Dos and Don’ts to Get the Right Gooseneck Trailer Clearance

Realizing your truck is too tall off the ground for your gooseneck trailer is a disappointment you never want to experience, yet it is a common problem that many trailer owners and buyers face. This is because trucks are being manufactured taller and taller off the ground.

Whether you’re looking to buy a new truck or trailer or want to fit a gooseneck to your truck, there are a number of things you should and should not do to achieve the perfect clearance. The following tips will help you remain safe while on the road and will prevent you from denting the sides of the tailgate of your truck.

Do’s

• Aim for minimum clearance. You need at least six inches of gooseneck trailer clearance as this is the requirement to handle most highway and off-road conditions. You need six inches between the lowest part of the gooseneck frame and the highest part of the truck side and tailgate.
• Understand that newer trucks are taller. Truck manufacturers have increased the height of their trucks, so you need to be aware of this aspect. While trailer manufacturers are offering taller goosenecks, the room inside the gooseneck area is reduced to make up for the height. If you’re looking into newer trucks, you need to be prepared because finding a used gooseneck trailer that provides enough clearance is going to be difficult, as will hooking up a gooseneck you already own.

Don’ts

• Extend the coupler to hit six inches. While this will make the distance from the trailer to the truck sides longer, you will not actually be solving the problem because the trailer will no longer be level and doing this will raise the front of the trailer higher than the back, meaning the weight will be unevenly distributed between both axles. As a result, additional weight will be pushed onto your rear axle, which may bend the axle or cause your tires to blowout. Both of these issues are dangerous and expensive to fix and are never worth the risk.
• Buy a used trailer without testing the suspension of your truck. Trucks are getting softer and softer in terms of suspensions, and this can cause problems when hitching up a heavy gooseneck trailer. Some suspensions are too soft to safely support the trailer while others can support the trailer adequately and the only way you will know this information is if you test it out first.

Beothuck Trailers can help with all of your trailer needs and we will ensure you have the right components. We specialize in trailer repairs, trailer parts, enclosed cargo trailers, gooseneck trailers, trailer axles and more, so if you are in the Edmonton area, contact us today!