lift kit and a 5th wheel trailer??

[chris1126]

any advice or experience with a 5th wheel and a lift kit? is it possible? looking to put a 4" suspension lift with 35s on my 19 2500 but also in the market for a 5th wheel camper. any words of wisdom is appreciated

 

[nlambert182]

My advice would be not to even entertain the idea.

2500s are limited in what 5th wheels they can tow already due to payload (soft coil springs)... secondly you will not hook up to any fifth wheel with a 4" lift on 35's. If you do, you will never be able to get the right bed clearance or tow level. You're adding roughly 5-6" of height to the bed. Some folks already have issues with hitching to some trailers at stock height.

There are a lot of fifth wheels that you could potentially tow with a 2500, but if you want to tow a fifth wheel, leave it stock height and pay attention to your payload capacity.

 

[stevenP]

If you look at fifth wheels, you need to look at the "super light" or the 1500 series ones that say they for 1/2 ton trucks. Need to keep the weight of the rigs at 8K or under so the pin weight is manageable. These 2500 have terrible load ratings.

 

[Mlarv5]

I wouldn't do it if you want to tow. You are changing you center of gravity, so your tow rating will decrease. Your cornering and lane changing while towing will be impacted by the change.

 

[18CrewDually]

Before touching the truck, decide on a 5th wheel trailer first. Note the weights including the pin weight and see if your 2500 is even able to handle it. You'll more than likely find out you should have a 3500 anyways.
A lifted truck towing a 5er brings on other issues like nose high towing which can accelerate wear and over weight on the rear axle of the trailer plus minimal to not even bed clearence from the bedroom to the 5er. Plus you're taking away stability of the truck by moving the CG.
And if you consider lifting the trailer to match the truck, in most cases is not an option because the trailer's roof top A/C is already an inch within the max limit at 13'5" to begin with. Any higher than 13'6" and you're in the danger zone.

 

[NewBlackDak]

You probably don’t want to hear any more of it, but I’m going to echo what everyone else is saying.
My 2500 at stock height and tire size made the front of my fifth wheel ride about 4” high, even when set to minimal 5” bed clearance. Leaf spring equalizers can help even out the axle load a bit, but you still have to worry about stuff like the fridge angle and overflowing fresh tank.
Lifts and towing don’t mix, especially for fivers/goosenecks.