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Setting Up Ford To Tow Fifth Wheel


PeterrThePlumber

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Good Morning All,

So my question is specifically for the Ford driver/owners out there. Where; in relation to the rear axle; did you set up the center of the fifth wheel hitch? ie Directly over the axle, 1.5", 3" ahead of the axle, etc and why. How do you think it affects the ride?

 

I've settled on a Trailersaver TS3, with a Simpleslide for our 2007 F250; pulling a 2014 Palomino Sabre 36QS2B7; and would like to know how others have set up theirs and how it worked out. We are going with in the bed rails. Once that is set up we wil be going on a shakedown cruise and; among other things; deciding whether to install airbags or Timbrens. Thanks in advance!

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The center of the king pin should be set to be 1 to 3" forward of the center of the axle.

 

Ken

Amateur radio operator, 2023 Cougar 22MLS, 2022 F150 Lariat 4x4 Off Road, Sport trim <br />Travel with 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 standard schnauzer and one African Gray parrot

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Good Morning All,

So my question is specifically for the Ford driver/owners out there. Where; in relation to the rear axle; did you set up the center of the fifth wheel hitch? ie Directly over the axle, 1.5", 3" ahead of the axle, etc and why. How do you think it affects the ride?

 

I've settled on a Trailersaver TS3, with a Simpleslide for our 2007 F250; pulling a 2014 Palomino Sabre 36QS2B7; and would like to know how others have set up theirs and how it worked out. We are going with in the bed rails. Once that is set up we wil be going on a shakedown cruise and; among other things; deciding whether to install airbags or Timbrens. Thanks in advance!

Peter,

 

You know thats a great question regarding the various hitch-pin-locations........

 

I could calculate your estimated weight & balance If you could send me your truck wheel base and Max axles weight capacities and your empty weight.

 

I would also need your fifth-wheel max wt I could likely compute your various axle weight changes with each hitch-pin-location....

 

Email me at mmcdan3189@aol.com

 

Drive on.........(Pin Location........whats the sweet-spot)

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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Thank you all for the great replies! Thanks for the offer Dollytrolley, but I think it will be what it is. I'm used to a sliding fifth wheel like semi tractors have, where you can adjust your weight transfer. I remember we used to slide them all the way back; after going over state scales; for a better ride. But of course that put the center somewhere between the drive axles, so not really comparable to a single axle rig. I will try and dust off some math to see if I can figure out theoretical weight distribution. I'm guessing the sweet spot is just ahead of the drive axle. We are having the Curt rails installed with the no drill brackets, which should be 4" ahead of the axle according to the spec. We shall see.

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Merry Christmas

 

I ran some numbers on a "example" 2007 F-250 supercab 158 inch wheelbase truck at 9,800 Lbs gross with a fifth wheel located at the rear axle center line with a 2,524 Lb hitch load and then move the hitch Forward 1.25 inches and..........how much weight transfer from the Rear axle to the Front axle do you think occurs ? ? ?

 

Answer: 20 Pounds moves from the Rear axle to the Front axle (well actually it is 19.97 Pounds).......

 

Drive on.........(Happy hitch moving......)

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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F-250 Spreadsheet link

 

 

I could not help my self I had to fiddle around and see what happens when you play with the hitch numbers.........

 

DISCLAIMER: The data below is derived from Ford-provided-data and is basic Weight data for a Example truck only.

Options and extra equipment will change Weight of any vehicle so it is VITAL that EVERY Vehicle and RV be carefully configured and EACH Wheel Position be weighed and recorded to obtain Accurate-Real-World data. WITHOUT Wheel Position Baseline Weights it is Imposable to obtain proper Weight & Balance Control as the RV unit(s) approach fully loaded conditions.

 

The thread initial question pondered the proper hitch location for a 2007 F-250 truck with a Palomino Saber 36QS2B7 fifth wheel trailer that has a listed UVW = 12,264 Lbs and a CC= 3236Lbs for a gross= 15,500 Lbs and a listed pin weight of 1,925 Lbs (this pin weight seems somewhat light so I added pin weight up to a total of 2,524 Lbs to obtain max gross weight of the example truck)

I assumed two people in a 2007 F-250 Supercab W / 158" wheelbase and factory supplied weights with a Gross listed at 9,800 and Front axle capacity of 4,850 Max and a Rear axle capacity of 6,100 Max ground load.

( I use the spreadsheet below to monitor the weights on my Freightliner tandem hence the ref to tandem axles however no data is entered in the extra axle position so this has on effect on the two axle pickup data)

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10QHlUogq8G-_7eU27Urtoo5TcIQ-OIry_dB7ob6EE6w/edit?usp=sharing

 

Drive on.......(Hope link works.....)

HDT_WT_BAL_Sheet_F250SprCab_158WB_A_12252015.html

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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Thank you all for the great replies! Thanks for the offer Dollytrolley, but I think it will be what it is. I'm used to a sliding fifth wheel like semi tractors have, where you can adjust your weight transfer. I remember we used to slide them all the way back; after going over state scales; for a better ride. But of course that put the center somewhere between the drive axles, so not really comparable to a single axle rig. I will try and dust off some math to see if I can figure out theoretical weight distribution. I'm guessing the sweet spot is just ahead of the drive axle. We are having the Curt rails installed with the no drill brackets, which should be 4" ahead of the axle according to the spec. We shall see.

 

Peter,

 

I ran a few more numbers regarding moving the hitch aft as in your "tandem trucking days" and here is what the calcs indicate with the same example F-250 truck gross at 9800 Lbs and a pin weight at 2524 Lbs ......

 

IF the hitch is moved aft 12 inches from the rear axle the weight transfer of the Front axle shifts from 4291 lbs to 4100 and the Rear axle weight shifts from 5509 Lbs to 5700 Lbs......,,

 

IF the hitch is moved forward 12 inches from the rear axle the weight transfer of the Front axle shifts from 4291 lbs to 4483 and the Rear axle weight shifts from 5509 Lbs to 5317 Lbs......,,

 

Now of course the real question is ............Trailer Weight & Balance required to keep the hitch pin within the truck payload limits.........that is the subject of another spreadsheet........stay tuned.....

 

Drive on.........(What hitch position will I select.......today)

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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