[MLT]

Towing a gooseneck trailer that is off level by approximately 3" high at the front when fully loaded.

Wondering if this will cause back set of wheels to take excessive weight.

To correct situation would have to trim off top of ball receiver and drill another hole for the pin as I have receiver set to shortest position.

Thanks!

 

[TXGooseneck]

When you say fully loaded, what kind of weight are you talking about?

I typically suggest that when the trailer is empty to place it 2 - 3" high at the front.

 

[SmokeyWren]

Rule 1: Before you hit the road, be certain the floor of your loaded trailer is level with the world, front to rear. Do whatever has to be done to make it so.

I use a 4' carpenter's level to check the level of the floor. It doesn't matter if the trailer looks high in front or rear, as long as the floor of the trailer is level front to rear.

Rule 2 is the trailer should also be level side to side. If it's not, you need to rearrange your load - or repair the trailer - before you hit the road.

A common fix for a trailer that's nose high is to raise the trailer on its suspension. Folks call that "flip the axles", but you don't literally turn the axle upside down. Instead you move the spring perches from under the axle to over the axle, and that will give you about 3" or 4" of trailer "lift". Any good welding shop can do the job. Or any good farmer that has to weld his own broken farm equipment. Or, of course, any good trailer or RV shop.

 

[MLT]

Loaded weight is approximately 5000 lbs. This weight squatted truck 1 inch. Trailer is good for 9000 lb payload which I estimate would cause truck to squat a total of just under 2 inches. This would leave front 2 inches high fully loaded.

Did check for level with surveyor's transit and corrected for difference in ground elevation between trailer wheels and rear tires on truck.

If I reduced the reciever by 2 1/2 inches, clearance over tailgate would be approximately 7 inches. Is this too little and lead to tailgate damage?

Thanks!

 

[NickKent]

Are they torsion axles or spring axles? Usually spring axles are better at distributing uneven weight. torsion axles will not as they are independent of each other. If it were me, I would try lowering the trailer to see what it looked like. you could also run it as is for awhile and then check the temperature of the bearings on the wheels. See if the rears are hotter than the fronts.

 

[MLT]

[ QUOTE ]
Are they torsion axles or spring axles?

[/ QUOTE ]

The trailer has spring axles with a pivot section between the two axles to which the back of the front spring, and front of the back spring are attached to. This pivot point is attached to the the trailer frame.

Thanks!

 

[jhughd]

7" over the rails should be plenty unless you take to the boonies and rough roads. Many only have 6" clearence.

JD

 

[Rick M]

My main point of reference for deciding if my goose is level is to look at the equalizer pivot that connects the two axles together. If it looks fairly equal then the load will ride fine because it has room to do the job it is supposed to do and that is equalize the load between the two axles. At least that is my opinion.

 

[SmokeyWren]

[ QUOTE ]
If I reduced the reciever by 2 1/2 inches, clearance over tailgate would be approximately 7 inches. Is this too little and lead to tailgate damage?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. 6" is the normal minimum. Mine is only 5", but then the top of my bed has been mashed down a couple of times because of tight turns over rough ground. I'd love to have 7" clearance between the bed of the pickup and the underside of the trailer overhang, but I don't want to raise my trailer to get it. So I "made do" with only 5" clearance.

Most gooseneck hitches are adjustable up and down on the "receiver" as you call it. If you can shorten the receiver by a few inches and still have 7" clearance between the top of the bedrails and the bottom of the trailer overhang, then that sounds like the answer for you.

The tailgate is not a problem. The trailer overhang might contact the bedrails on the pickup if you back up into a jacknife over a ditch, but it should never hit the tailgate.

 

[jimmy]

If it has the leaf spring setup then being out of level, as long as the springs or equalizer do not bottom out, is OK.
The best thing to do would be to check the weight on each tire for being equal with individual scales.

 

[firesoutmatt]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If I reduced the reciever by 2 1/2 inches, clearance over tailgate would be approximately 7 inches. Is this too little and lead to tailgate damage?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. 6" is the normal minimum. Mine is only 5", but then the top of my bed has been mashed down a couple of times because of tight turns over rough ground. I'd love to have 7" clearance between the bed of the pickup and the underside of the trailer overhang, but I don't want to raise my trailer to get it. So I "made do" with only 5" clearance.

Most gooseneck hitches are adjustable up and down on the "receiver" as you call it. If you can shorten the receiver by a few inches and still have 7" clearance between the top of the bedrails and the bottom of the trailer overhang, then that sounds like the answer for you.

The tailgate is not a problem. The trailer overhang might contact the bedrails on the pickup if you back up into a jacknife over a ditch, but it should never hit the tailgate.

[/ QUOTE ]


If you can reduce the hitch and still have 7" thats the way to go. I'm like smokey and have only 4-5 inches .havn't hit bed rails yet but you have to watch where you go.