Backing a 5th wheel up a Steep Driveway

[goldline]

I will be purchasing a HD diesel dually from one of the big 3 in addition to a 35' to 37' 5th wheel trailer. At least the desired length.

I'm sending this post to ask for feedback.

I have a 40' length cement driveway that leads directly to a side house RV parking space where I will store my 5th wheel. The driveway is sloped upward from the street to the highest point of the driveway by about 3'. The side house RV parking is flat.

In the past, I had a 23' travel trailer and was able to routinely and successfully back the trailer up the sloped driveway as long as I backed the trailer in a gradual 90 degree long sweeping turn versus backing up straight back. Backing straight caused the lower rear trailer bumper/frame to drag for a short period of about 2'.

The challenge and concern is backing a 5th wheel up the sloped driveway without:
1) Dragging the rear bottom back of the 5th wheel on the sloped driveway causing damage to both the trailer and driveway
2) Hitting and damaging a truck bed rail from the 5th wheel trailer overhang
3) Lifting trailer wheel off the ground putting pressure on the axle

I recently had a neighbor test this concern with his 2018 Ford F350 SRW backing his approximate 40' toy hauler 5th wheel. The above three point concerns happened. Though, we did not proceed up the driveway when noticing the issues began to occur. No damage occurred, though definitely would have happened if we proceeded.

My question is more of a mathematical question.

How do I figure out what length of 5th wheel I'll be able to buy that will not drag the bottom rear end of the 5th wheel and will not hit the truck bed rail? I've searched the internet with limited success. Others have posted similar questions, though no viable answers were given other than what I have mentioned in this e-mail.

There are at multiple variables involved, some that I probably haven't even thought of:
1) Most truck DRW's that I will purchase will be lower than the F350 SRW my neighbor used.
2) My neighbor's Toy Hauler at 40' is longer than I will purchase at 35'-37' or if needed smaller.
3) I realize that there needs to be at least 7" clearance between the truck bed rail and the 5th wheel overhang. Are there 5th wheel hitches/pinboxes that off greater clearance. I'm interested in 5th wheels ranging in GVWR between 16k and 20k lbs.
4) When measuring my neighbors 5th wheel bottom rear end to the rear axle, it measures 11'. Will 5th wheels with shorter measurements improve the odds of avoiding the rear trailer drag?
5) My neighbors 5th wheel has a triple axle. Will the 5th wheel I purchase have better likelihood of not dragging with double axles?
6) If appropriate, adding trailer drag wheels if the bed clearance and trailer wheel lift issues are resolved.

Thank you for any answers and input!
Mike

[Njmurvin]

MFL wrote:
Above is a good thing to keep in mind. On pavement, once rig is closer to straight, I shift to 4wd low, to take strain off from transmission, when backing uphill. This is even more important in a situation such as OP, that requires very slow uphill, stopping to check, restarting, and adding/removing boards, if needed.

Jerry

Excellent point!! I also use 4Lo to back up over a curb, over a horse trail and into my driveway to get a straight shot at my gate. Truck and trailer just slowly crawl along with virtually no resistance. Using 4Lo causes much less slippage of the torque converter thereby reducing heat. Same goes for backing into campsites where it takes multiple shots to get it right.

[MFL]

Above is a good thing to keep in mind. On pavement, once rig is closer to straight, I shift to 4wd low, to take strain off from transmission, when backing uphill. This is even more important in a situation such as OP, that requires very slow uphill, stopping to check, restarting, and adding/removing boards, if needed.

Jerry

[Likes_to_tow]

Word of caution!! Anytime you are backing up a steep incline, the transmission can get really hot. Torque converter never locks and the fluid connection will build heat quickly so if you are having a hard time getting it positioned and taking an extremely long time you may want to let the transmission cool some. Leave the shift selector in N (neutral) while you fast idle the engine. I don't think transmissions will circulate fluid if in P (park). You should allow transmission to cool down before continuing.

[Durb]

Consider an air hitch, mine has around 4 inches of vertical adjustment from full inflate to total deflate. You can then use air to raise and lower the rear of the trailer as needed. 4 inches of drop on the pin is going to be pretty close to 4 inches of rise of the rear. Best part, you get to enjoy the hitch the rest of the time when towing.

[laknox]

TxGearhead wrote:
I'm familiar.
Before we brought the 5th home I had the dealer remove the spare and put it in the storage bay. I had lumber to throw in the valley where the drive meets the street, but didnt need it. I'm OK but I always back into the drive at an angle. The rear levelling jacks just kiss my drive. So far, so good.
I would talk to the dealer and see if the leveleing jacks could be raised 1 or 2 holes up. Remove the underbody spare if you have one. Build some ramps. Maybe just some 4ft length of 2x6 to throw under the tires at the worst spot.

Problem is, if your jacks are electric and you raise them, you could lose the ability to move them manually if the motor cr@ps out. I was thinking I might have to do the same thing, but I have about 2" of clearance getting in and out of my storage. I've seen some really short jacks, but they telescope. I've also seen some that fold away.

Lyle

[pinesman]

I do not know how big your lot is but is there any possibility of adding a second driveway that might be more manageable?

[nremtp143]

Is there any reason as in an ordinance or pouring concrete out into the street area and raise it like a ramp to make the driveway less of an angle? It would be semi-permanent and could be removed, but you could change the entire slope in a day with a few guys a few forms and a little concrete.

[valhalla360]

Jim&Sharon wrote:
Yeah, planks to raise the rear up was my first thought also. But since the trailer see-saws on the wheels, that would lower the front of the trailer, hitting the truck rails maybe.
Sorry, I've got no answer but to try it.

Actually, planks will not induce a see-saw effect as it raises the pivot point.

[goldline]

Thank you to everyone for your feedback! Sounds like the sloped driveway issue is not uncommon. When getting my truck, I plan on renting a 5th wheel around the 35' length and try backing it in. If needed, will place the wood boards/planks many of you suggested. Thanks again and very much appreciative for your feedback!!!

[TxGearhead]

I'm familiar.
Before we brought the 5th home I had the dealer remove the spare and put it in the storage bay. I had lumber to throw in the valley where the drive meets the street, but didnt need it. I'm OK but I always back into the drive at an angle. The rear levelling jacks just kiss my drive. So far, so good.
I would talk to the dealer and see if the leveleing jacks could be raised 1 or 2 holes up. Remove the underbody spare if you have one. Build some ramps. Maybe just some 4ft length of 2x6 to throw under the tires at the worst spot.

[Hammerboy]

jesmith352 wrote:
I had a similar issue with backing my travel trailer down a steep driveway. When I went to purchase a new travel trailer, one of my requirements was the geometry of the trailer with respect to its wheelbase and height off of the ground so that I wouldn't scrape at the "valley" of my driveway.

My solution? I took measurements of the trailer I wanted at the dealer's lot, then built a skeleton using 2x4s that replicated the critical dimensions, and I used my daughter's bike training wheels as the wheels. I ran it up and down my driveway to ensure clearance at the critical points. The only dimensions you need are total length, height off the ground, and wheelbase length both fore and aft of the wheels.

Haha, that's EXACTLY what I did when we bought our fifth wheel. We have a fairly steep driveway going down to our barn. I took all the measurements I could on the fifth and built a rig to run up and down my driveway. Probably had my neighbors curious lol. This method proved to be pretty accurate and my rear bumper clears by 4-5 inches and that's about what I calculated.

Dan

[jesmith352]

I had a similar issue with backing my travel trailer down a steep driveway. When I went to purchase a new travel trailer, one of my requirements was the geometry of the trailer with respect to its wheelbase and height off of the ground so that I wouldn't scrape at the "valley" of my driveway.

My solution? I took measurements of the trailer I wanted at the dealer's lot, then built a skeleton using 2x4s that replicated the critical dimensions, and I used my daughter's bike training wheels as the wheels. I ran it up and down my driveway to ensure clearance at the critical points. The only dimensions you need are total length, height off the ground, and wheelbase length both fore and aft of the wheels.

[mtofell1]

A slider hitch will help with the bed rail clearance. By sliding the trailer back the rake of the trailer with respect to the truck is moved back. I have a similar issue with my setup. A lot depends on just how steep the driveway is and how abrupt the changes in level are.

[packnrat]

one quick way is to use a tape to see exactly whet the numbers are, on a flat ground, see how high the bumper is. how far the center pivot for the axles to the rear bumper. that will give you a close guess. now as to the truck, how high is your hitch? does it tow the trailer flat? nose low? nose high?
but best bet is heavy 2X12 or 2X18 boards to raise the trailer wheels so the low point on the rear bumper can gain clearance.
these will be dedicated wood, so get the good stuff, and water proof them. as well as mark them and the ground.