Anyone installed low profile 5th wheel on their m818

[Hooty481]

I am going to be using my m818 to pull a 40 foot van trailer with the top cut out loaded with wood shavings to bed horse stalls. With the stock 11.00 20's i and 13'7" and with my 395/85 20's I will be even higher. I think a lower 5th wheel would make a big difference and may even get me back down to legal towing height. Has anyone accomplished this or thought about it?

 

[doghead]

You could use a trailer dolly and pintle tow it.

 

[Robo McDuff]

Yep, changed an M51A2 into a street-legal M52, but your conversion should be even easier. My height over the 5th wheel now is about 119 cm (46.9"( if I remember correctly).

Basically, I used a civil 5th wheel with spacing plate (coffer dam profile). This picture shows details of how the assembly fitted on the civil truck. The spacing plate is about 1.8" or 2" thick. Thinner might be possible, but you might run in the problem that the actual 5th wheel assembly is too close to the frame and the semi-trailer might hit the frame when going over bumps (speed bumps or railroad crossings).

Will try post more pics tonight of the actual assembly; not at my own computer now.

 

[jwaller]

yes I put a 915's sliding 5th wheel on my 818. Made a big difference getting the trailer back down to a manageable height and with 53's I needed to be able to move the hitch back when needed.

 

[73m819]

with the low 5th wheel, you may need to watch tire contact when the rears articulate off road or in rough conditions

 

[Hooty481]

just curious but how much difference did it make when you installed the 915 plate. how many inches i guess would be the best question to ask.

 

[spicergear]

I'm curious about this too. The double articulating off road wheel on the M931A2 is really tall. I'm going to swap it out and hoping a standard commercial wheel will fit under a bed.

 

[jwaller]

just curious but how much difference did it make when you installed the 915 plate. how many inches i guess would be the best question to ask.

I was able to lower the trailer height by about 4-6inches (almost as much as when I added the tires). it was a lot.

I had to cut the side plates off the std 915 hitch bc it has flats that go over the sides of the frame rail on the freightliner. I made it attach just like the original 818 hitch.

I was concerned about the trailer hitting the tires but I still have a lot of room between the trailer and tires.

It really doesn't matter too much for me anyway bc all my trailers are goosenecks and don't overhang the truck.


I have moved some van's since swapping and it's never been an issue.

 

[quickfarms]

what is the distance from the top of the fram to the top of the 5th wheel?

 

[jwaller]

what is the distance from the top of the fram to the top of the 5th wheel?

it's way more than the pic makes it look. I'd say about 6" it I remember right.

also remember that this 5th wheel does not side tilt so you don't need the same height that you would with the original.

 

[Robo McDuff]

I think mine was about 8" above the frame.

 

[fasttruck]

The platform or chassis height of a M818 with stock tires is simiilar to many civilian tractor chassis. The height is gained with the double trunion fifth wheel. Installing a 48" high fifth wheel witrh or without a slider is strickly an exercise in blacksmith work.

 

[Hooty481]

ive had the standard 5tht wheel on there a couple months. It came from a volvo that had been wrecked. Its a fontaine sliding 5th wheel. Here are some pictures. of what it looks like.