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New truck too tall for existing GN trailer

Good information http://www.blueridgetrailer.com/blog/newer-taller-trucks-making-older-gooseneck-trailers-obsolete/

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I pull multiple trailers, so my solution was to go with a flat bed. I have a 2016 RAM 3500 cab and chassis, and had the aluminum flat bed put on by the dealership.

I have yet to come across a trailer I haven’t been able to hook up to and tow correctly. When I say tow correctly- your trailer needs sit fairly level. If it is not fairly level, it can have negative effects on both the rear axle and tires. These are parts that are essential for safe hauling that you do not want to have issues with, especially with a horse on the trailer. Adjusting the neck and still having the trailer ride level is not always possible. Just something to keep in mind!

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I have a “jacked up” trailer and I love it and every horse that has been put into it loves it. Whoever raised mine did it with heavy duty Dexter torsion axles so it would fit their new truck and then got a different trailer so me and my horse benefited from their upgrade. Does it look weird? Yup. Is the ramp steep? Yup. Does it pull like a dream when loaded? Yup. Is it kind of dreadful when not loaded? Sadly, also yes. That said, it is super stable since the heavier duty axles don’t allow it to rock and roll.

Editing to add that unless you can see yourself hauling empty often on gravel or Michigan roads, I wouldn’t worry about the unloaded unpleasantness. It’s not a big deal unless you’re hauling home empty from Ohio to Ontario and cannot avoid Michigan roads lol. “We should have worn our sports bras or picked up a draft horse or two for the trip home” On normal well-maintained roads it’s not really noticeable any more than you can feel any other gooseneck giving the truck the occasional nudge when it goes over a pothole.

I just went through this. Had a 1996 4 Star that I LOVED. Needed to replace my 20 yr old truck, got a 2019 Ram 3500. Nowhere near enough clearance.
I did a ton of research. Blocking the axles can work fine, we were looking at 4". My husband found heavy duty rubber blocks that we were going to attach to the top edge of the ramp, creating a small step but at the same time reducing the increase in ramp angle.
You can’t just lengthen the coupler, the increase in trailer angle, as someone above said, will increase your risk of a blowout.
I had saved some money, so after much pondering I bought a new trailer. Sadly, there were no 4 Stars in my configuration anywhere near me for 9 months. I bought an Adams, which is OK, but honestly, I am missing my 4 Star…

Is is possible to measure the ground clearance on a parked level trailer and know if it will have the appropriate vehicle clearance before you buy it? The sides/gate of my 2015 Dodge Ram 2500 bed are 58" high and it does not yet have a gooseneck hitch. I am reluctant to cut into the bed liner to install a hitch if I will need to trade the truck in for something lower. Converting to a flat bed, blocking axles and or modifying a ramp are not good solutions for various reasons.

Absolutely. Depending on the trailer, account for 1-2" of drop in the tailgate. Measure from ground to bottom of the “neck” of the goose - make sure you have the lowest point with the trim pieces. Also, make sure the trailer is 1-2" nose high to have good balance loaded.

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How does a flatbed on the truck affect the height of the gooseneck hookup? Aren’t both a regular pickup bed floor and a flatbed floor both fixed in height?

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I was wanting a new truck this summer. The 2019 F350 sat too high for my 2019 Merhow LQ (which already sits crazy high with blocked axles with the LQ, so much so that I had to get a ramp put on).

We measured the 2012 F350 and the 2019 and if I remember correctly, the 2019 was a good 5 inches taller at the tailgate and bed rails.

It’s the clearance to the bed rails that’s the problem. Without bed rails, you can lower the gooseneck coupler to your heart’s content to get a level ride.

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I really want to know the manufacturer’s thought process here.

It’s a truck. It needs to do work. I don’t want to have to sling my heavy load 5" higher to get it in the bed. Ugh.

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GOOD information here; http://www.blueridgetrailer.com/blog/gooseneck-trailer-clearance-truck-bed/

DON’T: Buy a used trailer without testing your truck’s suspension

Just as trucks are getting built taller and taller, they’re also getting softer and softer suspensions. This can be either a blessing or a curse when you go to hitch up a heavy gooseneck trailer.

In some cases, we’ll see customers drop a gooseneck on their truck, and the suspension will simply be too soft to safely support the trailer.

Other times, the suspension will provide just enough give to create the minimum six inches of clearance between the trailer and truck bed, while still supporting the trailer adequately.

It’s nearly impossible to determine what the case will be for your truck and a given trailer without hitching it up and taking a look. So don’t buy a trailer without testing it out first!

“Soft” is way too vague of a term. I encourage everyone to consult with their owners manual for appropriate tow rating. How much your truck squats is not a reliable indicator of anything, be it “not enough” or “too much”.

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These threads get me near tears every time. Who has the budget for a new truck AND trailer? And who is going to buy my older GN trailer when I finally bite the bullet on the newer truck and trailer?? ARGH. :sob:

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Someone needs to whisper in a CEO’s ear that the first brand to lower the sides of their HD pickups wins. I wonder how it would look to have 1 foot tall sides on a bed…

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I was kind of thinking along the same lines: what if you went to a welder and had your truck sides lowered a few inches? It seems possible, and fairly easy to do, but you’d be left with a weld seam and a necessary paint job. I’m guessing it would be cheaper than getting a flatbed, though.

Not sure what the seam would look like, but maybe it could be covered with the spray-in bed liner?

On the inside, sure. On the outside… sure, if you don’t mind that look. :joy:

Ran into the same problem trying to buy a truck.

I’m going to try and go the flatbed route. I found one locally that looks interesting that I’m planning to see today or tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Just an FYI if you are not already driving on a class A license, a flat bed may move you into a licensure change to the class A. For some people not a big deal, and others it is. I buy older trucks to keep my height of bed lower. Newer trucks have also been pretty butt ugly in the styling department in my opinion. Good luck!

OP here, thank you all for the useful advice, I decided to lift the trailer 3" It cost ~600.
I’m overall happy with the result, the ramp isn’t too steep for the horses and it seems to tow about the same.

I’m not particularly attached to my trailer, it’s just a standard issue 2H GN, so if it had been really expensive I would have gone ahead and replaced it, but there was some time/effort savings in not having to manage a sale and purchase and so far so good.

Pics of it before (navy truck) and after (white truck). I think it remains pretty level, but I went from 11" to 6" of clearance.

Thanks again for everyone’s help!

IMG_7060

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