Unhooking fifth wheel with auto level

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Pugtracker

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When hooking up my truck has auto level, that's great!

P what is the preferred method when unhooking your fifth wheel due to the truck auto leveling back to its normal height. When you take the weight of the fifth wheel off the truck it starts to lower again putting pressure on the fifth wheel hitch.

My question is do I just wait when I'm raising my fifth wheel off for the truck to adjust and adjust it so I can take the truck out from under it without stressing the hitch? Or do I disable the automatic leveling system in the truck?

Hope. My question is clear. I think anyone who has a fifth wheel will know what I'm talking about. Thank you David
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Randy Grant

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When hooking up my truck has auto level, that's great!

P what is the preferred method when unhooking your fifth wheel due to the truck auto leveling back to its normal height. When you take the weight of the fifth wheel off the truck it starts to lower again putting pressure on the fifth wheel hitch.

My question is do I just wait when I'm raising my fifth wheel off for the truck to adjust and adjust it so I can take the truck out from under it without stressing the hitch? Or do I disable the automatic leveling system in the truck?

Help. My question is clear. I think anyone who has a fifth wheel will know what I'm talking about. Thank you David
New 2022 big horn dually,
I raise the truck, drop the legs and put a load on them, then hit the entry level on the fob or in the truck, and drive away. ???
have the B&W and Andersen Ultimate though, so it just drops below the ball and pull ahead.
 
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Pugtracker

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I hook and unhook without touching the auto level setting, I leave it in Alt-Height mode.
So in that mode does it move when you put the load on or of the truck? I find the description in the book confusing.
 
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Pugtracker

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I raise the truck, drop the legs and put a load on them, then hit the entry level on the fob or in the truck, and drive away. ???
have the B&W and Andersen Ultimate though, so it just drops below the ball and pull ahead.
Not really sure what you mean? Also retired military.
 

TotallyHucked

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For our '23, once I've got the trailer where it's going to be, I hit the level button to lower the back end to it's lowest Alt Height. I then unhook the trailer and drive out from under it. Then hit the button again and it'll correct it's height. The truck doesn't move until I hit the button again.
 
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Pugtracker

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For our '23, once I've got the trailer where it's going to be, I hit the level button to lower the back end to it's lowest Alt Height. I then unhook the trailer and drive out from under it. Then hit the button again and it'll correct it's height. The truck doesn't move until I hit the button again.
Thank you, I guess I was thinking from different post, that's what it did.
Thanks
I would like ask what about hooking up, when lower the trailer on the truck, the truck automatically wants go to level. My concern is my hydraulics are down all around the truck lifts the front of the trailer putting strain on the rear jacks. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks
 

TotallyHucked

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Thank you, I guess I was thinking from different post, that's what it did.
Thanks
I would like ask what about hooking up, when lower the trailer on the truck, the truck automatically wants go to level. My concern is my hydraulics are down all around the truck lifts the front of the trailer putting strain on the rear jacks. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks
Maybe yours has a different system than ours does? Is it the helper bag setup with ride height sensors attached to the frame and axle? I assume you're talking about a travel trailer, the only suggestion I'd have is retract the rear jacks before hooking the truck up if possible.
 

Randy Grant

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The rear jacks shouldn't be down when you prepare to hook up. I raise the rear jacks and raise the front of the rv to an approximate height for hooking up. Otherwise you will indeed put stress on the rear jacks . If you have a standard fifth wheel hitch then back up to the pin, adjust the rv height so the plate slides under the pin box and the pin locks into the jaws of the hitch. You can lock out the auto-leveling if you want also by setting the system in jack mode.
I use the Andersen ultimate, which is more like a goose-neck with an adapter on the pin box.
3220_Ultimate_October_2019_800x.jpg
 
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Pugtracker

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Maybe yours has a different system than ours does? Is it the helper bag setup with ride height sensors attached to the frame and axle? I assume you're talking about a travel trailer, the only suggestion I'd have is retract the rear jacks before hooking the truck up if possible.
Right I have those sensors same set up, it's a fifth wheel, as soon as I take weight off of truck the truck relevels pullinging down on the pin. I just discovered this as we started moving yesterday. I am wondering if I put on alt-height it will stay as us until I unhook. The book is confusing. I will be hooking up again in two days and see if alt-height holds it's position until I raise all jacks and lower weight on truck. I guess some just let the truck do what does. Its taking care of equipment and a safety issue. Appreciate the feedback back on this.
 

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So in that mode does it move when you put the load on or of the truck? I find the description in the book confusing.
My 3500 is a 2015MY, and the pin weight of my fiver is about 3K.

In Alt Height mode, I back into the pin box, with the engine running and the driver's door open, I retract the fiver's landing gear. As pin weight is added to the truck, a slight lowering happens. After about a minute, the air leveling system readjusts to the Alt height rake.

When disconnecting, as the fiver's landing gear lifts off the fifth wheel hitch plate, there is a small amount of truck lift and then it lowers slightly to the preset Alt Height.

I've seen a few comments from others with different model years to suspect there are slight behavioral differences with the rear air leveling system.
 

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I recently bought a 5th wheel (pin weight ~2,200lbs) and have only hooked / unhooked a few times. I have a B&W gooseneck ball mounted in the center puck of my short bed. I too am still experimenting with the auto suspension. Currently, when hooking my 5th wheel, I don't mess with any air suspension settings and just let it auto level. However, when unhooking, I turn on Tire/Jack Mode which disables the air suspension. After unhooking, I turn off Tire/Jack Mode, though that's not necessary since the truck will auto level once I start driving. I think my next approach will be to use the Bed Lowering Mode for hooking up. And when driving above 5mph the truck should reactivate auto leveling.
 

Billet Bee

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We're ful time rvers who haul a heavy fifth wheel and this is my process. 30k mopar/curt fiver hitch
1:Hook up to fiver and lift jacks
2:then hit auto level and travel after 1 minute later
3:Arrive at destination And while wife is checking us In I turn off auto leveling so it raises back up so it don't do it during the un hooking process.
4: get in camp site and un hook like normal
If I try to un hook with auto level still on it will keep trying to adjust to the lack of pin weight and then when i go to pull out the truck bed will drop when pulling out of pin, which is why I started turning off auto level ahead of time during check in.
 

ike4992

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Anytime you are going to hook up or unhook you 5th wheel or gooseneck camper you should ALWAYS have all of your legs retracted except for the FRONT. You then can lower or lift the front of your camper to meet the height of the 5th wheel or gooseneck so you can finish backing up the truck to lock in the 5th wheel or finish dropping the gooseneck on the ball. In respect to hooking it back up, you should only have your front legs extended and all others should be retracted. The rule of thumb is as follows: Your middle and rear jacks are ONLY used for leveling the camper. The front jacks are used for hooking up, unhooking and leveling after. Wish there was a one step rule, but there isn't. If your jack system has a unhook level memory (it remembers where the front jacks were when you unhooked) and you just push the button to hook back up, you will see that the back two sets of jacks do retract as part of the process to connect you trailer back up. Hope this clears your issues up.
 
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