Posted 2005-07-23 9:04 AM (#1400) Subject: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 5
Location: Florida
My 03 dually is too tall for my gooseneck trailer and the trailer has scraped my tail gate and the side rails of the bed. I really want to keep this trailer. Also want to keep this bed so that I can use a slide in camper. How can I lower my truck and or raise my trailer. The truck has 17 in wheels. the trailer 16 in and torsion axles. Thanks for your ideas.
Posted 2005-07-23 11:20 AM (#1401 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 13
A friend of mine had a Trail-et trailer that was too short for her new F250. She took the trailer back to a dealer and they put a lift kit on it. It sits really high off the ground now but it works.
Posted 2005-07-23 2:58 PM (#1402 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 13
Location: Oviedo Florida
I am almost positive that there are a different set of shocks that you can get for the back end of the truck, dodges are too tall for a lot of trailers. I'm not sure of the brand, the price or anything like that, but I.N.H.O I think lowering the back of the truck a little is better than lifting the trailer ( larger step up for the horse, a bit more top heavy, just like lifting a truck it takes more maintnance and is easier to break)
Posted 2005-07-23 10:33 PM (#1405 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 261
Location: CA
I had this same problem with my 4X4 2001 Dodge. I ended up having the Dodge dealer lower the truck as well as having the trailer raised by adding blocks to the axles. The Dodge dealer did the lowering with a "kit" and it was free. The raising of the trailer was expensive! I had to do both raising and lowering because of the large difference between the vehicles. If I'd done all the work on the truck, it'd be a serious low rider! If I'd done all the work on the trailer, I don't think my horses could jump high enough to get in. Good luck! Measure carefully, and I hope you don't have to go to all the trouble I did.
Posted 2005-07-27 4:28 AM (#1406 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 175
Location: nashville, In.
could you not just adjust the neck of the gooseneck? When I got my new trailer it was sitting to close to the tailgate and bedrails. The dealer adjusted it for me before I left the lot. A wrench and 10 minutes and I was ready to go.
Posted 2005-07-27 9:23 AM (#1407 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 18
Location: CA
In inIndiana - NO NO NO! When you just adjust the neck of the trailer you're putting all of the weight on the back axle and your front axle is just along for the ride. Totally unsafe for breaking ability and just overall soundness for going down the road. So many people do that and I really hate driving next to them. I'm just waiting for a tire to blow on the back because they have all the weight. Do the blocking thing - a little larger step into the trailer isn't that bad for the horses.
Posted 2005-07-27 3:46 PM (#1408 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 189
<<So many people do that and I really hate driving next to them. I'm just waiting for a tire to blow on the back because they have all the weight. Do the blocking thing - a little larger step into the trailer isn't that bad for the horses.
Posted 2005-07-27 5:11 PM (#1409 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 18
Location: CA
If the trailer is level it isn't a problem. But what they are saying is that they don't have enough height between the trailer and truck so they are raising the neck of the trailer to have the clearance - therefore by only raising the neck of the trailer to have the clearance you are no longer riding level. You see it all time because people buy new trucks and they are still pulling the older trailers. To each their own - I just choose not to pull a trailer where I have it jacked up in the front going down the road with my weight on one axle.
Posted 2005-07-27 7:53 PM (#1410 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 189
<<You see it all time because people buy new trucks and they are still pulling the older trailers. To each their own - I just choose not to pull a trailer where I have it jacked up in the front going down the road with my weight on one axle.
Yes, I understand now. I see this too. I thought this would also affect the ride for the horses as they would be on a slant more than just stall slant. I notice a lot of trailers set up like this. I cringe when I see the bumper pulls set up wrong, too. Can't be good for the horses or the equipment.
Posted 2005-07-27 9:41 PM (#1411 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 363
Location: Albany, Oregon
Originally written by david on 2005-07-23 9:04 AM
My 03 dually is too tall for my gooseneck trailer and the trailer has scraped my tail gate and the side rails of the bed. I really want to keep this trailer. Also want to keep this bed so that I can use a slide in camper. How can I lower my truck and or raise my trailer. The truck has 17 in wheels. the trailer 16 in and torsion axles. Thanks for your ideas.
How much more clearance do you need? Raising or droping the coupler 3 inches won't affect the axle issue much.The longer the trailer the less the affect.(what size trailer is it?) You would have to lift the front of the trailer 12 inches to get a large % of weight on the rear axle! This is only true with torsion axles...older spring type walking beam tandem axles distribute the weight over both axles no matter what the angle or slope is. I would adjust the coupler where you have enough clearance then look over the situation. If it looks awkard for the animals or to much angle then you will have to go the axle lift/drop. just another opinion........
Posted 2005-07-28 2:36 AM (#1412 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 175
Location: nashville, In.
When I have my trailer hooked up it is level on my truck. Dropping the coupler down did not effect it when I have it on the truck. It's not a short trailer (27 ft on the floor) so as the one post said it isn't going to change it that much. I have a level on the trailer and it will show level when I get hooked to the truck.
Posted 2005-07-28 2:49 PM (#1413 - in reply to #1400) Subject: RE: Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
Posts: 5
Location: Dayton, Ohio
I have a 2003 Dodge Dually and had the same problem hooking up to a 1995 Sooner. The trailer is 38 foot long and we just adjusted the coupler about 2 inches and that was enough extra clearance (after a trip to the body shop to repair the side rails and tailgate of the truck). Trailer still rides level so previous post about the trailer length absorbing some of the difference when changing coupler height makes sense.
Dodge truck too tall for my trailer. What can I do?
I had this same problem with my 4X4 2001 Dodge. I ended up having the Dodge dealer lower the truck as well as having the trailer raised by adding blocks to the axles. The Dodge dealer did the lowering with a "kit" and it was free. The raising of the trailer was expensive!
I had to do both raising and lowering because of the large difference between the vehicles. If I'd done all the work on the truck, it'd be a serious low rider! If I'd done all the work on the trailer, I don't think my horses could jump high enough to get in. Good luck! Measure carefully, and I hope you don't have to go to all the trouble I did.