Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hmmm so interesting to hear about other peoples scrapes, dings, dents, etc 
... I don't feel sooo bad!  ;-)   Its looking like the type & brand of your 
truck & trailer may have more to do with it.

I have a GMC 4X4 SHORT bed -- never hit the cab (though I've come close), 
never hit the bed rails on uneven ground.  (this was my primary hauling 
truck for 3 years, and now is my back up truck for the horse trailer though 
it usually hauls the gooseneck hay/tractor flatbed --  so I've had the 
oppurtunity to break things!)

I replaced it with a Chevy 2X4 LONG bed -- again never hit the cab or came 
close to it, have hit the bed rails TWICE once on either side.  Once I was 
backing up, and one side on the trailer went slowly down into a ditch, hit 
the side rail and jammed the tailgate.  The second time I haven't a clue, no 
significant incident, though I did go across a field.  I owned the truck a 
little over a year.

I replaced it with a Ford 4X4 LONG bed --  I've owned it 3 years and so far 
no dings!  (where's wood?)  Yep still going to the same places, etc.

The trailer is a Calico/Ponderosa with one of those ugly tapered noses .. 
and its only 6' wide, 6' tall.  I do think thats helping me in the short 
bed....

****While we're on the trailers subject...  I've been looking to replace 
mine.  All the newer trailers seem to be 7' tall/wide.  I hate to go that 
big, my current trailer is very handy and easy to drive.  Of course, 7' tall 
is just crazy overkill when riding 14.2hh Arabs, and I think about wasting 
gas hauling the extra height.  Anyone found a good company making little 
trailers?  Or anyone driving a 7' tall that could put my mind at ease about 
the fuel mileage?  Something to do with (storage?) the extra height?


Jen



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Long" <jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 9:24 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] long-beds V. short-beds and goosenecks


> Sisu West Ranch wrote:
> > A properly installed gooseneck hitch is right over the rear axle.  This 
> > can cause some problems with a short bed.  On sharp turns the front of 
> > the trailer can hit the cab (bummer).  There are 3 ways to handle this 
> > that I know of.
> > 1. Don't turn sharp.
> > 2. Purchase a trailer with a sharp nose.
> > 3. Purchase a hitch that moves back to compensate during sharp low speed 
> > turns.
>
> Prior to buying our short-bed truck to haul a gooseneck trailer, I 
> researched this problem pretty thoroughly.  I found it is only a "problem" 
> for the wide square-nosed camper trailers.
>
> Not only are many LQ horse trailers are not only not quite as wide as the 
> big campers in the first place, most of them have some taper to the nose. 
> It doesn't take much taper to allow full clearance on even the sharpest 
> turns.
>
> A bigger risk with 4x4 trucks is the gooseneck hitting the tailgate or the 
> sides of the truck bed when going over uneven ground such as railroad 
> grade crossings, or the dips and rolls in many ride campsites. This is due 
> to the high bed of a 4x4.  It's a compromise, if you raise the trailer 
> high enough to have good clearance it doesn't travel level on the open 
> road.  You just have to be careful in rough ground.
>
> My next truck will also be a short-bed.  I give up some hauling space, but 
> it's a lot easier to maneuver and park.  It all depends what your needs 
> and priorities are.
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
> Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
>
> Ride Long and Ride Safe!!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=