Will I have Clearance to Tow a Gooseneck Trailer if I have a Welder in the Bed of my Chevy Dually

Updated 02/14/2011 | Published 02/12/2011

Question:

I building a custom welding bed on a 1 ton chevy dually.From the welding machine to center of of axel Ive only got about 20. With the 16 extention Ill get 36 of clearance but is that enough for most trailers with a gooseneck ball setup

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

Generally speaking, you would most likely need more than 36 inches of clearance from the center of your axle to the cab of your vehicle, or in your case the welding machine that is in the back of your truck.

There are many factors you should consider. First thing, how tall is your welder? How wide is it? If it is shorter than the overhang of your trailer it may not be an issue. Also, If the welder is pretty narrow and your trailer has a tapered nose it may also work.

In order to determine if you will be able to use a gooseneck trailer with your welding machine you will need to take a few measurements.

There is a formula to determine if you have enough clearance to make a 90 degree turn with your truck and trailer.

(A + B) - C = Clearance

A = Distance from center gooseneck coupler to truck cab (or welder in your case)

B = Length of extension (16 inches in your case)

C = Width of trailer divided by 2 (to get half)

So if your trailer had a width of 102 inches the formula would look like this:

(20+16)-51= -15 inch of clearance, which would not be enough clearance if you found yourself on some uneven terrain. You will want a minimum of 4 inches of clearance to be safe.

It looks like you would would need a nose width of less than 72 inches to safely execute a 90 degree turn with your setup.

I attached a link to an FAQ page that has the above mentioned formula in it.

If you wanted to send me some pics of your setup so I could see the welder in the bed of your truck, and see the nose of your trailer I might be able to give you a more definite answer.