Turning Clearance for Gooseneck Trailer

Question:

I have a 2016 2500 chev silverado with a 6.5 box The center of my hitch is 32 inches from the front of the box. The hitch is positioned ahead of the axle, on my 2001 chev it was centered on the axle. My concern is if I have enough clearance from the cab with my 2001 featherlite gooseneck horestrailer. Also how much clearance do I need from the top of the bed to the bottom of the gooseneck. I have between 8-9 inches. Thank you :

asked by: Tammy

Expert Reply:

You can refer to the linked diagram for general guidelines about minimum clearances required when towing. If you have 8 or 9-inches of vertical clearance between the bed rails and the trailer you should be fine since 6-inches is considered adequate in most cases. As for clearance at the back of the cab, if your trailer has only the standard gooseneck tube structure in the front (and no enclosed trailer structure near it) cab-to-trailer turning clearance should not be an issue. If the trailer does have a full-width front then you can make sharp turns so long as HALF the trailer width is at least 4-inches LESS than your 32-inch hitch-to-cab distance.

We do offer offset gooseneck hitch balls like # BWGNXA4085 for B&W and # 19308 for Bulldog, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, and Reese Hide-A-Goose gooseneck trailer hitches as well as the B&W Extend-A-Goose Gooseneck Coupler # BWTEXA4200 that has a 4-inch outer diameter and that provides 10-inches of additional turning clearance.

expert reply by: Adam R