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11-11-2021, 05:26 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Clearance between tail lights on truck bed and 5.0 frame and brackets
Hello, my wife and I are looking at the 5.0 trailers. Our tow vehicle is a 2017 gmc 3500, single rear wheel, crew cab with an 8’ long bed. The puck or 5th wheel /gooseneck package is in the bed. Does any body in this forum have a long bed truck and pull the 5.0? My concern is clearance with the end of the bed, tail light area and the 5.0’s frame and gussets. I am new with doing the forum thing so forgive me if I mess up. Thank you
Davis
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11-11-2021, 05:28 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Welcome Brad, to our little fiberglass world........
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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11-11-2021, 07:45 AM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Hello cpaharley2008, it would be nice to own a fiberglass 5.0 An Ambassador hooked me up with this link. I have read lots of comments from people about concerns and questions with their trailers. I hope our truck can pull the Escape 5.0 without smashing the back end of the truck. I believe my long bed is 6” longer in the back compared to a 6 1/2’ long bed. Tomorrow we go see our first Escape 5.0 in person. You bet I will be measuring and taking pictures of their hitch and bed. Going from three slides in our current 5th wheel to none would be an adjustment. However the older I get pulling the 34’ long trailer is beginning to get us thinking about downsizing. If we can solve this problem then we can move forward. Thank you for replying.
Davis
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11-11-2021, 09:00 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Davis, perhaps you've seen this but to be sure here's a link to Escape's 5.0 Towing Compatibility Guidelines document which is loaded with diagrams and dimensional data to help evaluate clearance questions such as yours.
Welcome to the forum, hope that helps, Have Fun!
(New to the forum thing? No worries! Just click the underlined text above to open or save the pdf document to your computer )
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11-11-2021, 09:52 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Dolores, Colorado
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA, pulled w/ 2003 Dodge 3500 Cummins 4x4 SRW LWB
Posts: 113
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis
Hello, my wife and I are looking at the 5.0 trailers. Our tow vehicle is a 2017 gmc 3500, single rear wheel, crew cab with an 8’ long bed. The puck or 5th wheel /gooseneck package is in the bed. Does any body in this forum have a long bed truck and pull the 5.0? My concern is clearance with the end of the bed, tail light area and the 5.0’s frame and gussets. I am new with doing the forum thing so forgive me if I mess up. Thank you
Davis
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No issues pulling our 5.0 TA with our 2003 Dodge 3500 SRW 4x4 w/ the 8' bed. Obviously a much older and different manufacturer's model. I installed the B&W turnover hitch using B&W's measurements/instructions; and use the Andersen Ultimate ball mount hitch. No tail light clearance issues...I understand that many truck's bed rails have gotten taller since 2003. I encourage you to review the Escape-provided guidelines linked to by Centex. Hopefully an owner with a later model 8' truck bed will reply as well. Good luck.
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11-11-2021, 11:28 AM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Thank you for replying. I have checked out the pages you mentioned and my head spins.I am actually thinking about removing the puck system from the truck and installing a gooseneck turn over ball. B and W has a 4” extender. Then with that mount the Anderson Hitch. This will push the camper farther away from the truck hopefully eliminating clearance issues. Have a good one
Confused Davis
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11-11-2021, 11:31 AM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Nice idea. I believe this is the route I am going to pursue.
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11-11-2021, 04:44 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Davis, would you please post these two dimensions from your truck: - Distance from the center of the middle puck to the back edge of the bed floor
- Distance from the center of the middle puck to the outside face of the closed tailgate (a few inches more than #1)
Thanks!
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11-11-2021, 05:45 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Center, from the center of the gooseneck hole to the end of the bed is 46 1/4”. I believe you must add 3” to allow thickness of the tailgate. Photos speak a thousand words but I am not smart enough to include them in this post.
In another reply from SWCO he used a gooseneck hitch that mounts under the bed. A very help customer service rep at b and w hitch educated me on this under the bed hitch. Come to find out I would need to drill a hole 49 1/2” from the end of the bed. This dimension is even more distance from the end of the bed than I have now.
I hope Centex you have some good news for me.
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11-12-2021, 12:05 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis
... Photos speak a thousand words ....
I hope Centex you have some good news for me.
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OK, so let's try this diagram, hopefully you can follow the basis for what's shown (and verify all my dimensions / calculations, I'm subject to human error and this has not had any 3rd-party checking!). I used the included Andersen dimension data, the Escape compatibility guideline dimensions, and your posted puck location and tailgate thickness dimensions. The diagram should be pretty accurate relative scale for horizontal dimensions at 10 pixels = 1 inch (I had already developed this diagram for evaluation of my rig prior to purchase of the trailer and hitch I use, so just edited that for your case specifics ).
Note that this assumes the Andersen Coupler Block is oriented to the rear (Andersen ball behind the kingpin). While it's tempting to gain tailgate clearance by orienting the coupler block to the front, that greatly increases the risk of conflict between the back of the pinbox and the inside of your bed sidewalls on sharp turns especially when the truck and trailer are at different levels as when entering a gas-station ramp - take care if tempted to evaluate that block orientation.
I didn't do a second diagram but if you went to the trouble of removing the OE Puck System and installing a B&W Turnoverball with the 4" offset gooseball you would gain a net 3/4" on the tailgate clearances. IIMO it's unlikely that 3/4" is the 'make-or-break' and of course that'd leave you with all the puck-holes in the bed (IOW, not a useful option, IMO). Note installation of any different underbed mount system, gooseball or rails, will require removal of the entire OE Puck pieces under the bed.
There may be better solutions using an other-than-Andersen hitch that will give more horizontal clearance with your puck system, perhaps even a 'slider'. Note there are some 'traditional 5th-wheel' hitches that mount to a gooseball rather than rails. Personally I'd work hard to find a solution using the OE pucks or a gooseball in the OE puck hole before ripping that out - it's a really stout system and you'll doubtless have the puck holes to deal with if you install any other mounting system.
Not so sure this is "good news" but perhaps useful in your evaluation .... noting that the matter of vertical clearances is not considered at all in this.
Hope this helps, Good Luck, and Have Fun!
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11-12-2021, 03:40 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Centex, thank you for the information and sketch. The bad part is I can not see your sketch on my phone. Later on today I will ask my wife to bring up your post on her computer. Once I view your post I may have more questions. Thank you so much for trying to help me solve this dilemma.
Davis
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11-12-2021, 09:51 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Comox, British Columbia
Trailer: 5.0 TA #9
Posts: 226
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Silverado with an 8' Box
I am towing a 5.0 TA with a full size Chev Silverado- with an 8' box.
I use a regular 5th wheel hitch (not a goose-neck). My hitch also has rails. I have never moved my hitch along the rails.
I have jack-knifed my trailer several times, to get the trailer into/out of very tight camp spots- no problems at all.
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11-12-2021, 10:55 AM
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#13
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Sleepy could you get some measurements? A few posts before this one Centex asked me to measure a few things. If your hitch is still in your truck could you measure from the center of the hitch where the king pin locks in to the end of the bed and the outside face of the tailgate. That would be so helpful.
If you have any pictures you could share would also be great. Clearance is a major concern for me. I have pictures of the areas I asked you to measure but have no clue how to post them. I guess I need to take a few minutes and google how.
Thank you for your post.
Davis
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11-12-2021, 01:15 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis
Sleepy .... If your hitch is still in your truck could you measure from the center of the hitch where the king pin locks in to the end of the bed and the outside face of the tailgate. That would be so helpful.
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Yes, Sleepy's measurements would be helpful as would the make/model of hitch and mount he's using.
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11-12-2021, 05:06 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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Hi Centex, well, I asked my wife to bring up your two diagrams. She tried and tried and could not enlarge them enough to read. The hitch I currently use is a b and w companion. I believe I can dismantle and reassemble and from 3” in front of axle to 1” behind the axle. That would be a 4” gain. Is it enough? I do not know. Tomorrow we go see the 5.0 and tow truck. I am bringing my tape measure and camera. Thanks again for all who have posted.
Davis
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11-12-2021, 06:53 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davis
I have pictures of the areas I asked you to measure but have no clue how to post them.
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Try following this...
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post169263
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11-12-2021, 07:30 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Davis - the instructions for the B&W Companion to fit 2016-2019 GMC Pucks say it can be either "over the axle" or "2 inches behind the axle"
What's the kingpin center to back edge of bed dimension as you have your Companion configured when installed now?
I'll try to help you see what the 5.0 clearances will be in inches but I won't opine on "What's enough". Pics won't help me help you, measured dimensions is what I'm working with.
If you want to send me a PM with your email address I'll reply via email with the diagrams attached to that as a simple pdf document.
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11-12-2021, 09:46 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Comox, British Columbia
Trailer: 5.0 TA #9
Posts: 226
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Hi Davis,
My trailer has been put away for the winter. I remove the hitch when we aren't using the trailer. I use an old DSP hitch, which is overkill for the Escape. It weighs too much.
I have the standard factory chromed towing style bumper. Nothing aftermarket that might add to the truck length.
I do a lot of towing on gravel logging roads. I haven't had any problems with the 5th wheel frame or gussets hitting my truck.
Full disclaimer: I drive a 1995 Silverado 2500 4x4. My truck has 185000 km on it (115000 miles). We have owned it since new.
I am replacing that truck with either a new Chev 1500 4x4 or a new Tundra- when they show up on the lot.
Newer trucks have higher bed sides.
I will also get a new hitch.
I don't have any photos that show the truck with the Escape 5.0TA. Some of the trailer but surprisingly few.
Sorry.
In general isn't the hitch distant from the back of the T.V. truck to the center of the hitch coupling device fairly constant without regard to the box length ?
IOW the box length doesn't alter alter the basic hitch set-up. The truck length is taken up by the cab style, and then the box length (now a days mostly 5.5, 6.5, and some 8') is reduced/expanded by the box length between the area forward of the wheel well to the front of the box.
I don't think the distance back of the wheel wells is changed, based on box length.
You can dm me if you want to talk more about it.
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11-12-2021, 10:45 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sleepy
.... In general isn't the hitch distant from the back of the T.V. truck to the center of the hitch coupling device fairly constant without regard to the box length ?
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When shopping for a hitch mount for my F150 I found the distance you mention varied by ~6" depending on the brand / model of mount. All of those were mounts designed for fit to that specific truck without drilling the frame, not "universal" mounts; some were rail mounts and some were gooseball, and none assumed the use of any add-on 'offset adaptor'. For some mount models that installation dimension was the same for 6.5ft and 8ft boxes, for some it was different.
Yeah all the mounts were 'generally' over the rear axle, but a 6" range for 'generally' can be critical when talking about the relatively 'short-overlap' Escape 5.0.
My point is "general" assumptions can bite ya, and when it gets down to particulars IMO it behooves one to know the installation details of what they are buying and its fitment / suitability for their specific application - the differences among available options can be surprising, sometimes with disappointing outcome.
(we note that for the B&W Turnoverball model GNRK 1016, designed for the 2016-2019 GMC 3500 like Davis', the back-of-bed to gooseball-centerline dimension is 49-1/2" for the 8ft bed, but 44-3/4" for the shorter bed; I suppose that qualifies as 'fairly constant' for the different bed lengths, but ....)
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11-13-2021, 05:28 AM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Jamestown, Indiana
Trailer: Interested in buying 5.0
Posts: 16
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