Pin - Montana Owners Club

Cat320 · 07-08-2006, 10:08 AM

In another thread, a poster mentioned Montanas coming with 'extended' pins. Are they all the same/all come with an extended pin? With a lb truck, I neither want or need an extended pin...it will just make a long rig longer. If I have an option, I want the standard/regular pin, not a long one.

indy roadrunner · 07-08-2006, 10:55 AM

Cat - I just went out and did a double take on my 3400. I have the TrailAir King Pin Box and the Pin itself seems to be about 12 inches back of the nose piece. (That is eyeball measurement - plus or minus a couple of inches) I have the new type of nose piece on my Monty. I believe the standard one of took off to put the TrailAir on is the same measurement.

8.1al · 07-08-2006, 11:07 AM

Sounds like Indy has a standard pin as the extended one on mine is about even with the front of my front cap. I believe it was posted elsewheres on this forum that the longer Montana's are now coming with the standard pin box.

CRUZIN 2 · 07-08-2006, 11:20 AM

Cat320

I think the difference is about 3 inches for each increment of extension, I will wait to be corrected on that number. I don't think three inches will make much difference.

Larry & LaVonne

Montana_1240 · 07-08-2006, 11:59 AM

Speaking of pins, I always wondered if the length of the pin on a specific model helps adjust the pin weight.

Our 2004 3380 had a pin that was further out toward the front. More so than the pin on this 2005 3475.

I'm still bad, though. I have yet to compute pin weights. And all I ever did with the 2004 was to know it was almost 3,000 pounds over the GCVWR of the 2002 F-350 we had at that time.

But I wondered, anyway.

The way I figure it, with the new nose on the Monties, they shouldn’t have to extend the pin, unless there’s some pin weight reason due to altering the resulting “leverage.” (???)

Steve

Wrenchtraveller · 07-08-2006, 12:33 PM

My 06 2955Rl has the old front cap and the furthest part of that cap is about 8" in front of my pin centre so I am pretty sure I have a regular pin which is fine as I have an 8 foot standard box. My last fivers had pins that were forward of the cap and the only reason you need one of those is if you have a short box.

I know on Cardinals, you have to order an extended pin box or else you get the regular pin box.

I am not sure how Montanas do it now with the new cap.

Cat320 · 07-08-2006, 02:03 PM

I'm going to check with the dealer on Monday...I'll keep you posted.

pud2 · 07-08-2006, 04:54 PM

When i was ordering our rv i ordered the extended pin box. When it came in it was not it was the med. one. I ask my dealer and he called keystone to find out why and they told him they would no longer put ex. pins on the larger rv's because of some of the issues with the early models and the frame was flexing in front and cracking. I know you have heard of this on this forum. Anyway i had to go with a slider for my hicth.

sreigle · 07-09-2006, 09:26 AM

Last time I saw it mentioned in a Montana brochure it said the extended pin is 9 inches. I am not positive but I think the newest models have less of an extension, partly because of the new nosecap design and partly (I suspect) because of the leverage effect and the number of overhang frame problems that probably resulted from that leverage. (just a guess on that though). In any case, the extended pin is only slightly in front of the nose, if even that.

richfaa · 07-09-2006, 10:29 AM

Our Mor-Ryde pin box with the new front cap..is waaay out there

Cat320 · 07-10-2006, 08:48 AM

The dealer said Montanas come with only one pin set up...no options. However, I did email Keystone, and got the following reply:

"Thanks for contacting Keystone RV. Keystone doesn't have an option for a different pinbox to be put on the coach. The pinbox that is used is what is standard.

If you have any further questions please let us know."

These guys are very responsive. I've called twice, both calls were returned the same day, and sent this email last night, and had the answer this morning.

If anybody is interested, the toll free # 886-273-1451, ask for a service advisor.

OntMont · 07-10-2006, 09:02 AM

There are pros and cons to extended pin boxes. One pro is that you get more space behind the truck to work in while hooking up or unhooking. The cons mentioned are valid too.

sreigle · 07-13-2006, 04:11 PM

Cat320, it used to be that models less than a certain length got extended pins and those longer did not. Each was standard to its model, with no options to change it. I wonder if that's still the case that some get extended and some do not.

Cat320 · 07-14-2006, 02:53 PM

See my post from 7/10...it's spelled out there.

rickfox · 07-15-2006, 07:49 AM

Good Morning All,

Over the past 6 months I have looked into this pin box length rather extensively.

The long and the short of it is that beginning early in the 2006 model year, Montana rigs came with 2 pin box lengths. Rigs shorter than 34' came with the longer (extended) pin box. Rigs longer than 34' came with a 5.25" shorter pin box. The 3400RL comes with this shorter pin box. You can not order the longer or the shorter box. That was the story for 2006. Perhaps someone can comment on the story for 2007.

As I understand it, all the 2005 models came with the longer pin box, and this was what I expected when I received my 06 3400RL this past Nov. Unfortunately, mine had the shorter pin box, which places the front of the trailer 5" closer to the cab of my short bed truck!

I believe they, in part, redesigned the front endcap to compensate for the clearance that was lost when they went to the shorter pin box.

Why all of this happened is somewhat unclear to me. I have talked with the frame manufacurer and with Keystone about it. Interestingly, it is the shorter rigs that have the highest pin weights (which also have the extended pin boxes) and would thus place the most stress on the front portion of the frame. And interestingly, the frame manufacturer told me they were not aware of any frame issues that were related to the longer pin boxes. Another interesting point is that this frame manufacturer supplies the pin boxes as part of the frame when delivered to Keystone. For what its worth, I believe the shorter pin boxes were used on the longer trailers to "reduce the towing length" of the trailer and had nothing to do with frame stressing!

The bottome line on all this is that I installed the 5.25" longer Glide Ride pin box, with the OK from the frame manufacturer, onto my 06 3400RL. I now have the clearance I was expecting, and a smoother ride. Time will tell if I develop problems - I hope not!

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