How to Determine if Short Bed Truck Has Enough Clearance to Tow Gooseneck Hitch

Updated 03/25/2019 | Published 03/23/2019

Question:

I have a Ram 2500 4x4 with gooseneck my 5th wheel pinbox is 8back inside front cap so if I use a offset adapter it only puts kingpin to gooseneck ball flush w/front of campergiving me36inch from back of truck cab and 34inch from bumper to undercarriage is this enough clearance? If not what do yo recomend

asked by: Terry K

Expert Reply:

It's hard to say for certain based on the dimensions you gave if you'd have clearance but below is a formula for you to use to determine if you have the needed clearance.

Measure the distance from the center of the gooseneck ball to the back of the truck cab. Call this measurement A. Next, measure the width of the trailer overhang and divide by 2 to get half, measurement B. If A is 4 inches or more than B then you can safely make 90 degree turns.

If you don't have enough clearance you'd need to go with a slider hitch to get you the amount of clearance needed to make the sharper turns like the # RP30051. If your Ram truck has the factory rail kit you could use the rail kit adapter part # RP30154 and you'd be set.

expert reply by: Jameson C