Trailer too close to tailgate

[theponyplace]

Hi - I have a 2018 Ram 2500 and I tow a Double D gooseneck 4 horse stock trailer. I had an in bed hitch installed instead of the rails and spyder that I used on my old truck. The problem I am having is that the gooseneck part of the hitch is too close to the siderails of the truck and the tailgate, especially when I am travelling over uneven ground (which often occurs at horse show parking). I have lowered the trailer hitch several inches so that the trailer sits up higher, but I didn't want to do too much since it would then not be level. I noticed that when the trailer is being hitched, the truck sits down, but then self adjusts back to level. If I could get it to not self adjust, I would have plenty of clearance. Is there a solution? I did not have the fancy truck that has that add on feature - would it be worth getting? I also notcied that newer trailer models have the V support frame up under the gooseneck, while on my trailer is it below the gooseneck. Thoughts/ideas?

 

[Cardhu]

Pictures would help. You got ram boxes? Guess air suspension based on the sit down comments.

Not familiar with the air suspension settings explicitly; can you disable exit and entry mode on your screen controls?

 

[Fitz-0518]

If you can upload some pics, many people on here will be able to help. We tow a 2 horse goose neck with our 2018 2500 CC factory goose neck tow package. I had to adjust the goose neck up 1 notch and about 1 inch to safely clear the tailgate over uneven roads. When empty the trailer is slightly elevated, but when loaded it is level.

 

[22hemi13]

Short of adjusting the gooseneck back up to clear the tailgate and sidrails not sure what else can be done. A flatbed cures all those issues. Not sure if thats a route you want to go. How about an extension? B&w makes a 4” offset ball that pushes trailer back a bit. Would that allow enough room?

 

[TRCM]

seems to me that the whole 'neck' part of the gooseneck is too close...just moving the ball doesn't help him much, and a notched tailgate won't help when turning

OP didn't say, but it sounds like it's an older trailer and a newer truck, and since most trucks have been getting taller over the years, the trailer neck - truck body clearance shrinks.

Just like my old camper, it sits low, as it was built to be able to be towed by cars and 2wd trucks/vans, not the higher 4wd trucks of today.

 

[TRCM]

1 solution would be to cut the entire trailer suspension off the trailer frame, weld a 2"-6" I-beam or box channel onto the frame where the suspension was, making sure to go past both ends of where you cut the suspension off of a few feet, and then weld the suspension back on to the new frame you just added.

This would essentially put a 'lift kit' on the trailer suspension, so it should give you more clearance to the truck body when towing by however much height you added to the frame of the trailer.

Lot of work, and I'd make sure you had a certified welder do the welding, but it would work very well.

If your axle is above the leaf springs, you could also move it below, which should give you 3-4" of clearance.

 

[COAinPaso]

I had this problem. I gave myself two options-
-lower the rear of the truck
-lift the trailer.

I dropped the rear of the truck and put bags. As for the trailer lift, it has been covered above and there are 'lift kits' for trailers. Lots of people flip their trailer axles to fit trailers to the newer, taller, deeper beds on these trucks.


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