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03-17-2020, 01:20 PM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Omaha
Posts: 143
M.O.C. #21598
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Clearance
I need about another inch to two inches of clearance between my bed rails and the camper. Which is best? Raise the hitch or lower the pin box? Or, a little of both. Looks like I can get an inch out of the pin box and I believe I have 1or 2 inches I can get from the hitch.
__________________
2017 HC 345RL
2015 F-250
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03-17-2020, 01:47 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Grand Rapids
Posts: 1,896
M.O.C. #9561
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Really, in my opinion, it doesn't matter which one you move.
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03-17-2020, 02:30 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,167
M.O.C. #6433
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Shouldn’t matter although I think the hitch is easier. Only problem with raising hitch would be if you have a tonneau cover it might hit the cover if raised too much.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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03-17-2020, 03:03 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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With our old rig I did a little of both.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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03-17-2020, 04:01 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,550
M.O.C. #2283
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The one you should move is the easiest. It couldn’t matter less.
Lynwood
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03-17-2020, 04:08 PM
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#6
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Omaha
Posts: 143
M.O.C. #21598
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Thanks for the help. Didn’t think it would matter but, I wanted to make sure.
__________________
2017 HC 345RL
2015 F-250
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03-17-2020, 04:23 PM
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#7
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Hilliards
Posts: 237
M.O.C. #25636
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I was always under the impression that you want your camper to be towed as close to level as possible. With every inch, front to back, out of level, it puts an additional 400 lbs of load on the loaded wheels. The way the tires are made now, I would consider that.
With that, maybe there is enough to make the adjustment on both if needed???
__________________
2020 MHC 330RL
2021 F350 DRW 6.7 Powerstroke
Retired and Rollin'!
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03-17-2020, 04:34 PM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Omaha
Posts: 143
M.O.C. #21598
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Myers
I was always under the impression that you want your camper to be towed as close to level as possible. With every inch, front to back, out of level, it puts an additional 400 lbs of load on the loaded wheels. The way the tires are made now, I would consider that.
With that, maybe there is enough to make the adjustment on both if needed???
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Well aware of towing level. The plan has always been to make the changes in stages and keep it as level as possible. But, thanks for the reminder.
__________________
2017 HC 345RL
2015 F-250
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03-27-2020, 09:36 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: home base IL, OTR anywhere
Posts: 533
M.O.C. #19382
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My logic part of my brain says you should keep hitch as low as possible and adjust pinbox as needed. Since the point of pivot action between truck and trailer is in the bed of the truck keep it as close to truck's C of G makes reasonable sense to me. But heh, I'm not an engineer. FWIW.
__________________
2017 RAM 3500 Laramie CCLB Dually CTD Aisin, OEM auto level rear air-ride, B&W hitch
2020 3813MS Legacy Cobalt FBP, MORryde 8K IS & pinbox, PI EMS,DIY mods by in-house "craftsman", RV security system Mk1 Beagle Alerter
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03-27-2020, 12:00 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: lake stevens
Posts: 504
M.O.C. #24938
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It should be noted moving the pin box up or down takes some serious muscle, I just raised my pinbox 2 weeks ago and had to rig a platform just under the box and move the pin box with a hydraulic Jack while balancing it on a 2x10. It was a sketchy move. The Box is heavy and requires some finesse to get aligned. Manually I would not do it without at least 3 guys.
With that said adjust the hitch should be much easier.
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03-27-2020, 01:19 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Catoosa
Posts: 780
M.O.C. #18384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Myers
I was always under the impression that you want your camper to be towed as close to level as possible. With every inch, front to back, out of level, it puts an additional 400 lbs of load on the loaded wheels. The way the tires are made now, I would consider that.
With that, maybe there is enough to make the adjustment on both if needed???
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Curious as to where that figure comes from. If it is indeed accurate then it sounds like an easy way to reduce your pin weight by 400 or 600 lbs, provided it doesn’t overload the rear trailer tires.
__________________
2015 3100RL legacy...2005 Ford F-250 CC SB. Tows like a charm! 4/19 Updated to 2017 Chevy 3500 CC SB SRW -hope it tows as well as my F 250 did!
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03-27-2020, 02:21 PM
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#12
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Hilliards
Posts: 237
M.O.C. #25636
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I'm really not sure where I heard that from, but I have always practiced that theory, (25+ years now..) and never had any trouble. If you really think about the mechanics of it all, your pin weight will not change much, if at all. What will move is the center of gravity of the camper on the load.
With that thought, 400 lbs for a shift wouldn't take much.
__________________
2020 MHC 330RL
2021 F350 DRW 6.7 Powerstroke
Retired and Rollin'!
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03-29-2020, 01:19 PM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: STAYTON
Posts: 1,118
M.O.C. #18157
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I would probably split the difference, in order to keep the fifth wheel plate as low as possible, (cuz I have a tonneau cover.
Mark
__________________
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
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03-29-2020, 02:33 PM
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#14
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Aptos
Posts: 427
M.O.C. #11462
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When I adjusted my pinbox, I had the unit off the truck. I stood two boards under the box and lowered enough for the boards to make contact.
After making contact with the boards I loosened and removed the nuts and bolts. Then I raised the Monty enough to work the bolts back into the holes and retorqued the bolts.
I had the adjustment done in about 20 minutes.
I hope this helps.
Happy trails.
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03-29-2020, 02:41 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: home base IL, OTR anywhere
Posts: 533
M.O.C. #19382
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wheelhouse
When I adjusted my pinbox, I had the unit off the truck. I stood two boards under the box and lowered enough for the boards to make contact.
After making contact with the boards I loosened and removed the nuts and bolts. Then I raised the Monty enough to work the bolts back into the holes and retorqued the bolts.
I had the adjustment done in about 20 minutes.
I hope this helps.
Happy trails.
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love it. funny how a problem can be overthought. Love outside the "pinbox" thinking. LOL
__________________
2017 RAM 3500 Laramie CCLB Dually CTD Aisin, OEM auto level rear air-ride, B&W hitch
2020 3813MS Legacy Cobalt FBP, MORryde 8K IS & pinbox, PI EMS,DIY mods by in-house "craftsman", RV security system Mk1 Beagle Alerter
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03-29-2020, 09:40 PM
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#16
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Port Richey
Posts: 438
M.O.C. #14092
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I had to raise my hitch as high as it would go and lower my pin Box to make sure a had full clearance of my bed rails no matter how tight the turn. I tow with a slight nose up and never had any issues.
__________________
2012 Silverado 3500HD|4x4|Crew Cab|long bed|Dually
2012 Montana 3750FL
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03-30-2020, 06:30 PM
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#17
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Chico
Posts: 269
M.O.C. #14041
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lightsout
It should be noted moving the pin box up or down takes some serious muscle, I just raised my pinbox 2 weeks ago and had to rig a platform just under the box and move the pin box with a hydraulic Jack while balancing it on a 2x10. It was a sketchy move. The Box is heavy and requires some finesse to get aligned. Manually I would not do it without at least 3 guys.
With that said adjust the hitch should be much easier.
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I had the hitch connected, then removed the bolts and used the legs to set the trailer at the proper height. Wiggled a bit and all went together.
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03-30-2020, 08:45 PM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Hesston
Posts: 735
M.O.C. #25060
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Myers
I was always under the impression that you want your camper to be towed as close to level as possible. With every inch, front to back, out of level, it puts an additional 400 lbs of load on the loaded wheels. The way the tires are made now, I would consider that.
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With my truck, when I'm at 6" between the bed and the camper, we are not level on the camper. It is too high in the front. Our truck is 100% stock. Our hitch is at the lower position too, so there's no lowering that either.
I wouldn't want to be any taller by flipping the axle either, because we're aleady close to 13'6" as it is. About 13'4" or so, and our shed door is 13'5".
I'm not for sure what someone does when they are in our situation...
__________________
2020 Montana 3741FK
2020 Chevy SRW 3500HD Duramax/Allison High Country
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03-30-2020, 08:48 PM
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#19
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,167
M.O.C. #6433
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Adjusting the pin box, or even replacing it, is not difficult even by yourself. I replaced my OEM pin box with a 5th Airborne. Alone.
I backed the truck under the pin box.
Lowered the trailer until the pin box was about an inch above the tailgate.
I removed the bolts and let the pin box lower onto the tailgate.
Raised the trailer leaving the pin box on tailgate and pulled truck out.
Moved the old pin box to the side and the new one in place.
Backed the truck back under trailer.
Slowly and carefully lowered trailer onto new pin box.
Used large screw driver to align holes and install new bolts.
Pretty simple. Only muscle required as to lift the new pin box into truck bed before starting. And DW helped me do that. Of course we were ONLY about 65 at the time.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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03-30-2020, 10:21 PM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Carson City
Posts: 2,017
M.O.C. #21963
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CADman_KS
With my truck, when I'm at 6" between the bed and the camper, we are not level on the camper. It is too high in the front. Our truck is 100% stock. Our hitch is at the lower position too, so there's no lowering that either.
I wouldn't want to be any taller by flipping the axle either, because we're aleady close to 13'6" as it is. About 13'4" or so, and our shed door is 13'5".
I'm not for sure what someone does when they are in our situation...
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If the highest point of your trailer is above the pin, like the top of the front air conditioner, you may be able to block the axles up an inch. That raises the rear of the trailer about 2 inches and may be about level without raising the front.
Test it by parking the trailer in the shed opening and jack the rear a couple inches and see if clearance is affected. I just raised mine like this and leveled out the trailer just right.
__________________
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.
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