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How to Adjust the Height of a 5th Wheel Trailer Pin Box  

Question:

How do I safely adjust the pin height?

0

Expert Reply:

When adjusting the height of a pin box such as # LC1191191 it is important to support the pin box when removing the bolts. I recommend 2 or 3 buddies to give you a hand and make sure no one is beneath the pin box while raising or lowering it.

With the pin box supported unbolt it, raise or lower it as needed, and then put the bolts back in and tighten them down. According to Lippert use the following torque specs:

Torque 1/2” bolts a minimum of 110 ft-lb.
Torque 5/8” bolts a minimum of 160 ft-lb.
Torque 3/4” bolts a minimum of 210 ft-lb.

expert reply by:
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Michael H
Scott B. profile picture

Scott B.

5/1/2020

I have a Moryde pin box and receiver on my F350 and the pin box is pitched nose high when I attach the trailer to the truck. Should I level the pin box level to the truck bed and ground so it tows better? It looks pretty simple to do if so.

ChrisR profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Chris R.

5/4/2020

Yes, if you're able to adjust the pin box so that the trailer rides level, you absolutely should. This will create a much smoother ride and will prevent too much weight from being transferred to the rear axle.
Scott profile picture

Scott

5/4/2020

@ChrisR Thanks, I did it this weekend and rides much better thanks!
ChrisR profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Chris R.

5/6/2020

@ScottB No problem!
Gary P. profile picture

Gary P.

6/6/2020

I'm trading in my 01Chevy, for a new pickup 19 Ram. I have a reese 16k hitch. And a reese revolution 10k pin box. The ram is a 4x4 so I am assuming the bed will be higher than my Chevy 4x2. The reese hitch has height adjustments. Can I just adjust the hitch and leave the pin box as is? Thanks for any help.

ChrisR profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Chris R.

6/10/2020

You may need to adjust both the hitch and pin box to keep the trailer level. This just depends on how high its pin box is and if it was sitting completely level with your older, lower Chevy. I would start by simply adjusting the hitch to see how this changes the overall setup and go from there.
GaryP profile picture

Gary P.

6/10/2020

Many thanks Chris. I see there are instructions on hitch/pin box alignment. Flat ground and a tape measure should provide the setting/adjustment for hitch and pin box. Looks like the hitch (as you said) will be the easiest to raise/lower as needed to accomplish proper alignment. If I'm missing something y'all let me know. Again Thanks Gary P.
ChrisR profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Chris R.

6/12/2020

You're right on all fronts. Level ground and a tape measure (along with the truck and trailer) are all that you need to figure out the right height settings. Adjusting the pin box isn't terribly difficult in terms of complexity, but it's certainly heavier (you'll want to have a helper). I also linked a handy article below that talks about this process and some other 5th wheel tips that you might find helpful.
Cody profile picture

Cody

7/10/2024

To raise rear end of trailer do I Lower or raise pin box?

JonG profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Jon G.

7/10/2024

@Cody To raise the rear end of your 5th wheel trailer you will need to move the pin box up a row (or rows) on the mounting brackets.
Dale profile picture

Dale

9/17/2024

Hi, I was doing a search and came across this. I hope you don't mind me asking this question. I have a 2014 Columbus 5th wheel that I pull with a 2019 Ram 2500. When I purchased the camper I had a 2011 Ram 2500. The camper was purchased and setup by a dealership in my area. I have been towing this trailer for 2 1/2 years with this truck. I believe the old truck had 18" tires, the 2019 has 20". I haven't had any issues but the last time out I took a picture of my rig and thought it looked high in the front (camper). I took a measurement and I have 9 1/2" between the bottom of the overhang and the top of the bedrails. I think I can raise the pin box up a set of holes and get it closer to 7 or 7 1/2". Is there anything to be gained by making this adjustment or is there a possibility of running into another issue? I was thinking about hooking up and pulling it out into a flat surface in my driveway chalk in the trailer and putting the landing gear down until there was a slight gap between the lube plate and the hitch plate, loosening the bolts in the pin box, removing the front bolts and two of the bolts in the rear and seeing if I can lower the trailer to push the pin up in the front. When I stand to one side and look at the side of the pin box it appears to be angled downward toward the pin. It's not level but that is the way it was set up by the dealership. Is it possible to just raise the front of the pin box and not the rear using the two rear bolts as a pivot point? I have read and seen videos online where guys use their tailgate and a jack, but I don't see why I couldn't use my hitch and the landing gear on the trailer to safely make these adjustments. I think I could get a better idea of how I was set for distance. Of course I would check it to make sure that I had good clearance at the tailgate but I have a lot of clearance so I really doubt that raising the pin box up one set of holes is going to cause any issues. I know that it's probably a pretty heavy hunk of steel as mine has the trail air with the airbag and the shock on it. But I don't intend to manhandle this thing if I can help it. The videos I watched showed a guy swapping out a standard pin box for one of the ones that I have or very similar and he used a floor jack and a board. I was considering using my motorcycle jack which is rated for 1,500 lb. But then I got to thinking It may be a lot easier to do it right from the hitch, using the bolts to pivot the pin box into position. Could I get your opinion on this matter? Thank you Dale

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