My Build

[jenandjon]

I thought I would share how my build is coming. Its not going to be near as fancy as some but it will serve my purpose.

This is an 03 Freightliner with 435 hp 60 series Detroit, 10 speed, 3:55 gears with full locker. 260 inch wheel base. A little longer than what I wanted but the hard work is all done. Everything on the rear end is new. From the locker to the bakes, brake cans, shocks, track bar the works. New drive line, carrier bearing U joints etc. 1.3 million on it. Never been overhauled but they pulled the pan and did the rods and mains. Everything around the engine is new or newer. Alternator and turbo are newer. Needs a right side windshield.  2 100 gallon fuel tanks.

I got it Titled as a Motor home. I have to have a porta potty, fridge, something to cook with in it.

I have an 8 foot flat bed to install. Off of a Chevy dually pickup. That will come to just in front of the fenders.

 

Got the 5th wheel, the 3/4 inch plate,  my porta potty arrived and the Insurance man came over to check everything over.

I opted for the  comfort ride 245. 24,000 lbs capacity 5,000 lb pin weight. Way more than I need right now. I have room to upgrade.

The angle irons with all the holes in them on the outside of the frame rails is what the commercial 5th wheel bolted to. I had to slide them back. Can use most of the factory bolt holes but will have to drill a few out. Then the plate is bolted to that you and the 5th wheel to the plate.

1/2 inch plate would have worked but I went with 3/4.

This 1500 watt inverter has just been sitting on the shelf for years.  Before we got the service truck with generator we use to keep it in the pickup to run electric tools. I would like a bigger one but this is big enough to run a fridge and small microwave. 

 

 

[jenandjon]

 

 

 

 

 

Mag drill is my new buddy. Mounting brackets in place and plate mocked up. Holes marked. Now I get to flip it over and start drilling. 14 holes to mount the plate to the truck then 12 holes to mount the hitch to the plate.

[jenandjon]

I don't do wiring my brother does it for me. I'm partially color blind. We got started on it then I looked into the jackalopee. Realized it would save lots of headaches so I ordered it. Will be here in a couple days.

 

[alan0043]

Hello Jon,

Thank you for sharing. Please keep us update. It is nice to see the pictures. We all love pictures. You will be glad you ordered the Jackalopee. It makes life easier when wiring the truck. I found it best to keep my Jackalopee inside the truck in the storage compartment on the drivers side. As for the bed, mine is made out of wood.

Thank you for sharing. Please keep the updates coming.
Al

[SuiteSuccess]

Jon,

We’re not supposed to envy anyone, but I find I can’t help it when I see someone with the knowledge, skills, and facilities to make their ideas come to life.  Nice work and as Al said, we love progress pictures.

[jenandjon]

10 hours ago, SuiteSuccess said:

Jon,

We’re not supposed to envy anyone, but I find I can’t help it when I see someone with the knowledge, skills, and facilities to make their ideas come to life.  Nice work and as Al said, we love progress pictures.

I am fortunate enough to have a boss that lets me have full run of the shop. And to have coworkers that help out..

[phoenix2013]

On 2/13/2018 at 7:29 AM, jenandjon said:

 

 

 

 

 

Mag drill is my new buddy. Mounting brackets in place and plate mocked up. Holes marked. Now I get to flip it over and start drilling. 14 holes to mount the plate to the truck then 12 holes to mount the hitch to the plate.

Just sayin'

On ET mounting plate, mounting angles are part of the hitch. Hitch comes mounted to the plate. Drill six holes in the frame (with your new friend, the mag drill), done

[GlennWest]

I actually didn't drill in frame. Used step reamer and enlarged existing holes. Redrilled angle to match. 

[phoenix2013]

2 hours ago, GlennWest said:

I actually didn't drill in frame. Used step reamer and enlarged existing holes. Redrilled angle to match. 

Even better, the angle pieces don't care where the holes are, as long as you have enough of them

[jenandjon]

That is too easy. I prefer to do things the hard way! LOL! Having never seen any of these hitches in person it was kind of a stab in the dark. I had to go off what others said. ET, comfort ride and trailer saver all came highly recommended by several people. Believe me I spent countless hours studying pictures and watching videos. I feel like I know these people in person! I kept going over it in my head pros and cons. I went with the one that don't have an air bag.

 

But I didn't get away without handing over some money to Szmyt . I bought the Jackalopee. Very helpful over the phone. Explained everything in detail.

 

[JPL]

jenandjon     The mag base drill is a DIYS's best friend. Another handy tool is a 1" impact air gun. It will get just about anything loose. your build really is going great. Wher are you? Going to the ECR?      Keep up the pictures.    Pat

 

 

The Old Sailor 

 

[jenandjon]

We have a inch impact gun in the shop. Use it all the time.

I'm in northeastern Nebraska.

I will not make the rally. East coast is during planting season. National is during harvest and the West coast is in June. In June we will be in Kentucky. My wife is from there. We are moving my Mother in law up to Nebraska at that time.  Maybe next year. 

I did hope to meet up with some others in the HDT community during that trip but it falls during the rally.

We still have kids in school so we try to cram as much in during the summer as possible.

[Parrformance]

My wife and I will be in Eastern Kentucky, the last week of June through the first week of July.

[phoenix2013]

On 2/15/2018 at 7:02 AM, jenandjon said:

That is too easy. I prefer to do things the hard way! LOL! Having never seen any of these hitches in person it was kind of a stab in the dark. I had to go off what others said. ET, comfort ride and trailer saver all came highly recommended by several people. Believe me I spent countless hours studying pictures and watching videos. I feel like I know these people in person! I kept going over it in my head pros and cons. I went with the one that don't have an air bag.

 

But I didn't get away without handing over some money to Szmyt . I bought the Jackalopee. Very helpful over the phone. Explained everything in detail.

 

jenandjon, it was a pleasure to talk to you and I'm glad I could help.

The problem with "experts", opinions and marketing info is that it can range from useless to "selective", or even deceptive. Airbag technology is a very mature technology and if something better , or "cheaper" and just as good, was the solution that technology would have been implemented long time ago, just as airbags replaced steel springs in 90% of commercial trucking. Not needing air is another moot point, after all on this forum everyone buying a truck gets one with a two thousand dollar compressor and more air lines that you can shake a stick with.

Also, conveniently "overlooked" is the fact that every other hitch requires something to mount it on, precisely the "project" you are going through right now. If you add the cost of obtaining the plate, the braces, machining these , mounting the hitch to it, all of the sudden the "bargain hitches" are not such a bargain anymore.

[jenandjon]

On 2/16/2018 at 6:16 AM, Parrformance said:

My wife and I will be in Eastern Kentucky, the last week of June through the first week of July.

That is where we will be. Eastern Ky. Owsley county. In the Daniel Boone national forest. We were going to head home somewhere around June 22nd 23rd.

[jenandjon]

Got it all hooked up and she rides 3 inches high. The decision to flip the axles has been made. That will raise the camper up 3-4 inches.

I got the fenders back on. All that's left is wiring the lights and trailer plug. I do want to put some kind of receiver hitch on the back. I heard through the grape vine that a few trucks with motor home plates were getting tickets for having no rear bumper. Then I had a brain storm. We took a rear bumper off one of our old straight trucks. I do believe that will work.

I don't know if its just me but I woke up this morning and had the gut feeling that some safety chains would not be a bad idea. From the 5th wheel to the plate. It is bolted down with 12 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts. I doubt its going anywhere. I didn't know if the bolts should go up or down or if it made any difference. So I figured if I put half one way and half the other way people would ask me why I did that. One of coworkers fell for it already. He walks up and asked how come you put half one way and half the other. I looked him right in the eye and said, Just to make you ask questions.

[jenandjon]

I am going to shorten up that pin box at some point. There is a huge gap from the rear of the truck to the camper. I measured it all and from bumper to bumper I'm just shy of 60 ft.

[jenandjon]

22 hours ago, phoenix2013 said:

jenandjon, it was a pleasure to talk to you and I'm glad I could help.

The problem with "experts", opinions and marketing info is that it can range from useless to "selective", or even deceptive. Airbag technology is a very mature technology and if something better , or "cheaper" and just as good, was the solution that technology would have been implemented long time ago, just as airbags replaced steel springs in 90% of commercial trucking. Not needing air is another moot point, after all on this forum everyone buying a truck gets one with a two thousand dollar compressor and more air lines that you can shake a stick with.

Also, conveniently "overlooked" is the fact that every other hitch requires something to mount it on, precisely the "project" you are going through right now. If you add the cost of obtaining the plate, the braces, machining these , mounting the hitch to it, all of the sudden the "bargain hitches" are not such a bargain anymore.

Thank you for your input. I understand your point completely. Someday when I build the next one it will be different. I have already learned a ton working on this project and I look forward to learning more as I go.

[dan412]

25 minutes ago, jenandjon said:

Got it all hooked up and she rides 3 inches high. The decision to flip the axles has been made. That will raise the camper up 3-4 inches.

I got the fenders back on. All that's left is wiring the lights and trailer plug. I do want to put some kind of receiver hitch on the back. I heard through the grape vine that a few trucks with motor home plates were getting tickets for having no rear bumper. Then I had a brain storm. We took a rear bumper off one of our old straight trucks. I do believe that will work.

I don't know if its just me but I woke up this morning and had the gut feeling that some safety chains would not be a bad idea. From the 5th wheel to the plate. It is bolted down with 12 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts. I doubt its going anywhere. I didn't know if the bolts should go up or down or if it made any difference. So I figured if I put half one way and half the other way people would ask me why I did that. One of coworkers fell for it already. He walks up and asked how come you put half one way and half the other. I looked him right in the eye and said, Just to make you ask questions.

No safety chains needed or required. If the the hitch is latched properly it will not come open. Big trucks don't have safety chains.

[rickeieio]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you may be able to cut out that plate for the hitch to drop down, then just flip the mounting angles.  Now all the weight would be hanging from the bolts, but I would think they are more than adequate.

[HERO Maker]

Rick, I don't think there is any room since it is almost right over the axle.  I was thinking the same thing, not hanging it but putting some stock below it like the ETs, but that wouldn't work in that location either.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Comfort Ride manufactures different height rocker boxes (the thing the hitch head actually mounts to) I'm sure Comfort Ride can provide a shorter height one.

[jenandjon]

12 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Comfort Ride manufactures different height rocker boxes (the thing the hitch head actually mounts to) I'm sure Comfort Ride can provide a shorter height one.

I got the shorter one in the lowest position.

 

22 hours ago, rickeieio said:

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you may be able to cut out that plate for the hitch to drop down, then just flip the mounting angles.  Now all the weight would be hanging from the bolts, but I would think they are more than adequate.

I will have to explore that option. That would gain me what? About 2 inches or so?  I do think I would rather leave that one solid plate. I would have to take it to the blacksmith shop where I go it, to put on his water jet. My plasma cutter will only cut 1/2 inch.

[alan0043]

Hi Jon,

I have a question for you. What is the height of the hitch head from the ground up ? If you posted that info earlier, for some reason I missed it. I understand from the guys the numbers are around 47" from the ground to the top of the hitch head.

Keep up the good work,
Al

[Parrformance]

On 2/17/2018 at 8:14 AM, jenandjon said:

Got it all hooked up and she rides 3 inches high. The decision to flip the axles has been made. That will raise the camper up 3-4 inches.

I got the fenders back on. All that's left is wiring the lights and trailer plug. I do want to put some kind of receiver hitch on the back. I heard through the grape vine that a few trucks with motor home plates were getting tickets for having no rear bumper. Then I had a brain storm. We took a rear bumper off one of our old straight trucks. I do believe that will work.

I don't know if its just me but I woke up this morning and had the gut feeling that some safety chains would not be a bad idea. From the 5th wheel to the plate. It is bolted down with 12 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts. I doubt its going anywhere. I didn't know if the bolts should go up or down or if it made any difference. So I figured if I put half one way and half the other way people would ask me why I did that. One of coworkers fell for it already. He walks up and asked how come you put half one way and half the other. I looked him right in the eye and said, Just to make you ask questions.

Order new suspension bushings to have on hand when you do the axle flip. I suggest the Never Fail bushings.