New to the 5th wheel world couple of questions

[firecatab]

Just recently purchased a Cougar 5th wheel toy hauler and have a couple of questions,

1 - Seems to be a lot of play in the hitch around the king pin, when you come to a stop or take off you can feel the slack, is this normal or is the bolt with the lock nut in front of the latch used for adjustment to get rid of this?

2 - Trailer is not level (2") front to back due to the height of my truck and when I make the adjustment on the hitch (lower it) I do not have the clearance between the bottom of the trailer and my box rails (going off road if you get the right angle the two make contact) is there anyway of raising the trailer, springs are already on top of the axles so cannot flip them.

Rob

 

[mxz sledhead]

Depending on the type of hitch they should be a adjustment on the latch
also is the trailer new or use if it is use measure the pin dia. and look and see
that it is round not oblong there is a little play which is normal
Not seen the trailer the only thing i can say there option of a lift kit which is a little bit of work 1or 2" suspension block between the spring and the axle
or taller tire I hope this helps

 

[thump]

Ive had 2 different hitchs and they both had some play, if you are worried, bring the unit to a dealer and get their opinion. 2 inchs isnt to bad at all, means you are out of level about 1 inch. Some suspensions have adjustment holes that you can raise or lower at the axle, get underneath and check it out. With big units like you have be very carefull on uneven terrain, I crushed the top of my box slightly by going through a not very steep ditch. Better to have lots of clearance at the hitch.

 

[Hoots]

I went through the same situation with mine. My truck had a lift kit in it so the trailer was about 2 inches higher in the front and I also couldnt lower the hitch due to clearance. You will notice a little more tire wearon your rear trailer axels and a big difference in the aerodynamics when pulling,especially into a head wind ( I live in S AB so I really know about wind !!!), Try to lift up the trailer if possible. GOOD LUCK !!:d:d

 

[m1000db]

I have never adjusted a fifth wheel hitch but have jacked up trailers to match trucks. The last trailer I did I needed more than I could get by changing it from under slung to over slung, so I cut the hangers off. Welded in an 8' long 2 X 6 rectangular tube, then welded the hangers back on. The Citation trailer that I just bought has very heavy hangers that had 3 holes so the dealer moved it to the bottom hole which gave me 2.5 extra inches. I would say would be alot less money if you could find this type of hanger or even a heavy one that gives you more reach and just replace the ones you have.
I have never seen a lift kit that was refered to above, but personally I wouldnt just squeeze a block between the spring and the axle, would only do if it involves replacing the spring seat you currenly have.
If you plan on keeping the trailer its worth the money to have it right, then all tires carry the load, weight is distruted to your truck and you wont have clearance issues at the front or Rear of the trailer.
Not sure if you did this or not but I would load it up with your gear / groceries / beer / toys to see how much the trailer drops before doing anything as it may need more than you think.

 

[calgarysledguy]

Just recently purchased a Cougar 5th wheel toy hauler and have a couple of questions,

1 - Seems to be a lot of play in the hitch around the king pin, when you come to a stop or take off you can feel the slack, is this normal or is the bolt with the lock nut in front of the latch used for adjustment to get rid of this?

2 - Trailer is not level (2") front to back due to the height of my truck and when I make the adjustment on the hitch (lower it) I do not have the clearance between the bottom of the trailer and my box rails (going off road if you get the right angle the two make contact) is there anyway of raising the trailer, springs are already on top of the axles so cannot flip them.

Rob

My 5th wheel sits the same. More of the load towards the back.Not really bad.If i never took the thing off road i could lower the hitch on the 5th wheel to level it out. But i want the most space i could get so it don't take out my truck box when going off road.

I phoned Standens Springs to see if there were blocks to put between the axel and springs to lift it up more. But had no luck . He pretty much said that's a bad idea.Maybe i talked to the wrong guy i don't know......

My trailer came with $hit bias ply tires like most trailers do.So what i did is went with a taller tire. The tallest i could fit in the wheel well.And went with a good set of Denman Cargo Carriers the heaviest load rang i could get. No problem with blowouts........And destroying half your trailer.This did give me a extra inch height.

 

[Snort]

I had to put a lift in my trailer and wanted to block the springs. I talked to a couple of places and no one had anything for me. One place said that it was a bad idea and one said it should be fine. I went ahead and bought longer U-bolts and then built my own 2" blocks. I have used the trailer this way for a couple of years and so far have had no issues.

the front of my trailer is still a couple of inches high.

The idea of a subframe and new hangers does sound like the best way to go.

Another thing to think about with a toy hauler, how will your ramp work if you raise the trailer up? Not sure what you are hauling but the ramp angle will increase.