to the side of the camper at the front. Have someone hold the other end to the side of the camper above the center spring hanger. Have that second person adjust the height until the string is parallel to the overhang. Now have the person by the spring hanger raise the string 4.5 inches. You can now measure from the string to the overhang at the front and where the tailgate is. The difference in these two measurements is the affect the "flip" will have on your bed rail clearance at the tailgate.
ERS
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hypoxia
Arizona
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Joined: 04/29/2003
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It's a piece of cake for a guy like you if you have a welder, jack & jack stands. The shocks will likely need to be remounted, lengthened or replaced. Pay a shop or pay yourself but it's an easy job.
Jim
My Trailer Rebuild Project
2003 Fleetwood Revolution 40C
2008 F-350 6.4 Diesel
2001 Jayco 311RLS 5th Wheel
ATV Trailer follows the 5er
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NorthernLimits
Michigan
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Joined: 11/17/2011
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hypoxia wrote:It's a piece of cake for a guy like you if you have a welder, jack & jack stands. The shocks will likely need to be remounted, lengthened or replaced. Pay a shop or pay yourself but it's an easy job.
Agree. Flipping them is not a huge job for someone that can weld. All the parts can be collected at Tractor Supply if you have one near you. Even moving shocks isn't a big deal for someone that can weld. Supporting the camper while you do it will be the hardest to figure out.
Alignment won't be needed as the center line of the axle won't move forward or rear on either side if the springs are left in the stock location.
The existing spring perches should be able to be left where they are and not cause any trouble. No need to cut them off.
For someone that is a welder and has some hand tools and some way to jack the camper up and block it, I would say you could do it on a Saturday. That evident by the one of the above posters saying it only cost 400 to have it done. Parts might run a hundred and then 300 for labor...it's a easy job.
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