Pin box swap Trailair to Lippert 1621HD

RollingHome

Well-known member
I have a NBS (new body style) Chevy and the Trailair M15 pin box is too short. The Trailair L15 is too long, so I went back to a stock Lippert 1621HD pin box; I’m now a happy camper. This is not a job for everyone, it was hard and involved heavy "stuff". Here are some pics of my Pull-Rite 18K morphing into a Hensley TS3 Hitch. I ordered this as a direct replacement for the Pull-Rite because I wanted to use the Pull-Rite rails and frame holders. Only when I tried to put it in, the wrong feet were on the Hensley. I had to pull my rails and ship them to Hensley. They fabbed up new feet rather quickly because I have CG rez’s end of this month. Hensley is a great company to deal with, very customer focused. Aaron Greyhek was my contact. I also ordered the Hensley with an automatic leveler system which inflates/deflates the air springs without input from me. It has a built in air compressor and solenoid valve to accomplish this. You will see pics of the sensor which controls this. I believe it’s a magnet which travels to a reed switch. If the magnet moves out of the target zone it ins/outs the air. Hensley supplies a 7 pin cord male/female with a tap for power. Its plug and go, simple quick and works really fine. I’ll report back and give you my ride opinion next month.
While I was waiting for the feet to get here, I morphed the TrailAir pin box into a stock Lippert 1621HD pin box. I also installed the plastic nose for that Jimmy Durante look. The pics are on another thread.
When I got done it was road test time, got exciting, RVing is fun. I learned not to put the brake break away cable on the cargo loops in the bottom of the TV bed. I learned how the system protects me and others going around a tight right hand bend on the road test. Got to test the Duramax’s power, the seatbelts, and my heart all at the same time… They all worked fine. Does anyone know how to splice a loop back into the cable. Mine pulled out of the crimped aluminum clamp when I did an entirely different dumb thing. It was a learning experience for sure, our cats learned new words.
Sorry I couldn't keep the pics in the correct order, the download changes them around ???
I will be selling all the stuff I removed in the forum and on Craig’s List. Tom
 

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Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Thanks for the post Tom. It looks like you had the equipment available to make the job easier. I was limited to a picnic table and a floor jack for my Trail Air work. I noticed something in your pictures that to me, seemed unusual. The pin seems to be centered aft of the trucks axle. Is that true or just a visual thing from the angle of the picture? All of the 5th wheel hitches I've seen are mounted so the pin is located just ahead of the trucks axle. Just an observation on my part. Your hitch instructions may call for it to be mounted that way. ANyway, I'm sure your ride and peace of mind will be much improved. Take Care!
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Ray, I can't believe you saw that, I'm impressed. I too had concern about the same thing. I put a straight edge across the bed rails and dropped 2 plumb bobs to the axle center on the wheel hubs. A third PB was dropped to the king pin hole. It is at center or a fraction (1/4") in front of the axle. I called Pull-Rite and asked for exact mounting dimensions for installation for an 8' bed. Mine is exactly on the required stated distance
(23 1/2" if I recall). I told them of my concern (weight and balance) and they told me they had engineers crunch the weight numbers for the moment and arm and moving the king pin forward has little effect on axle load unless it is drastic. I don't know if I agree, but what was I going to do at that point. In addition at the install the tech at Mid-Way RV did not like the way things were going. He wanted to mount the hitch more towards the front of my TV, but, if he did my tailgate would be inside the Big Horn. As it was, I only had a 1/2" space between the tailgate and BH. The entire install was way too critical in dimensions. I mean common 1/2" + or - and the install is ruined, that's too close. At this point, if I move it forward I have many unused holes in my bed and frame. So unless I have serious ride issues I'm going to leave it alone. I believe you see the situation I'm in, this fiasco really was a pain in my neck. I still can't believe you picked that up, after you posted I looked at the pictures, I know what I'm looking at and what I'm looking for and I still could not see what you did, WOW ! You should take up target shooting, flying or golf. Tom
 

porthole

Retired
Interesting that the the Hensley can use the Superglide rails but Pullrite doesn't have a standard hitch that will fit on the SG rails.

I bought my Superglide before ordering the Cyclone, figured better to have and not need then .................

I called Pullrite while I was in Elkhart and none of their other hitches will work. Go figure.
 
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RollingHome

Well-known member
Duane, Actually Hensley "thought" they could fit the 18K Pull-Rite rails, they were incorrect. Look at the 6th picture, see how the feet are not aligned. I had to take precise rail measurements, give them to Hensley in an email then UPS the rails to Hensley in Kentucky. They pulled out the stops and fabricated new feet and shiped them and the rails back to me via UPS. I then had to swap the new feet for the old (see the last picture) and reinstall the rails and hitch. I credit Hensly for their efforts... just wish EVERYTHING didn't have to be done. It was a lot of effort to make everything right, quite a pain ! Hensley's feet bolt on the hitch, as you know the SG does not have bolt on feet. Have you considered another brand hitch to fit the SG rails, maybe a Reese or something else ? Just a suggestion. Tom
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Duane, yes it was about 2" off. After awhile I just went with the flow and kept solving each problem as it presented itself. I am glad it is done now. I am being so detail oriented on these thread/s to save others the heartburn I had. I really can't point fingers, it's just the way things are in dealing with new unknown factors and "things". In reality I enjoyed the challenge... maybe I need to take my medication/s more regularly huh :)
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Duane, without being specific, Your company, North, Mid or South Jersey ? I ask this because my uncle willed a south Jersey company a 99 year lease on their property and their ladder company (Kettle Run, fire house) for $1.00 / year. In reality, his kids will just renew forever, (they better, by golly, our name rides on it) :). My coz are decent good folk so I know they will.

By the way, I studied my power land line reel, and belive it or not there are legit reasons why it comes off the top instead of the bottom, I have to do the analysis to prove this is correct but I think so. Therefore, there are legit reasons why your hose trucks unreel from the top... just had to study it for a reason... I hate "that's the reason we do it" answers... Had to know and why... Tom
 

porthole

Retired
Duane, without being specific, Your company, North, Mid or South Jersey ? I ask this because my uncle willed a south Jersey company a 99 year lease on their property and their ladder company (Kettle Run, fire house) for $1.00 / year. In reality, his kids will just renew forever, (they better, by golly, our name rides on it) :). My coz are decent good folk so I know they will.

By the way, I studied my power land line reel, and belive it or not there are legit reasons why it comes off the top instead of the bottom, I have to do the analysis to prove this is correct but I think so. Therefore, there are legit reasons why your hose trucks unreel from the top... just had to study it for a reason... I hate "that's the reason we do it" answers... Had to know and why... Tom

Edison, NJ.

Well I'm no mechanical engineer, but in operating all sorts of reels it just makes sense, even fishing reels spool form the top
 
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