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Old 11-27-2020, 08:55 PM   #1
BobnLee
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Pin box destroying my Tonneau cover rails

Hi folks bought a new GMC 1 Ton. Saw with a gasser 6.6 400cid engine. Has a 3/4 ton 6.7 diesel but couldn't afford maintenance seems like every time at dealer it was 1000.oo. my question is my 2014 Montana is chewing up my tonneau cover rails. Finally figured it out that it was the pin box on sharp turns. My hitch is a 15k Husky and is as high as it can go. Before I get into trouble will raising or lowering the pin box help. I'm having a brain fog here. Thanks folks:
 
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Old 11-27-2020, 09:35 PM   #2
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Hi folks bought a new GMC 1 Ton. Saw with a gasser 6.6 400cid engine. Has a 3/4 ton 6.7 diesel but couldn't afford maintenance seems like every time at dealer it was 1000.oo. my question is my 2014 Montana is chewing up my tonneau cover rails. Finally figured it out that it was the pin box on sharp turns. My hitch is a 15k Husky and is as high as it can go. Before I get into trouble will raising or lowering the pin box help. I'm having a brain fog here. Thanks folks:
If you adjust the pin box on the Montana lower, then it will raise the front of the trailer when connected to the hitch.
That is likely what you need to do, as it should increase the clearance between the trailer and truck rails.
Does that help? Or is there more you think is needed?

Brad
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Old 11-27-2020, 11:50 PM   #3
Lenny K
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Many of us have cut a little bit of the pinbox off on an angle to stop getting that type of damage.
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Old 11-28-2020, 06:57 AM   #4
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Many of us have cut a little bit of the pinbox off on an angle to stop getting that type of damage.
This /\
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Old 11-28-2020, 07:06 AM   #5
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That is a problem with GMs. BIL put a big gash into the side of his box first time out. The inside measurement on GM side rails is less than King Pin to rear of king pin box. I've had to reshape the rails for my Roll-n-Lock cover a few times. If every thing is perfectly level it will just clear, but I don't think I've ever back into a site where every thing was perfectly level.
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Old 11-28-2020, 08:49 AM   #6
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I have damaged my cover rails several times even after cutting the angle off of the pin box. I even cut small sections off of the cover rails and that seemed to help with the problem.
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Old 11-28-2020, 09:50 AM   #7
BobnLee
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Thanks guys so much for the info didn't have that problem with the Ford and old trailer think I will do all of the mentioned ideas. Thought I was losing my mind for a while
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Old 11-28-2020, 09:03 PM   #8
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I don't have a bed cover, but when making a tight turn, we were hitting the bed rails. I cut the back end of the plates that the pin box bolts to and that solved the problem.
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Old 11-29-2020, 07:24 AM   #9
Slow Hand
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Why not raise the hitch and adjust the pin box up to compensate. If the pin box was destroying my truck it wouldn't last to long on my RV.
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Old 11-29-2020, 10:05 AM   #10
BobnLee
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My hitch is as high as I can raise it now have to figure out options
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Old 11-29-2020, 11:55 AM   #11
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My hitch is as high as I can raise it now have to figure out options
How much clearance do you have on between the 5th and the bed rails of the truck, when hitched on level ground?

Brad
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Old 12-01-2020, 05:19 AM   #12
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Why not raise the hitch and adjust the pin box up to compensate. If the pin box was destroying my truck it wouldn't last to long on my RV.
That may work, but only if he was towing nose down. If he is towing level, raising it up could cause a new set of issues.

I have not had that issue with my 18 chevy dually. However the back of my pin box/mount is already cut off at an angle. Was it that way from the get go or did someone cut it off ?, I have no idea.
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Old 12-02-2020, 02:48 PM   #13
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I think part of the problem is that the RV makers are not taking into account that the truck makers keep raising the height of the trucks thus the rail to rig distance decreases. I had almost 10 inches of clearance on my 06 DuraMax with a short bed. I now have a 15 DuraMax with a long bed and the clearance is less than the height of my fist,(maybe 3.5 to 4 inches. The rigs need to be built about 4 to 6 inches higher. The folks that go for the IS systems usually go for a 4 to 6 inch I-beam spacer between the new system and frame which brings the entire rig up so that on a lever space the rig has at least 8 to 10 inches clearance.. This would also decrease the pin box dings to rails.
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Old 12-02-2020, 05:26 PM   #14
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Had similar incident with our 2012, it wasn’t actually the pin box but electrical junction box that was getting into the rails. Remounted box, eliminated problem.
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Old 12-02-2020, 05:47 PM   #15
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The problem with raising the coach is that so many of them are already at 13.4 or 13.5. Doesn't leave a lot of room between the roof and trees, especially here in Kansas where our town has a 12ft minimum height on trees over the road . Some bridges are 13.4 or less as well.
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Old 12-03-2020, 04:47 AM   #16
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I think part of the problem is that the RV makers are not taking into account that the truck makers keep raising the height of the trucks thus the rail to rig distance decreases. I had almost 10 inches of clearance on my 06 DuraMax with a short bed. I now have a 15 DuraMax with a long bed and the clearance is less than the height of my fist,(maybe 3.5 to 4 inches. The rigs need to be built about 4 to 6 inches higher. The folks that go for the IS systems usually go for a 4 to 6 inch I-beam spacer between the new system and frame which brings the entire rig up so that on a lever space the rig has at least 8 to 10 inches clearance.. This would also decrease the pin box dings to rails.
When we had the IS installed in June, a 2x3 tube was welded to the frame with a 2x2 welded to that. After a few issues were resolved and having to install heavier shear springs, the height of the camper went up around 5 inches from its stock height. That is not an issue with Montys of that error. They were only around 12 foot 10 or so to start with.
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Old 12-03-2020, 05:27 AM   #17
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ght. That is not an issue with Montys of that era. They were only around 12 foot 10 or so to start with.

True - unless you have added a 2nd a/c in the front. Our HC went from 12'11" to 13'5" at level over that a/c.
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Old 12-04-2020, 03:00 PM   #18
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True - unless you have added a 2nd a/c in the front. Our HC went from 12'11" to 13'5" at level over that a/c.
Our unit has 2 a/c s.
Even with it being raised up 5" it still clears the pole building header which is 12 foot 10" from the floor.
I did however have to remove the fantastic fan cover which is in the center of the trailer to clear the header.
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Old 12-04-2020, 03:14 PM   #19
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Our unit has 2 a/c s.
Even with it being raised up 5" it still clears the pole building header which is 12 foot 10" from the floor.
I did however have to remove the fantastic fan cover which is in the center of the trailer to clear the header.

So far in my neighborhood alone lost a TV antenna and vent coveron the last 5er which was at 13'6" and on this one a vent cover and came close to pulling the a/c loose last month. My complaints to the cable company and National Grid have gone unanswered but someday a semi or garbage truck will take care of the problem of wires way below the code 16'6" or for that matter 13'6"
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Old 12-04-2020, 04:31 PM   #20
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Yea, I hear ya. Years ago when I bought my property there was a telephone box around a corner in the way of getting any trailer to my house. I tried and tried to get them to move it to no avail. I finally stated to them that if you don't move it, I am going to run it over every day. It was promptly moved. LOL
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