Clearance issue w/gooseneck and toolbox.

[DuckhunterInTN]

I have a 2004 GMC CC short bed 2500HD. I am about to install a toolbox in the truck and was also thinking about installing a headache rack. With both installed I would have about 5-6" from the edge of the toolbox to the hole in the bed for the hitch. Would this be enough clearance in situations where the gooseneck arm leans toward the cab (truck is uphill while trailer is level, etc)? The toolbox sits about 7-8" on top of the bedrail.

Thanks.

[BozDMAX]

Questions like that led me to buy a sliding toolbox with a lower profile than 7-8".
Check out

http://www.trucktrunk.com/truck_trunk.asp

which might add two inches at most above the bedrail and would still leave plenty of room for the trailer when you are turning.

My suggestion for checking it out would be to get busy with a stack of 2x4's and figure out what kind of an angle you would have to have your truck at before you ran into trouble.

[DuckhunterInTN]

Well, I've already bought the toolbox so any other options are out in that respect.

I've already done sorta kinda what you describe, but since the truck does not even have a hitch yet (not planning on adding one until a good bit further down the road) it is hard to tell how accurate my "calculations" are.

[Heartbeat Hauler]

Well Since you haven't purchased a hitch yet, you may wanna look at this option, and bye bye clearance issues:
http://www.hitch-buddy.com/Gooseneck.htm
JP

[Craig M]

Wow, that little tag trailer just hooks up to the 2" receiver! Must be a lot of torque going around tight turns. Have yet to see one of these rigs on the road myself.

[BozDMAX]

Contact http://www.turnoverball.com/ and ask them where the ball will fit in a short bed truck. I have the long bed and it is centered and 48" back of the front of my bed.

Changing from the ball to the 5th wheel hitch takes about 5 minutes for me. A year ago they opened up their own powder-coating room in the factory (Humboldt, KS) and they make a great product.

[DuckhunterInTN]

Boz,

I contacted the company and asked them and the guy on the email said it would be fine.

He was rather short with me, though, like I was wasting his time asking him about his product... :(

[Steve N AZ]

I'm sure it works, but yeah that just doesn't look right.



Originally posted by Craig M:
Wow, that little tag trailer just hooks up to the 2" receiver! Must be a lot of torque going around tight turns. Have yet to see one of these rigs on the road myself.

[dmaxmule]

Duckhunter, I have a short box and a B&W hitch. I recently added a tool box (low profile) and have not had or see any clearance issues in the future. My box is less than 3 in. above the rail and probally 12" to 14" from the gooseneck ball. Sometimes I pull a cattle trailer in tight spots and the turning would cause me to hit the box if it was 7" above the rail since the neck gets close to the cab on a short box.