Captainding
New member
If towing a goose neck dump trailer, is it better to tow with a long bed pickup or short bed. I am planning on replacing my current pickup with a dually either in short bed or long bed version. Any comments?....Thanks
Dump Trailer Towing
- Thread starter Captainding
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Bird
Rest in Peace
Ideally, you have the hitch ball directly over the rear axle of the truck. With 5th wheel trailers, the problem with hooking them to a short bed truck is that the front of the trailer would hit the truck cab on a real sharp turn. Now I haven't seen the dump trailer you're talking about, but I'm guessing it's similar to most of the ones I've seen and you shouldn't have a problem like a short bed can have with a 5th wheel. In other words, I think you'll be just fine with either one, but the long bed truck will have a longer wheelbase and provide a smoother, more comfortable ride.
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
Don't take this wrong. But Bird is a couple of inches off. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Not that much in the great scheme of things but, a couple of inches off.
According to the directions from Dexter a gooseneck ball should be two to four inches in towards the cab from the centerline of the rear axle.
Sorry Bird, I love you, but..... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
The advantage of the shorter bed is you'll have a shorter wheelbase. A shorter wheelbase means easier and shorter turning. However, a longer wheelbase means a smoother ride everything being equal.
So if you're operating in tight quarters I'd seriously consider the shortest wheelbase possible. But if you're hauling over distance then a longer wheelbase would be preferable.
You can look at the difference between the eighteen wheel tractors. Those who operate in town are generally shorter than those doing long hauls.
Now if a fifth wheel RV is in your future don't even think about a short box. You will find yourself in a bind one day where you'll want to do a turn around and like Bird has pointed out, trailer will contact cab. It won't be painless, not for you, not for the truck, and definately not for the trailer.
Unless of course you buy one of those light weight fifth wheel trailers that have the slightly offset hitch for four door six foot bed heavy half tons. Then a short box would work.
Now I'm confused. I hope you aren't. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
According to the directions from Dexter a gooseneck ball should be two to four inches in towards the cab from the centerline of the rear axle.
Sorry Bird, I love you, but..... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
The advantage of the shorter bed is you'll have a shorter wheelbase. A shorter wheelbase means easier and shorter turning. However, a longer wheelbase means a smoother ride everything being equal.
So if you're operating in tight quarters I'd seriously consider the shortest wheelbase possible. But if you're hauling over distance then a longer wheelbase would be preferable.
You can look at the difference between the eighteen wheel tractors. Those who operate in town are generally shorter than those doing long hauls.
Now if a fifth wheel RV is in your future don't even think about a short box. You will find yourself in a bind one day where you'll want to do a turn around and like Bird has pointed out, trailer will contact cab. It won't be painless, not for you, not for the truck, and definately not for the trailer.
Unless of course you buy one of those light weight fifth wheel trailers that have the slightly offset hitch for four door six foot bed heavy half tons. Then a short box would work.
Now I'm confused. I hope you aren't. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bird is a couple of inches off )</font>
Hey, Harv, if I'm wrong, that's the first mistake I ever made. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Captainding, I'll admit I never used a gooseneck on my own trucks; just 5th wheel trailers, and of course, always on long bed pickups and the dealer/installers, as well as RV magazines, said to have it right over the axle. Of course, the last one I had installed was about 15 years ago. Many neighbors had gooseneck stock trailers and I thought the balls were right over their axles, but can't swear to it.
At any rate, I'll defer to Harv, whose judgement I'd take over mine on this topic, as well as on a number of other things. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Hey, Harv, if I'm wrong, that's the first mistake I ever made. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Captainding, I'll admit I never used a gooseneck on my own trucks; just 5th wheel trailers, and of course, always on long bed pickups and the dealer/installers, as well as RV magazines, said to have it right over the axle. Of course, the last one I had installed was about 15 years ago. Many neighbors had gooseneck stock trailers and I thought the balls were right over their axles, but can't swear to it.
At any rate, I'll defer to Harv, whose judgement I'd take over mine on this topic, as well as on a number of other things. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
OP
Captainding
New member
Thanks for the replies...Ding
BRIGUY
Gold Member
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- Glenville NY (Land of High Taxes)
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- BX 23, Wheelhorse 312-8
"pickup with a dually either in short bed or long bed version"
If you want a dually I'm pretty sure they only come with a long bed. I've never seen a short bed dually. Did you mean short or long cab???
If you want a dually I'm pretty sure they only come with a long bed. I've never seen a short bed dually. Did you mean short or long cab???
OP
Captainding
New member
Ford has a short and long bed in the dually's
BRIGUY
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2004
- Messages
- 468
- Location
- Glenville NY (Land of High Taxes)
- Tractor
- BX 23, Wheelhorse 312-8
you are right. I've never seen that before. I'm not a Ford guy so I never noticed just how many variations ford has. You can learn something new everyday if your not careful. Useally I'm more careful.
Phred
Veteran Member
I have a short box dodge 3500 SRW. Like others have said, dodge only makes the short box in SRW.
I looked into this and an equipment trailer, horse, or dump trailer should all be fine. As bird and the others pointed out its just no good for a big 5 th wheel....
but in my case thats not the goal of the truck.
I use this truck as a daily driver and pull trailers with it occasionally. The trailers are pretty heavy so at least a 3/4 ton was the bare minimum for me.
The 1 ton SRW was about the same price and now I have capacity to spare most of the time.
The nice thing about the short box is its very easy to drive around town in and still use on the farm.
Fred
I looked into this and an equipment trailer, horse, or dump trailer should all be fine. As bird and the others pointed out its just no good for a big 5 th wheel....
but in my case thats not the goal of the truck.
I use this truck as a daily driver and pull trailers with it occasionally. The trailers are pretty heavy so at least a 3/4 ton was the bare minimum for me.
The 1 ton SRW was about the same price and now I have capacity to spare most of the time.
The nice thing about the short box is its very easy to drive around town in and still use on the farm.
Fred
LoganWildman
Silver Member
Several companies make a slider hitch for a 5th wheel that allows you to use a short bed with a big camper. I tow between 10-12k lbs regularly with my Superduty CC short bed and a gooseneck trailer, with no problems and I can't complain about the ride either.
Also on the hitch location, I also have always heard to put them 2-4 inches in front of the axle centerline. That is the way my gooseneck was installed.
Also on the hitch location, I also have always heard to put them 2-4 inches in front of the axle centerline. That is the way my gooseneck was installed.
