Pete Kildow Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 Going to try to get the bed cut out next week. Where I can get down to the frame. Then mount the TS3 onto the frame. Then new Steer tires, along with a few other items. Hope to pull the camper with the old gal soon. Took hours to get the tags right. I think three trips to get it done. The last time was over 2 hours, but got it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 You're mounting the TS3 on top of the rails, or somewhere below the top of the rails? What does the height of your pin box call for? Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 7 minutes ago, HERO Maker said: You're mounting the TS3 on top of the rails, or somewhere below the top of the rails? What does the height of your pin box call for? Will be mounted on top of the frame rails. That is where the instructions show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 Pete, do yourself a favor. Get your trailer sitting level on flat surface and measure from the top plate of your pin. That is where you will have to have the top of the head of your hitch be after everything is aired up. There have been mistakes in the past! You don't say what your trailer is, but maybe its a DRV from your picture. Don't know. And I've forgotten what your truck is. BTW, you can put that info into your signature. Take care. Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 By the way, if it is a DRV, and only a few years old, they are putting those pin boxes at about 50" to clear the sides of the pickups that they are building for. They also make the front end lighter, also for the pickups! Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyA Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 Pete, listen to Rocky 😀. In some cases, corrections for hitch height can be made by adjusting the trailer pin box or axle/spring mounting on the trailer. If they are at max or not adjustable and you build your truck hitch too high correcting it is a major rework. For many of us mounting on top of the frame rails makes the hitch too high. Measure, measure, measure. Randy, Nancy and Oscar "The Great White" - 2004 Volvo VNL670, D12, 10-speed, converted to single axle pulling a Keystone Cambridge 5th wheel, 40', 4 slides and about 19,000# with empty tanks. ARS - WB4BZX, Electrical Engineer, Master Electrician, D.Ed., Professor Emeritus - Happily Retired! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 Thanks guys, mine should be perfect mounted on the top of the rail. I have the measurements in the camper. Off the top of my head I think its 51". But will check the Kodiak C5500 tomorrow. As the 5th wheel is still sitting where I used it on it. I do have the flat mounting kit for the TS3 and the 3" kit. As it had the 3" spacer kit when I bought it. Then when I mounted it to the frame rails of the 1987 Ford F800. I had to get the flat mount kit. Pin box is right in the middle now. So also can adjust from there also. So should be able to dial it in easy. Will for sure check the height a few times before making it solid. Will be using my Metal cutting saw to cut down the rear of the bed. Picked up a Milwaukee 6370-20 13 Amp 8- Inch Metal cutting Circular saw a few years ago. And its going to come in handy. As i will have to cut through one 2x8" piece of tubing and the top of the bed. As where the turnover gooseneck ball is mounted. I have to cut that out, to have room to mount the 5th wheel. They were pulling a 36,000 lb gooseneck air brake trailer with the truck. So that was overbuild for sure. I hope it will sit on top of the rails, if not guess I will recess it down into the frame. It will be close, but should have enough room if i have to do this. Rearend is towards the back, and bed is only has 2ft behind the axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 That saw is an old friend in my shop. Biggest problem with it is getting steel chips ground into the power cord. Don't walk on it! KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 26 minutes ago, rickeieio said: That saw is an old friend in my shop. Biggest problem with it is getting steel chips ground into the power cord. Don't walk on it! Saw does the job, and cuts thick metal good. Not sure why it does not show up. I have the truck and camper listed . 1995 Kw T600 2012 Heartland Landmark Key Largo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2018 Man who ever build this bed. Must think like me, if its worth doing. Over do it for sure and make it strong.. Get this metal on top is only 5/8" thick.😱. But guessing that's why its held up so well. Drilled a hole to get the right line to cut on. And about give up before getting though it. Used a 18 volt Porter Cable hand drill. Glad I have the big batters for it. Will jack the truck up where I can under it this evening. Then make sure that hole did not drill thought a different part. LOL Sure going to be a job. When I cut near where the flipover Gooseneck ball is. As they have 2x8 tubing and 2x8 channel around all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted August 29, 2018 Report Share Posted August 29, 2018 I like it Pete.... KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2018 17 minutes ago, rickeieio said: I like it Pete.... Thanks its a work in progress. I like the sofa bed along with the room inside. Even tough its the smaller sleeper. Also got my big butt under the truck (Feels like 99 outside) Had drilled through a cross channel piece. Metal is only 3/8" thick.📏 thats good news.. Now to sq 📐 up the cut lines. And make that first cut. Always bothers me to make that first cut. But then I'm ready to get after it. Found out the bed is 5.5" off the frame rails. So that will work out perfect. Did I say I hate to make that first cut..✂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance A Lott Posted August 29, 2018 Report Share Posted August 29, 2018 Just remember measure once and cut and weld several times. Its more fun that way. I found a silver welders pencil at Tractor Supply it's worth twice the ridiculous price they charge for it. I have a saw similar to the one pictured and a 15 inch cold cut chop saw and if anything happens to one of them I would sell my kid to buy a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 Lance A Lott thanks will be picking up a couple of those pencils tomorrow. About to stomp my soapstone. But then again I also use a scribe then wipe the soapstone over it. Leaves a nice sharp line. But those pencils will beat that. That reminds me need to get my Oxy tank filled tomorrow also. It ran out today. Need to figure out the size of the well for the hitch to fit down inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance A Lott Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 It's a macanical pencil and comes with 5 or 6 refills, beats soapstone hand down. May I suggest a cardboard mockup of the opening, even if it's just a hole in a sheet to lower over the hitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 17 hours ago, Lance A Lott said: It's a macanical pencil and comes with 5 or 6 refills, beats soapstone hand down. May I suggest a cardboard mockup of the opening, even if it's just a hole in a sheet to lower over the hitch. Got it made out of cardboard. Learned years ago. Always do the job on cardboard. Cheaper and not an issue if its wrong. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpsinc Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 On 8/24/2018 at 5:46 PM, Pete Kildow said: Picked up a Milwaukee 6370-20 13 Amp 8- Inch Metal cutting Circular saw a few years ago. And its going to come in handy. I have one of those. Use it quite a bit as I am a fabricator and it sure beats a torch for alot of things. But sometimes there is no substitute for the torch. Marcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, rpsinc said: I have one of those. Use it quite a bit as I am a fabricator and it sure beats a torch for alot of things. But sometimes there is no substitute for the torch. Thats the sad part, top 2.5" it will cut. But will have to us the Torch to finish up the other 1.5" on the cross braces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance A Lott Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 A sawzall with a wide blade will give you a cleaner cut than a torch. Use your Milwaukee first and then finish with the sawzall. I also use a couple,of angle grinders one is 7" and the other 4.5" the 7" blade fits nice in the 4.5" when worn two small. I bought a diamond metalcuting blade that cuts slower than the abrasive blades but doesn't get smaller I use it in places that need the full size of the blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpsinc Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 I agree with the idea of the recip saw to finish off the cuts. Dont scrimp on the blade quality though, buy the best you can. Otherwise, they will heat up and wander, then the cuts will look like a banana. Marcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance A Lott Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, rpsinc said: I agree with the idea of the recip saw to finish off the cuts. Dont scrimp on the blade quality though, buy the best you can. Otherwise, they will heat up and wander, then the cuts will look like a banana. The ones that are wider than normal cut much straighter but have more drag and cost more, they are well worth it. If you have a variable speed saw cut slower and the cut will be straighter and the blade will last longer. Also if you can use the original cut to keep the blade supported it will help. You usually want to make the cut on the thin edge of the steel but sometimes it's worth doing it the long way slowly to get a straighter cut. The good thing with steel is that you can grind of a high spot and fill a low one pretty easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted August 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 12 minutes ago, Lance A Lott said: The ones that are wider than normal cut much straighter but have more drag and cost more, they are well worth it. If you have a variable speed saw cut slower and the cut will be straighter and the blade will last longer. Also if you can use the original cut to keep the blade supported it will help. You usually want to make the cut on the thin edge of the steel but sometimes it's worth doing it the long way slowly to get a straighter cut. The good thing with steel is that you can grind of a high spot and fill a low one pretty easy. I have a few of the Fire & Rescue blades left. They have been the best blades thus far for me. I have a Porter Cable cordless. Keep it with me in the truck. I have 4 big batters. So was planning on using it where I could. Also at lunch yesterday, the local scrap yard owner was there. Asked him if he had any flat metal. And he has 1" x 6" bar, Know its overkill. But should never be an issue with it failing. So will use 2 pieces under the rails. Also going to make up a pan. To close off the bed opening. When its all done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance A Lott Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 Pete that is a nice looking truck. I made a pan around my hitch, I was not sure what I might wont to lay in it, I have a gooseneck ball, I cant believe all the stuff I have put there. Have fun with your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Kildow Posted September 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2018 21 hours ago, Lance A Lott said: Pete that is a nice looking truck. I made a pan around my hitch, I was not sure what I might wont to lay in it, I have a gooseneck ball, I cant believe all the stuff I have put there. Have fun with your project. Thanks she looks better now. Then a year ago when I got it. Still have lots of glue to get of the paint. It had a wrap on it in Tx. And that wrap was left on for 6 years. Top of the sleeper and cab. still have the wrap on . Have not found anything yet to cut it. Truck has 625,000 miles on it, so should be good for a while. Plan on running it for a year. Then keep it to travel with. Or sell it and just buy a new Ram 3500. But figure the KW will be around for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 1, 2018 Report Share Posted September 1, 2018 Guys, I use a metal cut off blade on a grinder. Quick and clean cut. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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