I just picked up my new 2013 Keystone Montana High Country. - I'm guessing they call it a High Country on account of what they were smokin' when they decided to install a Lippert 1716 Extended Pin Box on this unit as the standard pin box. - or Maybe they forgot to mention to their dealer network that the pin box connected to a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado with a hitch set at a 'standard height' 17-1/2" above the truck's bed floor will SMASH INTO THE BED RAILS! - just a small detail I guess. Heck, that's what insurance is for, right? Anyone else experience this combination of math gone wrong? I contacted two hitch dealers and both recommended the SuperGlide 2700 with the low profile feet to match the hitch head height to the trailer king pin level. - The truck and trailer sit level alright. The truck bed rails to the bottom of the trailer overhand have 7 1/2" of clearance. - Everything seemed to be setup up perfectly. The SuperGlide keeps the trailer plenty far enough from the rear window of the truck, so what could possibly go wrong? The trailer even came with a large round sticker advertising the 'Industry Best Turning Radius' 90 degree turn, no problem. -- Enter our dear old friend Murphy and BAM! - One dented bed rail later it became obvious that the real measurement to be concerned about was the ridiculously long extended Lippert 1716 Pin Box. - 29 1/8" long from "tip to tail". Just long enough to make it a 'bad day'. Being the skeptic that I sometimes am, I'm guessing this is just the tip of the ice berg so to speak. There are sure to be lots of folks out there with this combination. ...We are not alone. So who knows how to fix this issue permanently?

I'm considering a shorter Pin Box - Anyone have any advice about the best way to fix this problem. I'm getting the truck repaired and I'd hate to have a repeat of the same issue...The only other option I have at this time is to install the teller 'standard' feet on the SuperGlide 2700 to raise the hitch head height by 1-1/2" (which I probably should have done in the first place despite what the dealer told me). - But, I'm afraid that that may just give me slightly more clearance and not really solve the real problem. - Just until I make a 90 degree turn on an uneven surface again and I have a repeat injury to the truck's bed rails. UUUUGH!!!!HELP!

You might get more help in the Montana forums.What did the Montana dealer think of your setup when you picked it up? Think they may have had some thoughts on how to set it up correctly.

Thanks. I didn't realize there was a Montana Forum. - I'll check that out. The dealer (who's name I won't mention here) was terrible! - I specifically asked them if they thought I had any clearance issues, since this was my FIRST time hooking up to a fifth wheel. Their response was "Yeah, you have plenty of clearance..." - Obviously, they didn't know their wahoo from a whatsit. I'm still a little sore about that exchange. I would have thought that they would have known to check ALL of the clearances before letting me drive off the lot! - I know the last dealer before them would have done so. - It's just too bad they didn't have the unit I was looking for. This dealer didn't seem to care two hoots if the trailer fell off the back of my truck so long as I was off their lot when it happened. I'm wondering if I should contact the dealer or Keystone about this?

I took the sawsall to the back corners of the plates that hang down out of the 5th wheels over hang for the pin box to mount to. That is what will run into the side of the pickup bed, not the actual pin box in my case. This is a know issue that has been around for a long time. It was mnay years ago that I cut the back corners off.Chris

7 1/2 inches is plenty of clearance, that must have some pretty uneven terrain.Chock it up to a Rookie mistake, learn from this and go on from there. Don't blame others, life is too short.Travelon

Lippert 1716 vs. Chevy 2500 Bed Rails | Good Sam Community

36 Replies

car2900
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
On a 2009 Silverado 2500 HD I had to set my Reese hitch up almost to the top holes to prevent the 1716 from hitting the bed rails in a tight turn. Made my Denali fifth wheel sit nose high. The unfortunate way I found out it would hit with the hitch height set mid height, a worker at the dealer we bought our fifth wheel trailer from hit the bed rails with the pin box. He was backing into the service bay and cut it tight and it hit, $900.00 of damage. They paid for repair.
Anyone with one of the bed tonneau covers that has a rail system further limits the pin box travel.
Travelon
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
7 1/2 inches is plenty of clearance, that must have some pretty uneven terrain.
Chock it up to a Rookie mistake, learn from this and go on from there. Don't blame others, life is too short.

Travelon
Me_Again
Explorer III
Oct 07, 2013
I took the sawsall to the back corners of the plates that hang down out of the 5th wheels over hang for the pin box to mount to. That is what will run into the side of the pickup bed, not the actual pin box in my case.

This is a know issue that has been around for a long time. It was mnay years ago that I cut the back corners off.

Chris
JohnnyBoy67
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
Thanks. I didn't realize there was a Montana Forum. - I'll check that out.

The dealer (who's name I won't mention here) was terrible! - I specifically asked them if they thought I had any clearance issues, since this was my FIRST time hooking up to a fifth wheel. Their response was "Yeah, you have plenty of clearance..." - Obviously, they didn't know their wahoo from a whatsit. I'm still a little sore about that exchange. I would have thought that they would have known to check ALL of the clearances before letting me drive off the lot! - I know the last dealer before them would have done so. - It's just too bad they didn't have the unit I was looking for. This dealer didn't seem to care two hoots if the trailer fell off the back of my truck so long as I was off their lot when it happened.

I'm wondering if I should contact the dealer or Keystone about this?
Us_out_West
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
You might get more help in the Montana forums.

What did the Montana dealer think of your setup when you picked it up? Think they may have had some thoughts on how to set it up correctly.
JohnnyBoy67
Explorer
Oct 07, 2013
I'm considering a shorter Pin Box - Anyone have any advice about the best way to fix this problem. I'm getting the truck repaired and I'd hate to have a repeat of the same issue...

The only other option I have at this time is to install the teller 'standard' feet on the SuperGlide 2700 to raise the hitch head height by 1-1/2" (which I probably should have done in the first place despite what the dealer told me). - But, I'm afraid that that may just give me slightly more clearance and not really solve the real problem. - Just until I make a 90 degree turn on an uneven surface again and I have a repeat injury to the truck's bed rails.

UUUUGH!!!!
HELP!

Forum Discussion

Lippert 1716 vs. Chevy 2500 Bed Rails

36 Replies

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