Hi there. My name is Georgia Collins. Welcome to my website about caring for your vehicle. When I bought my first car, I was thrilled until it starts to sputter and stall while driving down the road. Unfortunately, I had failed to properly maintain the vehicle, resulting in damage to important engine components. Since that moment, I have learned how to care for my vehicle properly — and am delighted to share that knowledge with you all through this site. I invite you to visit often to learn all you can about care and upkeep of automobiles of all kinds. Thanks for coming by.
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All About Caring for Your Vehicle
Important Installation Considerations For Gooseneck Hitches
Jackie Gilbert
Installing a gooseneck hitch is not as simple as installing a traditional trailer hitch on your truck. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to placement and installation. Understanding the basics is an important first step toward getting the gooseneck hitch that you need with the safety of proper operation and installation. Here are a few things that you need to think about.
Why Gooseneck Hitch Placement Is Important
If you are used to the traditional bumper hitches, you may think that installing a gooseneck hitch is no big deal either. The truth is that gooseneck hitches are a bit more complicated because of the geometry of the hitch and the subsequent towing.
The goal of a gooseneck hitch is to distribute the trailer weight more evenly, placing some of that weight over the center of your truck instead of having it all pulled behind. However, if your hitch isn't positioned correctly, you may find yourself with trailer handling problems.
For example, if the hitch is too far forward, your trailer may strike the back window of the truck when you turn, putting you at risk of breaking the back window. You need to consider the turning radius of your trailer as well as your truck bed length when positioning the hitch in the bed.
What You Should Consider During Placement
When it comes to actually positioning your gooseneck hitch, there are two things that you need to think about. The first is the clearance from the truck's rear window. If you can place the hitch itself at least three feet or so from the rear window glass, that allows for the clearance needed in most cases so that your glass is not threatened in the maneuverability of the trailer.
The second factor is the position of the hitch in relation to your rear axle. Your rear axle will play a key role in the weight distribution of the trailer, so you need to be sure that your hitch takes that into consideration. Ideally, your gooseneck hitch should be installed so that the hitch itself is in line with the rear axle. If this isn't possible, it should be as close to it as you can get.
For the best handling results from your gooseneck hitch, work with an installation shop that offers custom-welded installation so that you can ensure that your hitch is installed where it needs to be. The custom weld allows for the hitch to be placed over the rear axle even if there is something that would otherwise preclude it from being placed there.
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