My new to me trailer came with an extender on it. I have a regular 8’ bed, but the extender makes just enough room to make the space under the gooseneck useful when camping. I was really unsure about the safety of but I cannot find any research that says that it’s dangerous to have.
And like another poster said, if you pay attention when driving, you are not going to put a window out. Get out and practice with it- take it to a field or parking and figure out how much room you have, how tight you can turn etc
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Thanks all. And yes, I was having a bad day.
Thanks again.
G … There are two types of Hitch extenders.
- attaches to the truck & moves the ball rearward.
- Attaches to the trailer and moves the hitch socket forward.
I don’t recommend type 1 because the hitch weight is moved to the rear and behind the axle. Might as well install the ball there and forget the whole extender.
Type 2 extenders DO move the trailer hitch weight forward. The downside of this is in a turn, the length of the extender becomes the radius of a sweep in the bed of the truck. Anything in its path will be crushed. At 90 degree turns, the nose of the trailer is merely extended away from the centerline. This may give enough clearance between the nose and truck cab. Depends on trailer. The OP posted .a link to a hitch extender. It is a type 2. and will maintain the hitch weight on the original ball location.
A person could prove this by using a spoon and a pea. A reversed analog model to the ball & hitch. Where ever one holds the spoon along the handle length, the weight of the pea (Hitch weight) doesn’t change, but the pressure on the handle does.
Yes, I was thinking mostly about type one. Thank you for an excellent explanation.
G.
Hello!
I have a short bed (5’) F-150 and have a square-ish nose (it’s rounded not pointy) Exiss stock combo trailer. I have a B&W turnover ball hitch, and the dealer where I bought my trailer suggested a B&W ball that goes in the same hole, but it extends the ball 4" toward the rear. What a lifesaver! It’s simple, elegant, and has saved my bacon a lot. Here is a link to it:
http://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/product/4-extender
It’s still possible to break a back window, but FAR less easy than before. And I’m not great at backing and maneuvering, so if someone gets impatient, tough! I just pay attention and breathe and keep working at it until I get turned around or whatever I’m trying to do. But even people who are VERY GOOD at backing big rigs still need to be reminded if they are backing my truck and trailer.
I took out 2 back windows of my last F-150 with a bigger gooseneck stock trailer—it was always backing up while trying to maneuver. ! Hope that helps!
It’s worth noting that there is a huge difference between the ball placement in a 5’ bed and a 6’3 or 6’8" bed which is the correct “short bed” for a heavy duty truck. You couldn’t pay me to pull a gooseneck with a 5’ bed, and you couldn’t pay me double to drive a half ton using a ball extender.
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I also use a B&W turnover ball hitch and no problems so far. I got it from 4wheelonline. It is well made and easy to install/remove.
I am in the same boat as Fordtraktor. 5.5’ bed with a 9" extender mounted to the trailer—trailer is all aluminum with a fiberglass roof and forever floor, so weight isn’t a problem for those concerned with a half ton pulling a GN. I haven’t had any issues. However, I was picking up a friend’s horse (a friend who drives a Kia and has no concept of turning a trailer around), and she did the classic “there’s plenty of room to turn around just come on down to the barn.”
Narrator: Bless her heart. There was not enough room.
So on a muddy hill covered in roots, surrounded by pine trees, it happened. It clipped the corner of my cab. I’ve pulled trailers for many years and said “that will never be me”. It can happen, under the perfect storm of circumstances. It didn’t break the glass, just a light crease on the cab, but it shocked me. I’ve gotten out of some tight spots with care, but a slick hill with very uneven terrain was my nemesis.
It’s not weight with a 1/2 ton. There are 1/2 tons rated for more than a 3/4 ton. It has more to do with build quality, frame components, payload, and overall vehicle weight for me than the tow rating. Despite having very similar tow ratings and, on paper, both being able to pull my 2+1, the feeling of doing so is dramatically better in my F250 than in the 150 I tried. Longer bed also a plus.
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I agree it would be ideal. Unfortunately, some of us just have to make the best of what we have, and do even better when we can. 
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What with an 8’ wide trailer you will crunch your window. It does not give you the maneuverability in tight spots
I had an 8’ wide trailer and I used to have to make a more than 90 degree turn to get in the driveway. I never crunched a window.
A properly designed trailer will not need to be 8’ wide all the way to the front. Mine narrowed to 6.5 feet at the flat front.
If you want 8’ wide so you can have your California king living quarters, I think you are in long bed territory for weight anyway.
[QUOTE=soloudinhere;n10709783]
I had an 8’ wide trailer and I used to have to make a more than 90 degree turn to get in the driveway. I never crunched a window.
A properly designed trailer will not need to be 8’ wide all the way to the front. Mine narrowed to 6.5 feet at the flat front.
If you want 8’ wide so you can have your California king living quarters, I think you are in long bed territory for weight anyway.[/QUOT
Truck is an F250 diesel with tow package. Got the 4" B&W extender ball. Looks like the perfect fix. My Adam trailer is a full 8’ at the nose and has storage in the front, so short queen mattress.
Specifically answering your questions:
I do not have personal experience with one, but I have friends that do and love them.
Yes, they are safe.
They do reduce the amount of weight on your truck because of the extended lever-arm - Even if you poorly loaded your trailer it would be rare that this would cause you any loss of control because of the overall distance from your wheels to the hitch point.
