Landing gear/ stability question, opinion request.

[sjturbo]

Just replaced my follower landing gear and have a question.
I would like how "you" set your landing gear on your 5er? Reason is I wonder if extending the extension or the drop leg has an effect on side to side stability.Thanks!

[Javi]

How far I extend the "drop leg" depends on the terrain... in general I extend the drop so that I have 4" to 6" of travel in the jack when it contacts the ground or the 2" x 12" x 12" blocks I use as a pad if I'm not on concrete..

[Desert185]

Just replaced my follower landing gear and have a question.
I would like how "you" set your landing gear on your 5er? Reason is I wonder if extending the extension or the drop leg has an effect on side to side stability.Thanks!

The more you drop the extension it seems the more unstable the legs become. Sometimes, its necessary and blocks assist in minimizing how much the gear legs have to be extended. I use a SteadyFast system that virtually eliminates any leg instability.

[Dave W]

Landing gear at a long extension will affect the 5ers stability. My rule of thumb is as little as possible to level the RV out. The inner part is only used to equalize the electric part so you don't end up with a frame twist. I generally carry several 4x4x16 inch piece, a couple 4x6x16 pieces and a couple each 12x12 x 1/2 and 3/4 to crib the feet up as much as possible. Before you ask, yes, I have had to rehitch and reestablish the LG extension, but not for years. I do miss the individually controlled LG legs that were on the last 5er but the Lipperts evidently don't lend themselves to dual controls and motors.

[sjturbo]

Thanks for the responses. I agree that less is more! A good friend used to be a Camp Host for about 6 months a year. He had some extra blocks so I set up with a base of two 4x8x16 topped with one 4x6. Gives me a good base. I guess from there I should split the distance between the inner leg and the drop down.

[JRTJH]

BE CAREFUL WITH BLOCKS UNDER THE LANDING GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITCHING !!!!!

Quite often the pinbox will "ride up" the fifth wheel plate. Sometimes the trailer will "slide back" a couple inches when this happens. I've seen people "bump the pinbox" to lock the hitch and the trailer will visibly move back several inches.

If you've got your landing gear sitting on 8" blocks and have 6" of space between the trailer overhang and the truck bed rails, you're going to get a 2" dent on something if you push the landing gear off those blocks !!!!! and, yes, it does happen, more times than you'd imagine.......

[Desert185]

BE CAREFUL WITH BLOCKS UNDER THE LANDING GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITCHING !!!!!

Quite often the pinbox will "ride up" the fifth wheel plate. Sometimes the trailer will "slide back" a couple inches when this happens. I've seen people "bump the pinbox" to lock the hitch and the trailer will visibly move back several inches.

If you've got your landing gear sitting on 8" blocks and have 6" of space between the trailer overhang and the truck bed rails, you're going to get a 2" dent on something if you push the landing gear off those blocks !!!!! and, yes, it does happen, more times than you'd imagine.......

Unless you have an Andersen hitch, of course. :whistling:

[JRTJH]

Unless you have an Andersen hitch, of course. :whistling:

ALL THIS ANDERSEN HITCH CRAP !!!!!!!!!!!! Not everyone who owns a fifth wheel trailer wants, needs or even cares about a "modified trailer ball hitch" for a fifth wheel application. The topic of this thread is NOT the merits of putting a hitch ball on a fifth wheel trailer. The topic is stability of the front landing gear. Placing that landing gear on a block, elevated in the air makes the trailer vulnerable to being pushed off the blocks during hitching "WITH A CONVENTIONAL FIFTH WHEEL HITCH" and that's what I was discussing... I'd suppose that if you happen to bump an Andersen hitch, you could push the landing gear off the blocks even with that style hitch, couldn't you??? After all, if you bump the ball, the trailer will move regardless of which type hitch you have in the truck.

Honestly, anyone who wants an Andersen hitch is absolutely free to go buy the gosh-darn thing. But, for most of us, we'd either have to sell our existing hitch (but who would buy it if Andersen hitches are so great?) or throw it away because nobody wants a fifth wheel hitch when Andersen hitches are so great... For me, I prefer my conventional fifth wheel hitch, don't want an Andersen hitch, wouldn't buy one and since I have the "in bed puck system" in my truck bed, I wouldn't use an Andersen hitch, even if someone gave me one for free.

Yeah, for me, it gets very VERY old hearing all about Andersen hitches every time the opportunity arises to post something about them.

[Javi]

What he said...:whistling:

[Dave W]

What he said...:whistling:

X2 /\/\/\ thanks John😛

[kfxgreenie]

Unless you have an Andersen hitch, of course. :whistling:

+1 Touchy little subject. Now just add weight ratings into a thread and we have a winter blues wonder. :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[travelin texans]

+1 Touchy little subject. Now just add weight ratings into a thread and we have a winter blues wonder. :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Wow! I better not say anything bad about Ford trucks!!!

[CaptnJohn]

ALL THIS ANDERSEN HITCH CRAP !!!!!!!!!!!! Not everyone who owns a fifth wheel trailer wants, needs or even cares about a "modified trailer ball hitch" for a fifth wheel application. The topic of this thread is NOT the merits of putting a hitch ball on a fifth wheel trailer. The topic is stability of the front landing gear. Placing that landing gear on a block, elevated in the air makes the trailer vulnerable to being pushed off the blocks during hitching "WITH A CONVENTIONAL FIFTH WHEEL HITCH" and that's what I was discussing... I'd suppose that if you happen to bump an Andersen hitch, you could push the landing gear off the blocks even with that style hitch, couldn't you??? After all, if you bump the ball, the trailer will move regardless of which type hitch you have in the truck.

Honestly, anyone who wants an Andersen hitch is absolutely free to go buy the gosh-darn thing. But, for most of us, we'd either have to sell our existing hitch (but who would buy it if Andersen hitches are so great?) or throw it away because nobody wants a fifth wheel hitch when Andersen hitches are so great... For me, I prefer my conventional fifth wheel hitch, don't want an Andersen hitch, wouldn't buy one and since I have the "in bed puck system" in my truck bed, I wouldn't use an Andersen hitch, even if someone gave me one for free.

Yeah, for me, it gets very VERY old hearing all about Andersen hitches every time the opportunity arises to post something about them.


Thank you! I just installed a new B&W Patriot slider today. Never want to even think of an Anderson. Sometimes I think the owners realize they made a mistake and rant as misery loves company.

[rhagfo]

Back to stability, we put pads under the feet, and once down tighten the JT Strongarms. Then it isn’t an issue.

[Desert185]

ALL THIS ANDERSEN HITCH CRAP !!!!!!!!!!!! Not everyone who owns a fifth wheel trailer wants, needs or even cares about a "modified trailer ball hitch" for a fifth wheel application. The topic of this thread is NOT the merits of putting a hitch ball on a fifth wheel trailer. The topic is stability of the front landing gear. Placing that landing gear on a block, elevated in the air makes the trailer vulnerable to being pushed off the blocks during hitching "WITH A CONVENTIONAL FIFTH WHEEL HITCH" and that's what I was discussing... I'd suppose that if you happen to bump an Andersen hitch, you could push the landing gear off the blocks even with that style hitch, couldn't you??? After all, if you bump the ball, the trailer will move regardless of which type hitch you have in the truck.

Honestly, anyone who wants an Andersen hitch is absolutely free to go buy the gosh-darn thing. But, for most of us, we'd either have to sell our existing hitch (but who would buy it if Andersen hitches are so great?) or throw it away because nobody wants a fifth wheel hitch when Andersen hitches are so great... For me, I prefer my conventional fifth wheel hitch, don't want an Andersen hitch, wouldn't buy one and since I have the "in bed puck system" in my truck bed, I wouldn't use an Andersen hitch, even if someone gave me one for free.

Yeah, for me, it gets very VERY old hearing all about Andersen hitches every time the opportunity arises to post something about them.

You’re a forum moderator and go unhinged like that? Incredible.

[kfxgreenie]

Stories are always better with pictures. The first is of some blocking under the front landing legs on the 5er. That's 2 6x6x12 blocks centered under each leg to spread the load in a wet campsite. I carry 8 of these blocks plus 4 2x8x16 peices of wood and assemble what is needed to keep the legs less extended. The second is the primary reason I personally "rant" about the Andersen hitch, besides the other advantages. Like was mentioned with the Andersen your chances of bumping the 5er off the blocking is slim, I can see the ball out my back window and raise the nose if needed. The third is a Craigslist $40 face cord of wood that was picked up within 10 minutes of unhitching the 5er and removing the hitch this fall. Burned 4 days straight to keep warm on the crisp fall days, and left a little pile for the next guy, before throwing the hitch back in and heading home. Good camping memories.

[JRTJH]

You’re a forum moderator and go unhinged like that? Incredible.

Yup, as "incredible" as it might seem, there comes a time when enough about Andersen hitches in non related threads is simply ENOUGH ! This is that time. Please, everyone, either post related to the thread (landing gear stability) or start a thread of your own.

[Tinner12002]

BE CAREFUL WITH BLOCKS UNDER THE LANDING GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITCHING !!!!!

Quite often the pinbox will "ride up" the fifth wheel plate. Sometimes the trailer will "slide back" a couple inches when this happens. I've seen people "bump the pinbox" to lock the hitch and the trailer will visibly move back several inches.

If you've got your landing gear sitting on 8" blocks and have 6" of space between the trailer overhang and the truck bed rails, you're going to get a 2" dent on something if you push the landing gear off those blocks !!!!! and, yes, it does happen, more times than you'd imagine.......

I always hook up my wiring pigtail before actually hitching the 5h wheel and hold the brake to help keep the RV from moving when I back under it. Had one slide off my blocks one time and land on the top of the bed sides of the truck, thought I'd really screwed up that time but fortunately it didn't hurt anything so it can happen!

[Dave W]

BE CAREFUL WITH BLOCKS UNDER THE LANDING GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN HITCHING !!!!!

Quite often the pinbox will "ride up" the fifth wheel plate. Sometimes the trailer will "slide back" a couple inches when this happens. I've seen people "bump the pinbox" to lock the hitch and the trailer will visibly move back several inches.

If you've got your landing gear sitting on 8" blocks and have 6" of space between the trailer overhang and the truck bed rails, you're going to get a 2" dent on something if you push the landing gear off those blocks !!!!! and, yes, it does happen, more times than you'd imagine.......


Why I do my pull test with the wheel chocks in place. I would rather slide on a piece of wood, especially in an uneven site then have those legs dig in and bend.

[JRTJH]

Why I do my pull test with the wheel chocks in place. I would rather slide on a piece of wood, especially in an uneven site then have those legs dig in and bend.

Dave,

When I do my pull test, I manually raise the landing gear just enough so that they clear the pad they're sitting on (by about half an inch or so). That way there's still enough extension to protect the truck and trailer if it should uncouple and also enough clearance to prevent the landing gear from "digging in and bending"...

I think that most of us use pads under our landing gear to keep them from sinking into the soft ground and/or to protect them from being scraped away on concrete or hanging up in mud when we do a pull test. Those pads are usually 2x8's or 2x10's and "lift" the landing gear about 2". The point I was trying to make (apparently not well enough) is that using a large number of blocks (to lift the landing gear feet up in the air to try to help prevent movement while camping) can cause a situation where, if you're not paying attention, cause you to push the landing gear off that "elevated block" and crush your bed while trying to hitch the trailer.

Like you, I use 2" high wooden pads under my landing gear, under the stabilizer jacks and sometimes under the tires as well. If the landing gear does get pushed off that 2" pad, the trailer overhang may fall, but with 6-8" of clearance, not fall onto the truck bed rails. On the other hand, if the landing gear is sitting on 8 or 10 or 12 inches of blocks (elevated above the ground) and gets pushed off that height of block, there's a good chance that there will be some significant damage to the underside of the trailer overhang/pinbox area and/or the truck bedrails/tailgate.

That kind of accidental damage is preventable with "thinking things through" before "blocking the landing gear" by elevating it on blocks that are too high.

I don't know, maybe I'm just overly cautious and concerned about things that others just don't care about ?????

[TheGriz]

As Robert Young would say...time for Sanka! Yeesh! :rolleyes:

[Javi]

They won't drop it off that big pile of lumber, but once... :D

[kfxgreenie]

Working on the 5er tonight and snapped a picture of my arsenal. Notice the close proximity to the landing gear where they are stored. Makes for a quick and efficient setup, tear down. :)

Edit: Almost forgot about the X-Chock's, they don't come out until I watch the Ball go into the socket.

[notanlines]

I'll take a chance and throw in one or two short comments. Greenie, we also like to leave a little "seed" firewood behind, maybe just enough so the next camper can make one campfire before he has to go find more. And when taking pictures to post, turn your phone sideways; my neck is getting sore trying to enjoy the pictures. Thanks. :D

[kfxgreenie]

I'll take a chance and throw in one or two short comments. Greenie, we also like to leave a little "seed" firewood behind, maybe just enough so the next camper can make one campfire before he has to go find more. And when taking pictures to post, turn your phone sideways; my neck is getting sore trying to enjoy the pictures. Thanks. :D

I will work on that. Here I thought I was doing everyone a favor keeping their necks limber and moving while staring at our "screens" during the winter blues.:p