5.0 and Lift Kit

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Curious about your experiences with and without the lift kits. We will be camping in some areas with dirt road and pot holes/puddles, but nothing too crazy. Also it might be nice to have extra clearance backing up the driveway. One specific question would be if you need to increase the height of the hitch an equal amount.

[iamunique127]

I didn't ever have any clearance issues with my original-height 5.0TA despite getting into some pretty rough backwoods.

I raised my trailer, after getting a newer truck that was higher than my initial tow vehicle, so the trailer would ride more level and give me more clearance over the tailgate. Changing the suspension was my last option because the hitch and pin box were already at their maximum adjustments.

[davidmurphy02]

I got the lift kit for extra clearance backing over a hump from the street into our downward sloping driveway. To me it is barely noticeable visually on the trailer, and even without our driveway issue I would still be glad to have it just to not have any issues on the rare gas station ramp out into a street or a very bumpy and uneven dirt road. In my experience, and as reported by others, the 5.0 does not seem to handle any differently in driving due to the little extra bit of height that the lift kit imparts.

No adjustment to the trailer kingpin is normally needed - we have a conventional fifth wheel hitch, most people use the Andersen, but with both the hitch height usually has several vertical adjustments that make it easy to get the trailer riding level. Truck bed rails seem to be getting taller all the time, so I would for sure recommend getting the lift kit as a hedge against that - your Escape will likely outlast your tow vehicle if you keep it long enough. Depending on your level of DIY capability, or access to a local shop, the lift kit is just a spacer between the axle and frame and is not a big deal to have added at a future time if you don't get it and later find that you need it. IMO just easier to have that done as part of the factory build and then never have to think about it again. And regardless of what you think now, it's hard to know every road and driving situation you may encounter once you get your trailer.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

I got the lift kit for extra clearance backing over a hump from the street into our downward sloping driveway. To me it is barely noticeable visually on the trailer, and even without our driveway issue I would still be glad to have it just to not have any issues on the rare gas station ramp out into a street or a very bumpy and uneven dirt road. In my experience, and as reported by others, the 5.0 does not seem to handle any differently in driving due to the little extra bit of height that the lift kit imparts.

No adjustment to the trailer kingpin is normally needed - we have a conventional fifth wheel hitch, most people use the Andersen, but with both the hitch height usually has several vertical adjustments that make it easy to get the trailer riding level. Truck bed rails seem to be getting taller all the time, so I would for sure recommend getting the lift kit as a hedge against that - your Escape will likely outlast your tow vehicle if you keep it long enough. Depending on your level of DIY capability, or access to a local shop, the lift kit is just a spacer between the axle and frame and is not a big deal to have added at a future time if you don't get it and later find that you need it. IMO just easier to have that done as part of the factory build and then never have to think about it again. And regardless of what you think now, it's hard to know every road and driving situation you may encounter once you get your trailer.

Thank you David. Great information, and nice to hear it has no noticeable effect on the road.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by iamunique127

I didn't ever have any clearance issues with my original-height 5.0TA despite getting into some pretty rough backwoods.

I raised my trailer, after getting a newer truck that was higher than my initial tow vehicle, so the trailer would ride more level and give me more clearance over the tailgate. Changing the suspension was my last option because the hitch and pin box were already at their maximum adjustments.

Thank you Mr. Unique. Was it easy to find someone to add the lift kit aftermarket?

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

Thank you Mr. Unique. Was it easy to find someone to add the lift kit aftermarket?

My older 5.0TA has different suspension than yours. Mine are solid, beam axles with leaf springs. With help from ppl here on the forum I determined I couldn't use the lift kit but I needed to move the axles from above the springs to below the springs. But the effect is the same, raising the trailer frame.

For you, adding the lift kit will raise the trailer about 2.5", give or take. For me, the change was much more drastic at 4.5" of lift but it achieved my objectives of levelling the trailer and providing more clearance over the truck so I could comfortably negotiate a storage yard hump similar to David's.



Like others here, I don't notice any difference in the towability of the trailer with it raised.

When I was looking at the lift kit I found one at a local construction-trailer firm who would also instal it, so that part was not difficult. If you are mechanical at all, the job is not difficult to do yourself.

Once it was determined my axles needed to be moved I decided to do the job myself, which took a friend and I about a day to do.

I agree with David on two counts though: 1) the lift is barely visibly noticeable on his trailer and 2) get it done at the factory and you'll never have to think about it again.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

Thank you David. Great information, and nice to hear it has no noticeable effect on the road.

If you search back through forum posts you will find pretty much universal agreement that the 5.0 "tows like a dream" with just about any half ton pickup, with or without the lift kit, with either type of hitch. The choices can seem overwhelming, but don't sweat that - you really can't go wrong with any of them.