Rookie Question - Fifth Wheel Height

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danajdelarosa

danajdelarosa

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2017
Posts
48
Location
Sierra Vista, AZ
Good morning all,

Rookie question alert!...getting ready to head out on our first excursion with our fifth wheel. Looking up the specs it states that the trailer exterior height is 13ft 3 in. Does that include the AC units on top?

One of the places we want to go has a tunnel that is 14ft tall. Too close for comfort?...or is that a normal gap that we should get used to?

Thanks in advance!
 
It should but.... The best way is to measure it yourself because hitch height and truck beds heights can vary. While hitched and ready to travel, simply lay a 10 foot board across the highest point (usually the air conditioner) and measure the distance to the ground on both sides. Be sure to be on a level stretch of roadway.

Beware of roads that may have been resurfaced recently and the height signs or published info not yet corrected. Go real slow and check!!!
 
I believe that if the clearance will be less than 13' 6", it should be posted before you get there.  But check it the way Stu said and write it on a piece of paper and tape it to your sun visor.  It would be best to check it without any supplies or water onboard. This will give you the tallest measurement the RV would see. As you start loading it, that dimension will get smaller.
 
I agree - measure it! The height of ours according to the brochure is 11'-9". In reality it's 12'-4". I think anything under 15' will be marked - at least that's what I'm inferring based on various signs we saw on a trip we took from NY to OH this weekend.
 
Definitely need to measure it yourself to be sure you have an accurate height, because no way of knowing where on the roof measurements were taken and if they include the tallest structure, unless specifically mentioned.  Our previous rig, a TT when I measured it, I found it was close to 6" taller than the specs indicated.
 
You can measure from the ground to the roof, then measure the height of the air conditioner and add the two numbers to get the total height.
 
The vehicle height limit on the Interstates and major highways making up the National Network for commercial traffic  is 13'6", with 14' allowed in most states west of the Mississippi River.  Taller vehicles may be allowed with an Oversize Load permit which takes into account the clearances along the exact route it will travel.  Any clearance less than 16 ft. should be signed.

Secondary and tertiary roads that are not part of the NN are where you have to be alert.  They may or may not comply with the National standards.

After you measure your height, add 6" and post it somewhere visible to the driver.  The 6" is a cushion since the road surface isn't always perfectly smooth and the trailer can bounce up and down a bit.
 
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