Opinions needed

[lawdog]

I am heading to the Twin Cities MN area next week to pick up a new trailer (Featherlite G-neck race trailer, 6 ft taper nose, 40ft overall length) My B&W Hitch is at the local UPS Depot loaded to be brought to the house ($315. 00 from e-bay, delivered). Questions are as follows.



1: Should I buy the 4" Gooseneck extender ball for extra clearance since I have a short bed. Featherlite Engineer says I should be able to turn 80% on flat ground by giving him Dodges cab to rear axle measurement.



2: I currently have BFG 315's on the truck, but the new stockers are in the shed, should I change then before I go to make sue I have a 2" lower bed rail??? I like the BFG's ride and lower rpm for higher speed for cruising. The trailer empty weighs around 5200 lbs empty... All Aluminum



Thanks

 

[Duluth Diesel]

I don't have a short bed, so I can't help ya there. But I'll take a stab at #2. I tow a 34 foot Featherlite horse trailer with 315 rubber. The gooseneck hitch of the Featherlite trailers is adjustable. By adjusting this, you are basically adjusting the clearance between the bedrail and the trailer nose. Short truck or tall truck, the distance between the bed rail and nose isn't going to change. Truck goes up, trailer goes up. Leaving the 315s on versus stock rubber is just going to push the trailer out of level. To correct that, you can shorten the hitch on the trailer, but this may compromise bedrail clearance. Basically, with a truck this tall, you find a compromise between trailer level and bedrail clearance. All that said, which I'm sure doesn't make complete sense... Towing our trailer with 315s on hasn't been a problem. I have plenty of bedrail clearance (10 inches) and the trailer is almost level (once I load it down, she levels out nice). I bet it will hook up fine.

 

[LaxCummins]

Gooseneckers

If the front end of the trailer is anything like Featherlite's horse trailers, you should be fine. The hitch/tongue drop is on the front of the trailer. Only thing to be careful of would be if the overhang of the trailer isn't tapered - you'll need to watch those tight turns.



More than half of the folks we run around with tow gooseneck with short box without having to go to an extender.



Good luck!



LAXCummins

 

[lawdog]

The trailer is suppossed to have 49" I believe from floor height to bottom of nose height. The nose is 6' wide at the front, here is a pic... .

 

[klenger]

Can I borrow it.

 

[y-knot]

Lawdog,

I too have a gooseneck tri-axle enclosed car hauler. I think for the inital hook, I would put the smaller wheels back on. I just think it would be the smarter thing to do. The trailer is empty, and light so their is not going to be much pin weight, which means the truck isn't going to squat much. Yes you will have adjustability in the trailers hitch, but I'm not sure how leval it will be. Your trailer and mine both have a long overhang in the rear from the last axle out. Even with the trailer level, the cleaance to the road is only about 8 inches. This clearance goes away very quickly as the trailer goes out of level, one or two inches out in front, and that gets multiplied to more by the time you get to the very back. My trailer was made especialy for my truck, they bulit the front kick-up higher to accomidate the extra height of my truck, The top of the ball in my bed is 54" off the ground. I can level the trailer, but still only clear the bed rails by 5. 5-6", so it's a tight fit. Also the height adjustments on the trailers tounge come in 2" incriments. My trailer has a pin weight of 3800lbs loaded, so it sqwats several inches (I use air bags to get the right height and achieve level). Your tounge weight will be less the 1000lbs, which will leave you nose high.

Good luck with your new trailer purchase, I hope you enjoy it and have fun towing it. I wear a constant grin everytime I hook to my, It's a pleasure to tow.



The fun is just starting for you, once home you get to add all the finishing touches that make it yours.

#ad

 

[lawdog]

Y-not, Nice loking rig there..... I WISH my trailer would have been black to match my Black Sport... . BUT... . The Black featherlites have SOOOO many rivits, they look funny PLUS This one I am getting is an "In stock" trailer so I am saving BIG $$$$$. I aam ging from Detroit to MN becasue Twin Cities featherlite saved me $3000. 00 on the cost of ordering one here. Dealer here said 6 months, Twin Cities said 8-12 weeks to order black one, but price would be a MINIMUM of $1000- 1500 more due to fluctuating steel and aluminum prices... . For the difference in price, White wil be just fine, ecspecially since I will be towing it in the winter with all the road salt, maybe won't look so dirty. . also they said white has a better re-sale...





The trailer does not have rear caster wheels,($200+) but they can add them, are they worth it or no. Also is a mid trailer turn signal worth it $79. 00, they put them in the fenders.

Thanks. .

 

[kshimizu]

As for the height/tire issues, I would think you should be alright with the 315 under normal conditions. So long you don't plan on going through any driveways that are very steep. I tow an Exiss horse trailer and have about 6" of clearance. I have dinged my tailgate (luckily not the bed rails) on occasion when offroads while hunting and pulling into gas stations with steep driveways. One year I tried to give myself a little more clearance and raised my trailer so it was running slightly uphill (loaded), got a blowout about 500 miles into our drive.



As for the B&W gooseneck extender ball, it looks pretty slick. Haven't seen it in person, just in their ads. With my 02 on flat ground I am able to jackknife my truck with a few inches of clearance, this is just my regular gooseneck. Now a 3rd gen truck, the bed is 3 inches shorter so it might be right up there against your cab if you make a tight turn. Personally, I like being able to spin my trailer around if need be and not worrying about putting my trailer into the back of the cab.



Anyways, I think the 315's will be just fine but you might want to hold off on the extender ball to see if it's too close for comfort and worth the extra money.

 

[lawdog]

Ok Thanks, The price I got for the extenda ball was $170. 00... OUCH, but cheaper than a new cab repair...

 

[lawdog]

Put the B&W hitch in today and the ball seeems to be just forward of the axle center, I am going to go and get the extenda-ball just in case. I am also putting on the stock tires in the morning just to be on the safe side for first tow since it will be a long one... . 12 hours from home

 

[lawdog]

We are headed out in the morning to the Twin Cities, Truck is fueled and washed (Calliong for rain most of the way... . of course) got the kids 7 VHS tapes for the ride, talk to everyone Thurs or Friday...