Purchasing used...

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Zardoz

Unfortunately for you, most Escapes are (for now at least) are west of the Mississippi. This means you'll not only have a harder time getting to the trailer for an inspection, but other buyers will have a leg up on you.

...and coupled with the fact that a look through the Classifieds Archive shows a count on one hand the number of 5.0TA's that have ever been posted for private party sale on the forum. It is very rare for one to come up for sale at all, let alone on the east coast. I wish them luck but they could be waiting for a very, very long time. If I wanted to be out camping soon I would broaden my search to include other Escape models or consider ordering new.

[shark8]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

...and coupled with the fact that a look through the Classifieds Archive shows a count on one hand the number of 5.0TA's that have ever been posted for private party sale on the forum. It is very rare for one to come up for sale at all, let alone on the east coast. I wish them luck but they could be waiting for a very, very long time. If I wanted to be out camping soon I would broaden my search to include other Escape models or consider ordering new.

I am aware. I'm looking east coast and mid states. If I ever get the money to buy new I most certainly would. In this case i don't have enough to buy new so I'm willing to settle for used. I have to sit and wait and hope. If I get the money later, by all means I'll order new. In the meantime, I'm collecting knowledge and advice so if one does appear, I'm prepared! I'll also keep camping in my tent for now. I'm no snob to a tent but love the luxury of a soft bed and a/c.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by shark8

Also, I assume that the seller's tow vehicle would need to be the same height as our tow vehicle? Again I'm looking at the 5.0's.

Originally Posted by shark8

more so the trailer being too short or too tall to hook the nose of the fifth wheel into the bed of the truck?!

The front of the trailer needs to be high enough to clear the side of the truck's box. If the trailer is too high, the king pin of the trailer may not reach down to the hitch, but hitches are adjustable in height and that adjustment is usually enough to make everything line up.

If the height above ground of the seller's truck's box sides are at least as high as yours, the trailer should be set up to work with your truck.

Originally Posted by shark8

Assuming there is not a way to lift or lower the actual trailer on site? Is all that done to buyer specifications at time of ordering?

If I understand correctly, you're looking for a 5.0TA.

The trailer is "built to order" in height in two ways:

• the suspension height can be set to two different heights, depending on the buyer's requirements, and
• the king pin box can be set to one of two different heights, to reach down into the truck box as desired to match the hitch setup.

The 5.0TA has come with two different suspension systems, and so two different ways to change the height:

1. With the beam axles and leaf springs of 2014-2015 5.0TA's, the suspension can be set to one of two heights, without any optional equipment, by re-arranging the components.
2. With the Torflex axles of 2016 and newer 5.0TA's, an optional spacer kit is used to raise the trailer a couple of inches from the stock height if desired, and can be removed.

I would not have a problem changing the height with either system, but it's not a trivial bit of work and I doubt most sellers would do it for a buyer or be willing to let a buyer do this kind of work at the seller's home. If necessary, I suppose the seller (or a tow truck) could deliver the trailer to a trailer, RV, or automotive shop for the change to be made.

Not many people seem to change the pin box height. It is a relatively straightforward procedure, but involves a dozen large bolts and handling the heavy lower part of the pin box.

[shark8]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The front of the trailer needs to be high enough to clear the side of the truck's box. If the trailer is too high, the king pin of the trailer may not reach down to the hitch, but hitches are adjustable in height and that adjustment is usually enough to make everything line up.



If the height above ground of the seller's truck's box sides are at least as high as yours, the trailer should be set up to work with your truck.





If I understand correctly, you're looking for a 5.0TA.



The trailer is "built to order" in height in two ways:

• the suspension height can be set to two different heights, depending on the buyer's requirements, and
  
• the king pin box can be set to one of two different heights, to reach down into the truck box as desired to match the hitch setup.
  

The 5.0TA has come with two different suspension systems, and so two different ways to change the height:

1. With the beam axles and leaf springs of 2014-2015 5.0TA's, the suspension can be set to one of two heights, without any optional equipment, by re-arranging the components.
   
2. With the Torflex axles of 2016 and newer 5.0TA's, an optional spacer kit is used to raise the trailer a couple of inches from the stock height if desired, and can be removed.
   

I would not have a problem changing the height with either system, but it's not a trivial bit of work and I doubt most sellers would do it for a buyer or be willing to let a buyer do this kind of work at the seller's home. If necessary, I suppose the seller (or a tow truck) could deliver the trailer to a trailer, RV, or automotive shop for the change to be made.



Not many people seem to change the pin box height. It is a relatively straightforward procedure, but involves a dozen large bolts and handling the heavy lower part of the pin box.

Great explanation! Thank you very much! [emoji1360]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk