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10-17-2018, 02:00 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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Save Back end dragging - Casters and Skid wheels
Yup, we did it on our first camping trip to a Good Sam family campground with our Montana 3750fl. The back end drug on uneven pavement at the entrance and damaged two support beams, tore off the spare tire and broke the bottom of the ladder. Minimal damage considering other campers tore off their hydraulic jacks, ripped open the back end or bent and damaged the frame. This incident discouraged us from camping and towing the montana. However it has encouraged us to look into installing skid wheels at the back of the camper. This video explains something about choosing the correct caster and skid wheel. . Has anyone else installed any skid wheels on their 5th? Any suggestions or recommendations?
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10-17-2018, 03:59 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Thornville
Posts: 546
M.O.C. #21110
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Sounds like a good campground to AVOID,until they fix the entrance to it. Sounds like this has been an issue with other campers, if I`m reading your post correctly.
Don't get discouraged with this incident, just learn from it, use it to better your skills by knowing the limits better. We are all human and make mistakes/have incidents. Those that say they have never are either telling a fib,or just haven't had it happen to them yet!!! Travel long enough and it WILL happen.
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Darwin & Carla
2018.5 3701LK Montana
2022 3500HD Denali Duramax SRW
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10-17-2018, 05:28 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Colorado Rockies
Posts: 1,921
M.O.C. #19755
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I welded skid wheels to the bottom of the factory hitch.
The installation on the light weight factory hitch is not ideal, but anything is better that dragging the back end. At some point I might install a real hitch.
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Scott & Alta
2017 Montana 3160RL, Legacy, Onan 5.5Kw, Solar
2022 F-450 Lariat Ultimate
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10-17-2018, 06:54 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,318
M.O.C. #17894
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I have towed my current 2011 Montana and 2 previous campers on some really nasty campground roads and never did damage from the rear hitting the ground. In fact twice had to be towed up the same off road trail (not knowing it was one) because the truck could go no farther (wheel spinning). It was sooo bad that when we stopped going forward the truck and camper were sliding backwards with ALL the brakes on the truck and camper locked up (not spinning). Had no choice but to spend the night at around a 35 degree uphill position. Wont do that again. LOL . Still no damage.
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2018 Chevy 3500 LTZ Dually Diesel 4x4 CCLB
2011 Montana 3455 SA. 6 point level up. Disc brakes. Curt Q24 Hitch. 5 step glow steps
Progressive EMS. Valterra tank valves. Sailun G637 tires. ARP fridge control. All led lighting. Mor Ryde IS
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10-17-2018, 07:12 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,697
M.O.C. #12947
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On our rig, the frame extension is the same, and we ground off half the horizontal tab getting into and out of the inlaw's property, so I had these skids welded up from 3/8" thick steel, cut off the remainder of those tabs and bolted them up with longer bolts through the hitch mounting location on both sides. I figured that wheels weren't needed for the occasional dragging of the trailer and these would not have a chance of folding up during a hard contact.
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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10-17-2018, 08:05 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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Don't be discouraged. That campground is unique. In 8 years of full timing I've had to go in at an angle on some sharp entrances and the worst that's happened so far is that I ground off the wire ties I was using to hold an antenna cable to the back bumper.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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10-18-2018, 07:21 AM
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#7
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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We had reservations for that campground for several days, however we left the next day because we were upset over the damage. It had thunder-stormed earlier that morning and when we left the campground we experienced similar hills. Our truck did slide some but had enough power to overcome and go up a slippery winding road. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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10-18-2018, 07:30 AM
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#8
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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Excellent pictures. We learned a valuable lesson and that is to look at the campground on google earth and google maps to observe elevation and surrounding geographical layout. We will also tend to stay at resorts off main interstates and highways, not back road campgrounds. As a point of interest, I did ask the campground before making the reservation if they are able to accommodate large rigs and they said "yes." They lied! We did issue a detailed complaint to Good Sam Campground services with detailed pictures of all the deep ruts and scrapes in the hardtop pavement from past 5th wheel and rv scrapes. The entrance to this campground was littered with deep ruts and scrapes. Thanks again!
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10-18-2018, 07:41 AM
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#9
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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Check out the album with pictures of the deep ruts and scrapes from past 5th and motor home back end drags at Tusquany RV campground in SE PA.
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10-18-2018, 09:23 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Sequim
Posts: 527
M.O.C. #17176
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I had these installed by a welding shop they have saved the back end of my 5er several times
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Dan & Sandy Huhn
2016 Montana 3720 2015 Chevy 3500 SWD Duro Max
Prev 2012 High Country 313RE 2012 Chevy 2500 DMax
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10-18-2018, 09:38 AM
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#11
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhuhn
I had these installed by a welding shop they have saved the back end of my 5er several times
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What brand of caster and skid wheel did you use?
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10-18-2018, 09:41 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Sequim
Posts: 527
M.O.C. #17176
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parksjanda
What brand of caster and skid wheel did you use?
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Here is a link to the ones I bought from e trailer
https://www.etrailer.com/Skid-Wheels...48-979013.html
__________________
Dan & Sandy Huhn
2016 Montana 3720 2015 Chevy 3500 SWD Duro Max
Prev 2012 High Country 313RE 2012 Chevy 2500 DMax
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10-18-2018, 11:34 AM
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#13
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Coatesville PA
Posts: 34
M.O.C. #21427
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhuhn
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I told my husband about all the posts to my thread concerning installation and types of casters and wheels. He cannot wait to get home and see the graphics. THanks for the link, which we are familiar with etrailer.com.
Alexandra Parks
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John & Alexandra Parks
2015 Montana 3750FL
2017 Chevy Silverado 3500HD High Country dully
"Slow and Safe"
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10-18-2018, 03:05 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hixson
Posts: 3,436
M.O.C. #11397
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DQDick
Don't be discouraged. That campground is unique. In 8 years of full timing I've had to go in at an angle on some sharp entrances and the worst that's happened so far is that I ground off the wire ties I was using to hold an antenna cable to the back bumper.
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We have also been full timing 8 years and never a problem with dragging. I always go in/out at an angle unless it's pretty much level much like I did while trucking 20 years.
__________________
2018.5 Montana 3791RD
Full Timers 9/1/2010 through 1/16/2020.
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10-24-2018, 04:33 PM
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#15
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Lost Creek
Posts: 3
M.O.C. #20142
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I have the same wheels as dhuhn that I purchased from etrailer because I sometimes had problems with dragging my bumper and rear jacks. I moved my spare tire because of it. Here in WV there are many places not always in campgrounds that can get you in trouble including my driveway.
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10-29-2018, 01:39 PM
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#16
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Islip Terrace
Posts: 405
M.O.C. #22165
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This is our third 5er,1st two I installed skid wheels on & plan to do the same on this one. Our campers have always been toy haulers & we tend to go off the beaten path on occasion, so its good insurance to have skid plates or wheels, there's no down side. I will say our 381TH does have pretty good ground clearance but why chance it. If you pull a line or place a straight edge from behind the bottom of the rear wheel up to the back of your camper you will see what could get damaged if you bottom out. Once the skid wheels are installed I check this & see if anything else needs to be moved.
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