THE ULTIMATE TRAINING MANUAL
FOR FIFTH‑WHEEL LANDING GEAR
How to Sellt It, Troubleshoot It and Become the Landing Gear Legend Your Dealership Needs
Raymond Padgett
Fifth Wheel’s Landing Gear is way more important than anyone gives it credit for. When a customer comes in asking for new landing gear, it’s not because they woke up craving “the model with Bluetooth” or “the one with strobe lights that makes their campsite look like a rave.” Nope. They’re here for one reason and one reason only: Their current landing gear has failed — catastrophically, embarrassingly, or loudly enough that the neighbors came out to watch.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth… Too many RV professionals treat replacement landing gear like a commodity. They grab the cheapest set they can find, ignoring capacity, features, durability, and warranties. And when that bargain‑bin landing gear inevitably fails (and trust me, it will), the customer blames the manufacturer… but make no mistake — they will also blame YOU, the company that sold them the “discount disaster.”
This training exists to prevent that. This is your roadmap to becoming a Landing Gear Legend — the person who knows what to recommend, why it matters, and how to keep customers from returning with smoke coming out of their ears.
By the end of this training, RV professionals will understand:
The real pain points that drive customers to replace landing gear (spoiler: none of them are fun)
How customers indicate they need Landing Gear (may sound obvious)
What to look for in high‑quality replacement landing gear
Which brands and models actually deserve to be on your shelves
Sales scripts that help you confidently recommend the right landing gear
Objection‑handling scripts that turn “I saw it cheaper online” into a closed sale
Merchandising strategies that act as a silent salesperson
In short: This training turns landing gear from an afterthought into a profit center, a customer‑satisfaction booster, and a reputation protector for your dealership.How customers indicate they need Landing Gear.
How customers indicate they need Landing Gear
Some customers come in and just say “I need Landing Gear”. But it may be slightly less direct with statements like:
“My back is kills me when I crank up my manual Landing Gear”. Translation: They are starting to realize there are better options for strengthening their arms and backs.
“My Landing Gear is slow.” Translation: They bought a system that is too weak. Or one that has only a single motor and just can’t handle the load.
- “My Landing Gear used to lift the fifth wheel easily, but now it just will not lift it anymore.” Translation: They may have had a good Landing Gear set at one time but it has been overloaded, it has overheated or the wiring just gave out..
“It makes grinding noises.” Translation: Something is dying inside the gearbox.
- “It’s crooked when it lifts.” Translation: Cross shaft systems twist like a pretzel under load.
“It failed at the campsite, and everyone stared at me.” Translation: They’re embarrassed and ready to spend money.
Troubleshooting Fifth‑Wheel Landing Gear (a.k.a. “Why Your Customer’s Landing Gear Is Throwing a Tantrum—and How to Fix It Like a Pro”)
As an RV professional, you already know the truth customers don’t want to hear: Everything electrical and mechanical eventually gives up… even if they “baby it.”
Before you sprint to replace the whole landing gear system (which, let’s be honest, is sometimes the smarter move), here’s a checklist to diagnose and repair the current setup.
Motor Won’t Run
Lack of Lubrication: Dry gear trains = sad motors. Lubricate all moving parts to reduce friction.
Motor Failure: Hit it with the manual override. If it still refuses to work, the motor has officially retired. Replace it.
Gearbox Wear or Stripped Gears: If the motor spins but nothing happens, the gearbox is probably chewing itself alive. Replace it.
Motor Runs but Legs Don’t Move
Excess Trailer Weight: Check that the Landing Gear are not underrated or that they added a bunch of “stuff” that has caused it to be overloaded.
Lack of Lubrication: Same story: dry parts = no movement.
- Unusual Noises (Grinding, Popping, Screaming for Help)
Excess Trailer Weight: Overloaded gear sounds like it’s begging for mercy.
Lack of Lubrication: Metal-on-metal grinding is not a love language.
Internal Leg Gear / Screw Mechanism Failure: If corrosion or wear is severe, the leg needs to be replaced. No amount of WD‑40 will resurrect it.
Fuses Keep Blowing
Excess Trailer Weight: Overload = overcurrent = blown fuses.
Lack of Lubrication: More friction → more strain → more amps → pop.
Electrical Issues: Inspect wiring for shorts, corrosion, or a switch that’s given up on life. Replace as needed.
Legs Move Unevenly
Gearbox Wear or Stripped Gears: If manual cranking feels like arm‑wrestling a bear, the gearbox is toast.
Internal Leg Gear / Screw Failure: Replace the leg.
Cross‑Shaft Problems (Single‑Motor Systems Only): Bent, binding, or worn cross‑shafts = uneven movement. Replace the shaft or affected leg.
Legs Won’t Extend or Retract Fully
Internal Leg Gear / Screw Mechanism Failure
Replace the leg and/or cross‑shaft. It’s not coming back from this.
Trailer Tilts During Lifting
Internal Leg Gear / Screw Failure: Same fix: replace the leg and/or cross‑shaft before the customer’s fifth‑wheel becomes a modern art installation.
Motor Runs Weakly
Electrical Issues: Check wiring, switches, and corrosion. Also confirm the trailer hasn’t gained weight over time (it happens more than customers admit).
No Response From Switch
Electrical Issues: Wiring, corrosion, or a dead switch. Replace as needed.
Legs Move Slowly
Corrosion or Lack of Lubrication. Clean, lubricate, and if the internal corrosion is severe, replace the leg.
Legs Seize Completely
Severe Corrosion: If lubrication doesn’t help, the leg is done. Replace it.
Legs Seize Completely
Severe Corrosion: If lubrication doesn’t help, the leg is done. Replace it.
What to Look for in High‑Quality Replacement Landing Gear
When it is time for a replacement, you’ll need to evaluate replacement landing gear, don’t just look for “the one that fits.” You’re not selling AA batteries – you’re stocking the equipment responsible for holding up a customer’s entire rolling house. High‑quality landing gear should have muscle, brains, and a warranty that doesn’t read like a prank. You want heavy‑gauge steel, motors that don’t wheeze under pressure, smooth synchronized lifting, oversized footpads that don’t sink into soft ground like a lawn chair at a tailgate, and a capacity rating that actually matches the customer’s fifth wheel — not their wishful thinking. If the landing gear looks flimsy, sounds flimsy, or is priced like it was made from recycled soda cans, it is flimsy. And flimsy landing gear always comes back… usually attached to an angry customer.
Here is a chart that will help you advise your customers.
Which Brands and Models Actually Deserve to Be on Your Shelves (a.k.a. The Ones That Won’t Come Back on a Tow Truck)
Let’s be honest: not every Landing Gear brand deserves the honor of your recommendation. Some brands belong in the clearance bin at a flea market next to off‑brand phone chargers and mystery‑meat jerky. You want Landing Gear that makes your service department breathe easier, your customers feel safer, and your dealership look like it actually knows what it’s doing.
The brands and models worth stocking are the ones built with real steel, real motors, real engineering, and real warranties – not the “hope and prayers” variety sold online for the price of a tank of gas. You want to recommend the system that lift smoothly, hold steady, survive campsite chaos, and don’t fold under pressure like a cheap lawn chair at a family reunion.
If a brand can’t deliver consistent performance, solid capacity ratings, reliable motors, and a warranty that doesn’t require a magnifying glass and a lawyer, don’t put your reputation on the line. Your company should showcase Landing Gear that protects your reputation, your margins, and your customers’ Fifth Wheels – not the bargain‑bin disasters that come back with smoke, grinding noises, and angry owners.
Here is a comparison of the main brands for your consideration.
The Right Brand & Model (a.k.a. The Ones That Won’t Make Your Service Department Cry)
Choosing the right brand and model of landing gear isn’t “optional.” It isn’t a coin toss. It isn’t a “whatever’s cheapest on the shelf” situation. Picking the right Landing Gear is pure survival – survival of your reputation, your sanity, and your service department’s blood pressure.
The chart above makes it painfully obvious – Ultra‑Fab is the brand that actually deserves to be in your offering. Not because of hype. Not because of marketing fluff. Because the engineering is real, the performance is real, and the warranty doesn’t evaporate the moment the customer leaves the lot. Here’s why Ultra‑Fab is the undisputed heavyweight champion of fifth‑wheel landing gear:
Dual‑Motor Design (a.k.a. “No More Crooked Campsite Circus Acts”): Ultra‑Fab uses true dual‑motor power, so both legs hit the ground evenly and lift evenly. No twisting. No binding. No “grab a rock or a 2×4 because the left leg is shorter today.” Just smooth, synchronized lifting like the trailer is levitating.
Real 12,000‑lb Capacity (for BOTH Lifting and Stabilizing): Some brands brag about “12,000lbs” … Then you read the fine print and realize it’s only for stabilizing, not lifting. That’s like buying a truck rated to tow 10,000lbs — but only downhill.
Biggest Lift Range: Ultra‑Fab gives you the kind of lift range that makes uneven campsites irrelevant. Hills? Dips? Weird gravel pads? Ultra‑Fab shrugs and says, “Yeah, we’ve got this.”
The Only 6‑Year Warranty (Because They Actually Expect It to Last): Nobody else even comes close. Six. Years. That’s not just a warranty — that’s a statement. One that says “We built this thing to survive your customers.”
Fastest Lift Speed Available: Ultra‑Fab doesn’t just lift heavy – it lifts fast. Your customers will spend less time waiting for their trailer to rise and more time enjoying their campsite instead of staring at slowly moving steel like it’s dial‑up internet.
So, if you want to protect your dealership’s reputation, reduce service callbacks, avoid angry customers returning with “the landing gear you sold me”, increase customer satisfaction and keep your service department from staging a mutiny. Then there’s only one recommendation that makes sense: Recommend Ultra‑Fab. Every. Single. Time.
Sales Scripts That Help You Confidently Recommend the Right Landing Gear (a.k.a. How to Sound Like the Landing‑Gear Genius Your Dealership Needed All Along)
These scripts are built for real RV dealership personnel – the folks who deal with budget shoppers, YouTube “experts,” angry customers, and the occasional fifth‑wheel owner who thinks physics is optional. Use these scripts to recommend Ultra‑Fab Landing Gear with confidence and authority.
Don’t try memorizing them. Just get the basic idea down so you can talk confidently to each customer.
Script #1 — The “Let’s Get Real” Script
Customer: “I just need something that works. What do you recommend?”
Dealer: “Perfect — then you want Ultra‑Fab. It’s the landing gear that actually lifts what it says it lifts, doesn’t twist under load, and won’t leave you stranded at a campsite looking like you’re trying to summon help with interpretive dance. It’s the most reliable option, and it’s the one we trust on the heavy Fifth Wheels.”
Script #2 — The “My Old Landing Gear Failed” Script
Customer: “My landing gear failed and I don’t want that happening again.”
Dealer: “Then Ultra‑Fab is exactly what you want. Dual motors, biggest lift range in the category, and the only 6‑year warranty. It’s built to handle real‑world camping — not just the brochure version. If you want landing gear that won’t quit on you again, this is the one.”
Turn Objections Into Done Deals
Customers always have objections when it’s time to spend money — especially on something as mission‑critical (and wallet‑sensitive) as fifth‑wheel landing gear. It’s human nature. The bigger the purchase, the bigger the hesitation. But don’t sweat it. With the right approach, you can turn those objections into opportunities. Here are some dealer‑tested, customer‑approved ways to bulldoze through the pushback and close the sale with confidence.
Objection #1 — The “I Saw One Cheaper Online” Script
Customer: “I found landing gear online for way less.”
Dealer: “I believe you — there’s a lot of cheap landing gear out there. But here’s the thing: cheap landing gear is like cheap sushi. It looks like a good deal until it ruins your weekend. Ultra‑Fab gives you real lifting power, real durability, and a real 6‑year warranty. The online bargain brands give you… a tracking number.”
Objection #2 — The “I Don’t Need Anything Fancy” Script
Customer: “I don’t need anything fancy. Just basic landing gear.”
Dealer: “Totally get it — but this isn’t fancy. Fancy is a chandelier. Ultra‑Fab is just *built right*. Strong motors, real steel, fast lift speed, and a warranty that doesn’t disappear like a magic trick. It’s not fancy — it’s dependable. And dependable is what keeps your fifth wheel off the ground.”
Objection #3 — The “Fine Print Surprise” Script
Customer: “This other brand says it’s 12,000lbs too.”
Dealer: “Right — but read the fine print. Most of those are 12,000lbs for *stabilizing only*, not lifting. That’s like buying a truck rated to tow 10,000lbs… as long as you never actually tow anything. Ultra‑Fab is 12,000lbs for lifting AND stabilizing. No asterisks. No surprises.”
Objection #4 — The “Warranty Mic Drop” Script
Customer: “Why is Ultra‑Fab more expensive?”
Dealer: “Because Ultra‑Fab is the only Landing Gear with a 6‑year warranty. Nobody else even tries to match that. If a company won’t stand behind their product for more than a year, that tells you everything you need to know.”
Objection #5 — The “Do You Want to Fix It Twice?” Script
Customer: “I’m trying to save money.”
Dealer: “I get it — but the cheapest landing gear is always the most expensive in the long run. You either buy Ultra‑Fab once, or you buy the bargain brand now and Ultra‑Fab later. One purchase or two — totally your call.”
Objection #6 — The “Let’s Avoid the Angry Phone Call” Script
Customer: “I don’t know if I need the best one.”
Dealer: “Maybe not — but you definitely don’t want the worst one. And I don’t want you calling me from a campsite saying your Landing Gear is stuck halfway up. Ultra‑Fab is the one that prevents those calls.
Merchandising Strategies That Act as a Silent Salesperson (a.k.a. How to Sell Landing Gear While You Casually Sip Your Coffee)
Great merchandising doesn’t just display landing gear — it sells landing gear. But here’s the challenge: Landing Gear is huge. You’re not putting it on a shelf next to insect screens and sewer hoses. It’s big, it’s heavy, and it’s not exactly “end‑cap friendly.” That wipes out most of the usual merchandising tricks.
But Ultra‑Fab comes prepared. Because when the product itself is too big to merchandise, you let the marketing do the heavy lifting — and Ultra‑Fab’s marketing hits harder than a dual‑motor lift system.
In this case a poster is your MVP. And Ultra‑Fab delivers a poster that actually works as a silent salesperson — the kind that grabs attention, explains the key features, highlights the benefits, and gets customers walking up to your staff saying, “Hey, tell me about this Landing Gear.”
Final Thoughts
By now, you’ve seen the patterns. You’ve heard the customer complaints. You’ve watched Landing Gear twist, grind, groan, and collapse like a folding chair at a family reunion. And you’ve seen exactly which brands rise to the challenge… and which ones belong in the “online bargain bin of regret.”
Here’s the bottom line: Ultra‑Fab isn’t just the best choice — it’s the only choice that won’t come back to haunt you like a warranty ghost. Ultra‑Fab gives you, dual motors, independent leg operations, the biggest lift range, the fastest lift speed and an amazing Six Year warranty.
And let’s be honest: Your dealership’s reputation is worth more than saving someone fifty bucks on a no‑name landing‑gear set made from recycled soda cans. When you recommend Ultra‑Fab, you’re not just selling Landing Gear. You’re selling fewer angry phone calls, fewer service‑bay nightmares, fewer “my Landing Gear died and the whole campground watched” stories, more satisfied customers, more repeat business, more profit and more peace of mind for your entire team.
Recommend Ultra‑Fab. Every. Single. Time. Because Ultra‑Fab doesn’t just hold up Fifth Wheels… They hold up your reputation.
And that, my friend, is priceless.
10 Review Questions for RV Dealer Personnel
1) Why do customers come in looking for new Fifth-Wheel Landing Gear?
A) Because they want Bluetooth
B) Because their current Landing Gear failed
C) Because they want strobe lights
D) Because they’re bored
2) What is the biggest mistake RV professionals make when recommending replacement Landing Gear?
A) Asking too many questions
B) Treating Landing Gear like a commodity and selling the cheapest option
C) Showing them too many colors
D) Talking about warranties
3) A customer says, “My Landing Gear is slow.” What does that usually indicate?
A) They need new batteries
D) They bought a system that’s too weak or single‑motor
C) They forgot to plug in their trailer
D) They’re impatient
4) What does grinding noise in Landing Gear typically mean?
A) The customer parked on gravel
B) Something is dying inside the gearbox
C) It needs a paint job
D) It’s “normal for this model”
5) Why is Ultra‑Fab’s dual‑motor design superior to cross‑shaft systems?
A) It looks cooler
B) It lifts without twisting like a pretzel
C) It uses less electricity
D) It’s quieter
6) What makes Ultra‑Fab’s 12,000‑lb rating different from many competitors?
A) It’s only for stabilizing
B) It’s only for lifting
C) It applies to BOTH lifting and stabilizing
D) It depends on the weather
7) What is the biggest lift‑range advantage Ultra‑Fab offers?
A) It works only on flat concrete
B) It handles uneven campsites with ease
C) It requires special blocks
D) It lifts slower but higher
8) How long is Ultra‑Fab’s warranty?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 6 years
9) What is the best response when a customer says, “I saw one cheaper online”?
A) “Then buy it online.”
B) “Cheap Landing Gear is like cheap sushi — it ruins your weekend.”
C) “We can’t help you.”
D) “Let me match the price.”
10) Why should RV dealers recommend Ultra‑Fab every single time?
A) It’s the cheapest
B) It has the best colors
C) It protects the dealership’s reputation, reduces callbacks, and keeps customers happy
D) It comes with a free hat
Answer Key
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B — Customers come in because their current Landing Gear failed.
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B — Treating Landing Gear like a commodity and selling the cheapest option.
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B — Weak system or single‑motor design.
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B — Something is dying inside the gearbox.
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B — Dual motors lift evenly without twisting.
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C — Ultra‑Fab’s 12,000‑lb rating applies to BOTH lifting and stabilizing.
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B — Ultra‑Fab handles uneven campsites with ease.
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D — Ultra‑Fab offers a 6‑year warranty.
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B — Cheap Landing Gear is like cheap sushi — it ruins your weekend.
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C — Ultra‑Fab protects your reputation and keeps customers satisfied.