pinbox

[Redrover98]

Just upgraded to a 2007 3475RL and I am a bit upset with the pinbox size. The distance from the kingpin to the mounting bracket on the coach is about 7-8 inches shorter than the one on my 2004 Montana. If the truck is not straight when hooked up I can't drop the tailgate or open the generator door fully.Keystone said that's the way unit is designed and I need to swap trucks.Yea right! They did say I could buy a longer pinbox for $350+shipping. Is this just a problem with my unit and truck or does anyone have the same situation? Oh, I asked the dealer to swap the pinbox with the one on my 2004 but was told the weight rating was 15k and the '07 one was 19k. Any info to remedy this would definitely be appreciated.
Dee

[DHenry]

That is one of the things I have noticed on all the new models, you have no room behind the tailgate. This is also one of the reasons I have decided to hang on to my '04 for awhile longer.

[mallardjusted]

So it sounds like the $350 pinbox might be your only logical option. Seems like this would be good info for anyone buying a new unit - to check what kind of pinbox to order with the unit???

[richfaa]

Yes it is a little tight back there with the new front cap design..We have one.New truck won't help..It may even be the same with other manufacturers that have a similar front cap design.

[TheRanch]

Dee, Mine is the same way but I got a different explanation from the dealer. I was told that the new front cap allowed the pin box to be shorter thus an improved ride and towability. I intened to replace my pin box with the Moryde pin box, it is a few inches longer cant find the info right now but check it out.

[stiles watson]

That's the trouble with engineering. You fix one problem and your "fix" creates another somewhere else. I don't know what they were trying to fix, but I am sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.

[firetrucker]

The shorter pin box puts less stress on the front frame of the 5er, so this may be a fix for the frame flex problems that have been occuring. Lengthening the pin box would defeat that. A definitive statement from Keystone (!) or Lippert would go a long way to answering your question.

Would a slider hitch be of any help?

Bob

[Redrover98]

Thanks to all for the quick responses. I'm sure the new 'design" has a great deal to do with $$$,especially if Keystone would fix it for $350.I may go with a 5th Airbone pinbox,around $800 or get the longer $350 box and add Firestone airlift bags to help the bottoming out when I go over bad dips. Are the Firestones worth the money and effort?
Dee

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by Redrover98

Thanks to all for the quick responses. I'm sure the new 'design" has a great deal to do with $$$,especially if Keystone would fix it for $350.I may go with a 5th Airbone pinbox,around $800 or get the longer $350 box and add Firestone airlift bags to help the bottoming out when I go over bad dips. Are the Firestones worth the money and effort?
Dee

In our case they were. Keeps the truck level.
Orv

[Devildog]

I have the new cap design, and my GMC tailgate opens just fine when hooking up and unhooking. Extended pinbox was included with mine, may have been an option, but my dealer had it on there. The new mirror on the front of the new cap doesn't help with hookup because I have the (I guess)extended pin, but I don't have any problem with the tailgate.

I bet the 5ver tailgates you can put on your trucks may be cheaper than the extended pinbox.

[CRUZIN 2]

Redrover98

The new front cap has nothing to do with the clearance on the tailgate. With the new cap they can use the shorter pinbox, but gives you less room between the tailgate. I don't know if you put an extended pinbox on, or if it's an option if it would void the warranty or not.

Larry

[mallardjusted]

from the original post, "Keystone said that's the way unit is designed ... they did say I could buy a longer pinbox for $350+shipping". So it seems it wouldn't impact the warranty. In fact, you wouldn't think that the longer pin box would impact "flex", or they wouldn't give that as a solution. As Stiles suggested above, I suspect the shorter pinbox is an unexpected result of an engineering change, or a cost-cutting change!

[rickfox]

The shorter pin boxes were made "standard" in 2006 on all trailers that were 34' and longer. Previously (at least for several year prior) they all had the longer pin boxes.

Lippert still makes the longer pinbox (5.25" longer). Some of the other pinbox manufacturers such as Morryde and Glideride also make both sizes.

Since I was told by Keystone that the longer Morryde and Glideride pinboxes could be installed without any warranty issues, I did just that.

Time will tell if problems crop up.