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Fifth wheel landing gears


runaway parents

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I know there is a lot of guys out there that have bad knees. Question that I have  is . How do you get under your trailer pull the pin on the landing gear extension lift it up buy hand till it is in the fully up position and reengage the pin .Crawl out from under trailer .Scream in pain there's got to be a better way ?.Then go over to button and finish raising the landing gear. Seems like the designer for this setup quit his job half threw the design process.Do any of you guys have an easy fix for this.

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BigFoot x4.

DW said no way she was laying boards to level a fiver with duals! Put the BigFoot on in 2007 a week after we bought the trailer, never regretted it.

Dennis & Nancy
Tucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.

1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.
2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS
2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud
(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06

and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)
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I don't fool with the pins.  Just carry some aluminum (or wood) blocks with a rope on them.  Kick under landing gear feet when needed.  Like you said, hard on knees - back too.  Pins also can cause greasy/dirty fingers.

300.JPG.c2a50e50210ede7534c4c440c7f9aa80.JPG

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!

 

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Although the big foot idea is a good one. There is got to be a cheaper solution to this I know I am not the only one with this kind of landing gear out there. Any input would be appreciated there is got to be a way to take what I have and make it better with out draining the bank.  I know there is a lot of fabricators and engineer's out there  it time to express your opinions. Think cheap  but functional. Thanks for your help in figuring this out..

Edited by runaway parents
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1/4" eye bolt, and a short rod to hook it with. Mount the eye to the foot pad, have your partner release the snap pin, and run the switch. Heck, have your partner run the whole works. Keep her supplied with cool beverages. 

I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 

2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication
2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet
2007 32.5' Fleetwood Quantum


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Eyelet on the landing gear pad is a great idea!

Not  that big of a deal, but I have my legs set so I drop them onto a pad, lower my air bags on both the hitch and truck and then drive out from under. My legs are marked for the perfect height so I don’t need to raise or lower them other them to be level, and are plenty high enough for off and on road travel. 

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On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2020 at 3:29 PM, Darryl&Rita said:

1/4" eye bolt, and a short rod to hook it with. Mount the eye to the foot pad, have your partner release the snap pin, and run the switch. Heck, have your partner run the whole works. Keep her supplied with cool beverages. 

Good idea .Might just drill a 1/2 inch hole in the foot pad and use a hook to lift it with might just work. presented your other idea to wife and got that look you know the one that comes with a E No. I am living on barrowed time last night I blew up one of her pyrex pans on the stove don't need any more advice like this  thanks:lol:hahaha

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Here's my contribution to the issue.  Firstly, Stan Miller over a decade ago told me not to stack blocks higher than 7".  If the trailer comes off for some reason things will shear or break.

So these are leftovers from a construction project, 12" wide by maybe 20" long.  The white locking block is 1 - 1/8" thick and about 1/8" smaller in overall dimension of the cutouts in the big blocks. The cutouts on front and back of the big blocks are slightly bigger than the landing gear feet and 5/8" deep.

I marked out the cutout size then drilled most of the material with a drill and speedbore then made a jig to sit on top and used my laminate trimmer with a 1/4" straight flute cutter to trim the rest out and adjust for depth.

Edges of the big blocks got bullnoses as there were lots of frayed edges.  Put on a couple of coats of leftover stain to protect.

I put the blocks on 3/8" thick rubber to keep them off the ground.

The rope was attached by drilling down from the font on an angle and roughly the same angle up from the bottom to intersect halfway...if that's clear??  Pushed the rope thru on both ends, did a stopper knot on both an jammed them back in the holes then caulked the holes with black butyl or whatever there was available.

The blocks lock together, encapsulate the feet to prevent accidently pulling the trailer off the blocks.

I have it set up so if the ground is flat the landing gear needs no adjustment.  All I do is dump the hitch first then drop the suspension count to 10 then drive out from under the trailer.

SWtNso6l.jpg

TDHsXnEl.jpg

dA4EVMql.jpg

 

 

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On ‎3‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 6:18 AM, rdickinson said:

Here's my contribution to the issue.  Firstly, Stan Miller over a decade ago told me not to stack blocks higher than 7".  If the trailer comes off for some reason things will shear or break.

So these are leftovers from a construction project, 12" wide by maybe 20" long.  The white locking block is 1 - 1/8" thick and about 1/8" smaller in overall dimension of the cutouts in the big blocks. The cutouts on front and back of the big blocks are slightly bigger than the landing gear feet and 5/8" deep.

I marked out the cutout size then drilled most of the material with a drill and speedbore then made a jig to sit on top and used my laminate trimmer with a 1/4" straight flute cutter to trim the rest out and adjust for depth.

Edges of the big blocks got bullnoses as there were lots of frayed edges.  Put on a couple of coats of leftover stain to protect.

I put the blocks on 3/8" thick rubber to keep them off the ground.

The rope was attached by drilling down from the font on an angle and roughly the same angle up from the bottom to intersect halfway...if that's clear??  Pushed the rope thru on both ends, did a stopper knot on both an jammed them back in the holes then caulked the holes with black butyl or whatever there was available.

The blocks lock together, encapsulate the feet to prevent accidently pulling the trailer off the blocks.

I have it set up so if the ground is flat the landing gear needs no adjustment.  All I do is dump the hitch first then drop the suspension count to 10 then drive out from under the trailer.

SWtNso6l.jpg

TDHsXnEl.jpg

dA4EVMql.jpg

 

 

Rodger  great minds think alike I to have a set of 12x12 inch pads built similar to these.

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With all of the fabricators electrician's  air plane builders trailer hitch builders jackilopee builders and a wide assortment of arm chair engineers You would think some body would have a cheap retro fit up grade using what is there .Without emptying the bank. I know if we put our brains together we should come up with some thing. I don't want to spend a lot of money on new landing gears because this is money that can be used on diesel and camping trips. Not every body on this forum has push button landing gears. and I bet if some thing was invented I am sure you could make some money of this . I know I would buy it.

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It's already been invented. Use the method I posted above. I can't claim ownership, I found it online some years ago, when we didn't have hydraulic jacks. I think everything came out of coffee cans in the shed, but even buying new parts should be less than $20.

I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 

2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication
2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet
2007 32.5' Fleetwood Quantum


Please e-mail us here.

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59 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:

It's already been invented. Use the method I posted above. I can't claim ownership, I found it online some years ago, when we didn't have hydraulic jacks. I think everything came out of coffee cans in the shed, but even buying new parts should be less than $20.

After this weeks snow melts I will mock up your idea and give it a try  if it works great if not I will have to think about this a little more sure do appreciate your help thank you.

Edited by runaway parents
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I like the landing gear i have and it similiar or the exact gear used on the continentals. the landing gear tubes are about 6x6 in size. Almost like the gear on a semi trailer.  Big wide feet like a big trailer as well.  no way you eould ever bend those unless you were trying to.

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On 3/14/2020 at 5:09 PM, runaway parents said:

ditto

I resisted for two years, finally saved up the cash, no matter how much you try, you can never get the trailer as level as with big foots/hydraulic levelers. The door shuts easier, toilet flushes better, shower drains better, etc. Single best upgrade to the trailer IMO. Close second is Truma tankless water heater. 

I'll have to try and find a picture. Bill Moriarty has landing blocks that hang on the leveler feet. Basically the block has small, aluminum angle iron on three sides on the top. Slides the open end over the feet, then deploys the legs. 
 

found it:

HsibYSQl.jpg

Edited by lockmup68

2003 International Eagle 9200i, Cummins ISX, Freedomline

2007 Teton Scottsdale XT4

 

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