How Tall

[McIver]

What is the most efficient way of measuring. How tall my Monty is?

[DQDick]

Usually the front AC is the tallest part. Use a large level with a line on the end. Hold the level straight from the tallest part and have someone mark the line where it hits the ground. It's best to do this when hooked up, particularly if you tow a little high in the front.

[rollingdownthehighway]

My rule of thumb, is that my Monty is 13'6. Legally they can't be taller then 13'6, so I always use 13'6 for the height when it's unhooked and hooked up

[Creeker]

I would bet the farm ours is taller than 13' 6" when hooked up to our truck.
Our camper shed measures 14' 2" to the ground. You can't put your fist
between it and the top of the camper A/C when backing in.

[BB_TX]

Hooked up to the truck since that is your towing height. 2"x4" long enough to reach from the top of the AC shroud out past the edge of the side of the trailer. Lay a level on top of the 2x4 and hold board level. Either a string attached to the end of the board, have someone on the ground mark the string. Or attach the end of a tape measure to the board and have someone read the tape

[jeffba]

In my covered storage hooked up to truck measure from storage roof to ground then storage roof to top of AC then do the math thing

[CarWin]

Originally Posted by Creeker

I would bet the farm ours is taller than 13' 6" when hooked up to our truck.
Our camper shed measures 14' 2" to the ground. You can't put your fist
between it and the top of the camper A/C when backing in.

I would be making hitch or ride height adjustments in some form or fashion! Measure it on a flat level surface to get a more true and accurate reading.

[Creeker]

Originally Posted by CarWin

I would be making hitch or ride height adjustments in some form or fashion! Measure it on a flat level surface to get a more true and accurate reading.

No way I can lower the hitch or raise the pin any. I only have around 6 inches clearance between 5er and bed rails now. Take a spring out of the truck but then I would be over the cargo capacity.

The height of this thing is my number one complaint. It's absolutely unnecessary to be this tall and a constant worry when towing. It hit every limb and low hanging line on our road when we brought it home. The same road I had been pulling our other 5ers on for 15 years without issue.
Simply too tall.

My bro in law and I have spent 12 hours with a pole saw and 10' step ladder strapped down on a flat trailer clearing low hanging limbs from our road. I have calls into the cable and telephone companies. Total PITA!

[CarWin]

IF you in fact are over the Federal Legal Height of 13`6"...you can be held responsible for any damages that may be caused by your towing of said unit, IF they wanted to push the issue.

30plus year truck driver and still going.....I know of 2 friends thats had this issue here in Ohio. Phone and cable company both charged them for the repairs to the damage their over height unit caused. Was also in 2 separate parts of the state. Damage caused by over height 5th wheel campers.

[mlh]

Yep it’s kinda hard to have a 5er that you can stand up in the bedroom over the bed of a HP pickup and not be way up in the air.
Lynwood

[Creeker]

By law any low voltage line is to be 15' above public road or alley.
Both cable and telephone companies have actually told me I could
file damage report against them for lines less than 15'. Their own guys
measured them at 12' 4" and 12' 2".

Bad part is one of them runs parallel with/over the road about 150'. Its a single lane country road and no way to avoid those lines. Its been a real hassle.

[Texan]

Can't really blame Keystone as just about all your large 5th wheels are close to the same height. I like not lowering my head when in the bedroom. I measured my height and am at 13'5'' Since I know my height I watch all overpasses not on the interstate carefully as I don't want to donate an a/c. If anyone is over 13'6'' then your correction needs to be on the truck as there is nothing you can do about the rv unless you want to go around with 40# of air in your tires.

[scottz]

Originally Posted by Creeker

I would bet the farm ours is taller than 13' 6" when hooked up to our truck.
Our camper shed measures 14' 2" to the ground. You can't put your fist
between it and the top of the camper A/C when backing in.

This does not sound right. If it was me I would get hooked up on a level spot and do a careful measurement. I wouldn't be able to sleep if my unit was 14'.

You and I have the same truck and mine has airbags. When hooked up, the highest part on my 3160RL is the front AC and it is 13'2". According to Keystone my 3160RL is 13'5"; the 310RE is 13'4".

[Creeker]

Funny you would say that Scott. It has kept me up at night.
I'm not 14' but I'm not 13'4" either. I've measured the camper shed several times.
Its lowest point is exactly 14'2". The camper A/C is no more than 6" below it.
Our Wildcat is easily 20"+ below the same spot. It also has a full bedroom slide with plenty of standing room in the bedroom.

I will hook up and measure on perfectly level ground but I'm almost afraid of the results.

How much bed rail clearance do you have? I think your pin weight is heavier as well but you said you have bags. So????

[scottz]

Originally Posted by Creeker

Funny you would say that Scott. It has kept me up at night.
I'm not 14' but I'm not 13'4" either. I've measured the camper shed several times.
Its lowest point is exactly 14'2". The camper A/C is no more than 6" below it.
Our Wildcat is easily 20"+ below the same spot. It also has a full bedroom slide with plenty of standing room in the bedroom.

I will hook up and measure on perfectly level ground but I'm almost afraid of the results.

How much bed rail clearance do you have? I think your pin weight is heavier as well but you said you have bags. So????

I didn't measure the bed rail clearance, but it is about 6". I also had a Wildcat; it was not nearly as tall as the Montana. I have my pin box at the lowest possible position and it still tows slightly nose high. At the pressure I run them (30psi), the air bags only raise it about 1/2"; I don't use them to change the ride height; only to dampen out the bucking on our wonderful interstates.

[Larry L]

If you stay in the western states the legal height is 14 ft as per the heavy haul height limits map. Hope that helps

[fernsco]

We just upgraded from a F250 to a F350 so we don't have the hitch installed in the bed yet but I have the concern that my 3121RL will be riding high. I can raise the pin box one setting to help lower it some but the sides of the 350 do seem higher than our old 250. Should have thought about all this before buying. Didn't think it would be an issue until I started reading this thread. What is a good distance from the top of the bedrail to the bottom of the 5th wheel when hooked up?

[Creeker]

Originally Posted by fernsco

We just upgraded from a F250 to a F350 so we don't have the hitch installed in the bed yet but I have the concern that my 3121RL will be riding high. I can raise the pin box one setting to help lower it some but the sides of the 350 do seem higher than our old 250. Should have thought about all this before buying. Didn't think it would be an issue until I started reading this thread. What is a good distance from the top of the bedrail to the bottom of the 5th wheel when hooked up?

6" is the minimum I will go. I've been pulling 5ers for 15 years and have actually hit the tailgate with the overhang of the 5er at 6". It was pulling into a gas station with an incline and right hand turn. The truck leveled out on top of the small incline but the 5er wheels were still well down the incline. It made contact and put deep gouges into the tailgate cover and broke the trim on the bottom of the 5er. Damage was minimal but still made me much more aware of short inclines especially with a turn at top.

[twindman]

I went from a 2004 to 2012 Silverado. The bed was about 2 inches higher and the side rails another 1 1/2 inches. So to clear the rails, I had to keep the hitch high, which resulted in about 3 inches higher front end. I ride about 2-3 inches high in the front but don't notice anything with the handling. I am about 13' and 4 or 5 inches tall per the Rally in goshen.

[ejkoz]

Using a 4 foot level I was able to measure from the high point on the front AC to the rain gutter (23.25"). That measurement will never change. Now I can measure easily from that point on the gutter down, add 23.25 and have an accurate height measurement.