I just replaced my GMC Dmax Shortbox with a 2005 CTD Shortbox. I hooked up my gooseneck horse trailer and when I took a hard left turn I made a dozen time in my GMC the nose of the trailer tagged the cab corner of my new truck. I had the truck 7 days and this was its first pull. The truck is getting fixed now ($750) and I need your advice on what will benefit me more. Will the 9" trailer extender or the 6" offset ball in the bed give me the most clearance? Or is there something else out there short of replacing the truck or trailer?
Chris

 

you need to know the toung weight and multiply that for every foot you hand it back.......100lbs= 200 lbs 1 foot back from original location......that help? do not exceed you hitvh virticle rating (ezly done when you start adding extenders)

 

Questions..

one is your hitch welded to the truck frame? and if yes, how far to the front, or even if its bolted on, IMHO, u dont need the hitch that much to the front, if it is welded on or bolted on correctly the very most you will need on a long box is four inches, and on a shortbox, no more than 3 inches, Yes it is true the farther up front you go the more you can pull, but i think that six inches is wayy too much. On shortboxes we have done three, or two inches, DEPENDING ON what the operator is gonna tow, and if there is a box present, and yes we ask for a measurement of the neck of the gn for refrence (cause not all of them are the same legnth) and take that into consideration.

You are better off with an extender if you ask me, but either way, you are gonna lose strength and traction due to the trailer now sittin not where it should be, at the very worst on a shortbox truck the hitch should be right at the top of the center of the differential..... as far back, anything farhter and ur tamperin with more than just the truck......


By the way, welcome to DTR!! please enjoy ur new rig and put it in ur sig.. im sorry bout the tough luck....

Tx

 

i have a full width square nose race trailer and pull it with my shortbox. i initially bought the nine inch extender which i dimpled each side of my cab with. i also added a 4 in ball extender and the combo works great. pleanty of clearance and no problems pulling. some might argue this isnt the best solution but i dont want a new truck or a new trailer so itll have to do

 

Thanks for the replies. Dent is fixed, still get po'd thinking about the crease in the back of the cab. I grabbed the offset ball for the weekend and the dealer ordered in the extender for my trailer. With the offset ball the trailer coupler now sits directly over my axle. The back of the cab to original non-offset ball measured 30", is this similar to other swb's out there. I will check to see what one gives the most clearence or I might use both like DJ. It was my first pull with the truck, seems to have a lot more pulling power then my Dmax did. My first tank with towing got 2 mpg's better then my Dmax averaged empty at work. Rides like a tank, need to upgrade the tires.
Chris

 

CCHUNT,
What was your weight and MPG?

Just curious.

TIA

Tony

 

TonyB - The best I ever got out of the Dmax was 15 mpg. The first tank with the dodge was at 17mpg. I moved a partial load of horses about 90 miles in the first tank. Total weight with stock was around 8000 lbs. I just filled the second tank, used it at work with more off road and got 16.2mpg, both were hand calc'd. I went back to the manual transmission, the allison was great as a daily driver, but I noticed that when towing I was working the tow/haul, od lockout and the gear shift so much that I really wanted to control what the truck was doing. The Allison is a big transmission and it could easily eat a couple mpg's.
Chris

 

Chris...
Sorry to hear of your cab incident. I don't think a whole lot of guys would fess-up to something like that. Along those lines, I did the same thing with my 5er. When I first got it, I jacknifed that pig in a parking lot and no issues. A couple months later and I'm turning around in our culdesac and WHACK! $500 worth of repair body repair, 6-pack of ego repair I've got a Reese slider, and you can bet that I've been using it even if the manuever looks slightly like it may have damage potential. Two more repair bills like that and I could have bought a Superglide...
Good luck my friend.
Radman