Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > GENERAL DISCUSSIONS > General Discussions about our Montanas
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-15-2020, 02:20 PM   #1
multiwire
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: White Bear Lake
Posts: 4
M.O.C. #25792
Need more top of truck bed clearance

I'm new to this Forum and recently purchased a Montana 3121.

My pull vehicle is a Chevy 3500HD, LTZ, diesel, 4WD, standard box, with 20" LT275/65/R20 Wrangle tires. I only have 4" of clearance from the top of the truck bed to the bottom of the 5th wheel.



My previous truck was a Chevy 2500HD, LTZ, gasser, 4WD with LT265/70R/18E tires and I had 6" of bed clearance!



I hope one of you guys can tell me how to get 6" of bed clearance and still have the Montana tow level.

Thanks
 
multiwire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2020, 03:22 PM   #2
Montana Man
Montana Master
 
Montana Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Carson City
Posts: 2,017
M.O.C. #21963
It may depend on the hitch. Some adjust up and down. The pin box may have some adjustment as well. As far as being level after that, good luck. I had to add a 1 1/2" lift block to get level.
__________________
2016 3160, Legacy, Sailuns, Splendide 2100 xc vented, 1 1/2" axle lift blocks, disk brakes. 2014 Ram 3500 SRW SWB 4X4 6.7 Aisin Mega Cab, EBC slotted disks and brakes, Titan fuel tank.
Montana Man is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2020, 04:57 PM   #3
multiwire
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: White Bear Lake
Posts: 4
M.O.C. #25792
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I can raise the hitch, a Curt, or lower the pin box to get the clearance but that will put me more out of level.

Your lift block fix sounds like what I will have to do. Can you tell me how you did the lift? Will the lift void my warranty? How does the trailer tow after the lift?
multiwire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2020, 08:55 PM   #4
twindman
Montana Master
 
twindman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Mesa az
Posts: 2,926
M.O.C. #5651
Just try towing a while with it 2 inches high up front. I have towed this way since 2012 on 2 Montanas and have no problems.
__________________

Tom and Gail
2013 Mountaineer 362
2012 Silverado 2500
twindman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2020, 09:07 PM   #5
Montana Man
Montana Master
 
Montana Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Carson City
Posts: 2,017
M.O.C. #21963
I used 1 1/2" blocks between the springs and axles. It is often thought of as not a good method for lifting but not exceeding this amount is advised. 1 1/2" at the axle raised the rear 2 1/4" and leveled mine perfectly. Handling remained the same and the risk of dragging lessened. Another method is to cut off the spring hangars, weld in tubing under the frame, then reinstall the suspension. This done correctly is very effective. Taller tires can also gain a little height.

I think any modifications are an excuse for voiding warranties, rightfully so or not.
__________________
2016 3160, Legacy, Sailuns, Splendide 2100 xc vented, 1 1/2" axle lift blocks, disk brakes. 2014 Ram 3500 SRW SWB 4X4 6.7 Aisin Mega Cab, EBC slotted disks and brakes, Titan fuel tank.
Montana Man is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-15-2020, 09:36 PM   #6
rohrmann
Montana Master
 
rohrmann's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,677
M.O.C. #12947
We were dragging so bad that we ended up breaking one of the gear pack assembly gears due to racking the rig getting into the FIL's property last year. After replacing the gear pack, I found trailerblocks.com. I ordered the 2" lift kits with new 9/16" u-bolts and tie plates. The rig now rides level, and surprisingly, much more stable as the loads on the axles are now balanced. Don't let the prices scare you, as this is a Canadian machine shop and those prices are Canadian dollars. https://www.trailerblocks.com/collec...ing-tie-plates
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	trailer blocks.jpg
Views:	86
Size:	109.4 KB
ID:	6829  
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
rohrmann is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2020, 06:42 PM   #7
multiwire
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: White Bear Lake
Posts: 4
M.O.C. #25792
Just returned from a few days up north in Minnesota.



Some great information guys, thank you.


Just FYI, in 2015 I had a 5th wheel Surveyor with just over 5 inches of bed clearance and while backing into a rough site the trailer swung down and did almost $2000 damage to my 2500HD truck bed. I am really sensitive to bed clearance now!



Tomorrow I will start checking out the information and let you know what I decide on. Thank you.
multiwire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2020, 06:06 AM   #8
Baldicon
Montana Master
 
Baldicon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 660
M.O.C. #20906
How far off level is too much? I know this may be a loaded question. But, I think it is more important to get the truck bed clearance than getting the trailer level, but may be wrong. I switched to a Trailair pin box and had to raise my hitch and am now a little nose high. I almost made contact pulling into our local campground the first time I went there.
__________________
2019 Montana 3121RL
2017 XLT 350 SCLB DRW 4X4
Baldicon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2020, 06:09 AM   #9
Baldicon
Montana Master
 
Baldicon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 660
M.O.C. #20906
Quote:
Originally Posted by rohrmann View Post
We were dragging so bad that we ended up breaking one of the gear pack assembly gears due to racking the rig getting into the FIL's property last year. After replacing the gear pack, I found trailerblocks.com. I ordered the 2" lift kits with new 9/16" u-bolts and tie plates. The rig now rides level, and surprisingly, much more stable as the loads on the axles are now balanced. Don't let the prices scare you, as this is a Canadian machine shop and those prices are Canadian dollars. https://www.trailerblocks.com/collec...ing-tie-plates
Bob and Becky, how did you determine what size blocks you needed? I guess you could raise the rear of the trailer while hooked to the truck until it is level and measure the difference from ground to frame at the axle locations.
__________________
2019 Montana 3121RL
2017 XLT 350 SCLB DRW 4X4
Baldicon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2020, 09:20 AM   #10
beeje
Montana Master
 
beeje's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,318
M.O.C. #17894
The only real permanent fix is to get your rig to Mor Ryde and have the horse and buggy suspension removed and replaced with there IS suspension. Your unit will leave there as level as possible and ride better than any trailer on the road that does not have it. Our was just done 6/17-18.

After the install I set a empty plastic cup on the kitchen counter and drove 750 miles and the cup hardly moved. Its not cheap, but well worth the $$.

Your spring/shackle/wet bolt/ height issues will be gone for good.
__________________
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
beeje is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2020, 12:41 PM   #11
Texan
Montana Master
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: new caney
Posts: 1,050
M.O.C. #19873
You can do damage to the truck bed without proper clearance and damage to the rear of rv without proper clearance in the rear. This sounds like a catch 22 problem. I would address the bed clearance first. Once that's fixed then either the blocks as Bob suggested or The I.S. as beeje suggested even though this is thousands of dollars more. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to level the rv then raise the front for more bed clearance as this would put you back unlevel. 6'' seams to be the minimum most people want for bed clearance. Be sure to measure the height of your rv from the front a/c to the ground after raising the front. The maximum height in most states is 13.6''. The raising of the rear will not have any effect on your height as the front a/c is your highest point. When raising the rear you are just pivoting the rear upward to level out the rv Good Luck.
Texan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2020, 06:32 PM   #12
Vet4jdc
Montana Fan
 
Vet4jdc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 281
M.O.C. #23051
Before you spend money on all sorts of lifts and blocks, I would recommend just raising the hitch plate to the next level up. If you gain 1 1/2 to 2" in the bed of your truck, your clearance issue will be solved. After that, hook up to your fiver and get on a truly level site. See if you are comfortable with it a little nose high. A 2" raise in the front will not make a huge difference over your 35 foot length. We have towed slightly nose high for seven years with no issues.
Others may say that's the wrong approach but if you are level now, it's worth a shot to try this first.
__________________
2019 Montana High Country 331RL
2017 Ford F250 Super Duty, 6.7 PSD
Vet4jdc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 01:28 PM   #13
Camp CA
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Bencia
Posts: 537
M.O.C. #25828
Would replacing tires with 18 inch tires work?
Camp CA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 01:33 PM   #14
Dave10
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: EAST HAMPTON
Posts: 59
M.O.C. #23030
The new trucks are lifted to look more macho. One can change out the factory lift blocks to decrease the lift at 1inch increments.
Dave10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 02:15 PM   #15
Carl n Susan
Site Team
 
Carl n Susan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Carmichael - CA
Posts: 7,324
M.O.C. #4831
Quote:
Originally Posted by Camp CA View Post
Would replacing tires with 18 inch tires work?
The diameter of an 18" tire is basically the same as the 20" tire. If it wasn't, the speedometer would have to be different for each tire size. That is too much work for the manufacturer.
__________________
Carl (n Susan)
There is more to life than fuel mileage.
2012 Montana 3700RL Big Sky Package towed by a 2015 Ford F350 6.7L PSD 4WD CC LWB

Carl n Susan is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 05:56 PM   #16
fulltilt
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: duncan
Posts: 65
M.O.C. #16056
Hi Multi Wire
Below is a quote to me from Morryde for the IS suspension mentioned by one of the members. I was considering it for our 5'er
7K IS with 8K disc brakes $6,899.00
8K suspension with my drum brakes is $4,349.00. 8K IS with 8K disc brakes is $7,299
Now, my trailer is 3" low at the back with my hitch in box of 17" off truck bed. I have my pin box as high as I can go. I now have 6" clearance between my box rails & underside of 5'er. I am having our local frame shop build a 2" subframe, cutting off the existing trailer suspension, adding 1" block between the axles & subframe, giving me the 3" needed to level the trailer. I should end up level. If you tow high at front, then for piece of mind, you should run rig down to the scales, weigh the front axle of the trailer, then move forward & weigh the rear axle. Then compare the two weights, sometimes, when you aren't towing level the weight bias on each axle can be quite shocking, by doing this you will have piece of mind that you aren't pushing the limits on one axle/tire set. All this trouble started for me when I went from 2012 GMC HD to a brand new Ram HD, my RAM has factory air bags & does not squat with the 5'er hooked up. S**t happens, I will beat it, then the fun can resume again ! Good luck !
fulltilt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2020, 05:57 PM   #17
Howard and Kathy
Established Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Reno
Posts: 10
M.O.C. #23077
i have a 2019 1 ton GMC and the Anderson ultimate hitch that works perfect
Howard and Kathy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2020, 08:30 AM   #18
Denny and Angie Miller
Montana Fan
 
Denny and Angie Miller's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Mid Missouri
Posts: 156
M.O.C. #19889
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl n Susan View Post
The diameter of an 18" tire is basically the same as the 20" tire. If it wasn't, the speedometer would have to be different for each tire size. That is too much work for the manufacturer.
Speedo is calibrated to tire size...simple programming fix, but programmers aren't always cheap.

I have this same bed clearance problem...trying to balance bed clearance with keeping trailer level while pulling. wasnt a problem until we bought a new truck.
Hadn't thought of adding lift blocks, ill have to consider that one. Additionally, don't forget to remeasure your new trailer height if you add blocks or lift the trailer suspension...there are some low bridges out there!
__________________
2017 Montana High Country 353RL
2017 Silverado 3500HD DRW CC LB 6.6L Duramax
B&W Companion
Denny and Angie Miller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2020, 08:18 PM   #19
multiwire
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: White Bear Lake
Posts: 4
M.O.C. #25792
I got my truck and new Curt Q20 back from the install. The Chevy 3500HD diesel sits 2 inches higher than my old 2500HD and was causing me sleepless nights because I want my Montana to tow level. I went to the storage lot, hooked up and I have 7 inches of bed rail clearance and the trailer is level! Not sure how this can happen since the same trailer on my 2500 also was level!! Anyway I am happy the way things turned out. Thanks for all the input, I do appreciate it.
multiwire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2020, 05:31 AM   #20
RMcNeal
Montana Master
 
RMcNeal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,117
M.O.C. #25165
Carl is right on tire size. My truck has the 20" tires and an 18" spare. The sidewall of the spare is taller making the outside diameter of both tires basically the same. That way all Ford Super Duty trucks have the same spare regardless of the trim package.
__________________
Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
RMcNeal is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.