Determining The Correct 5th Wheel Hitch To Buy Based On Trailer Ride Height

Published 05/13/2022

Question:

I have A 2007.5 Dodge 2500 and was thinking about buying a 5th wheel camper my truck. It sits up 36 from bed floor to ground and 56 top of rails to ground will i be ok if so what hitch do you think i should get

asked by: Perry Q

Helpful Expert Reply:

When measuring the hitch height you'll need to have the trailer level and the measure from the ground to the base of the king pin (pictured below).

The trailer measurement minus the truck measurement of 36" that you got will give you the height that your fifth wheel hitch will need to sit at to tow your trailer level.

For example, if your truck measurement is 36" and your trailer measurement is 53" then you'll need to have your hitch's height set at 17" for your trailer to ride level.

Another important aspect to consider is the distance between the nose of the fifth wheel and the bedrails of the truck. We recommend at least 6" of clearance so that your trailer doesn't come into contact with the bedrails when hooking up or disconnecting. Your pin box will stick down much lower than nose of the trailer so this usually tends to be enough to offset the nose enough for the minimum clearance. If not, then you'll need to raise the hitch height and let the trailer ride a bit nose high to ensure you have enough bedrail clearance.

I've attached some pictures below that will accurately display exactly what I'm refencing here with each measurement.

The Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Round Tube Slider # RP30075 you were looking at has an adjustable height of 15"-18" so if your height needed measurement falls out of this range you'll need to look for the more appropriate hitch.

If you could provide me with the trailer measurement and the length of your bed I can recommend a hitch to fit your application.

expert reply by: Kevin C