Posted 2010-07-11 7:51 AM (#122194) Subject: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Selah, WA
Hi everyone,
I posted a few weeks ago looking for advice on trailers. I found a local trailer that fits my needs. It's not 100% what I want, but for the price, and what I will be using it for, it seems to be perfect. I show 1 weekend a month, and camp occasionally, and haul to lessons once a week.
I bought a 2 horse bp 2 years ago and my needs have changed. I find I need a 3 horse gooseneck with a place to sleep,that I can put a mini fridge, microwave, A/C, sink and maybe cowboy shower. I wanted a 4' shortwall, but for the price and since it is just me, I decided on a 2' shortwall, as I mainly just need somewhere to sleep, and nap out of the heat. I really needed a shorter trailer to navigate our difficult driveway, and limited space. Anyway, we found a 1998 4 star 3 horse gooseneck with a 2' short wall. It has a strange looking nose, which I haven't seen before.
I am wondering if I will need a gooseneck extension hitch, so the nose does not hit the cab of my pickup. I will be towing it with a 2008 2500 HD Chevrolet. Was this nose designed for aerodynamics? Anyone have experience with this particular build? I am just curious. The trailer is a really clean, solid trailer for the age, and I was impressed with the build quality when looking at it, as compared to a featherlight, and exiss compared side by side.
I am new to pulling a gooseneck. I found a D&B Turnover hitch to install from a private party and I am told it should fit a 2000 and newer short or
long bed truck. What pieces should this hitch come with to install it? I don't want to buy it and find out that I don't have all the pieces.
I always glean so much information from this insight and others experiences. Thanks in advance!
Posted 2010-07-11 9:03 AM (#122198 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Florida
Sorry no comment on a used hitch. However, we pull a very large LQ Sooner with a tapered nose on a Ford dually short bed. I have never had an issue. Yet I am always watching.
I just sold my set back ball on Ebay. Never used it and frankly it sets too much weight off the axels, that 4 inches back adds more than you can imagine in a LQ.
Posted 2010-07-11 9:09 AM (#122199 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Selah, WA
Hmm, maybe I will just hook up and see how it turns and how much clearance I have, before I buy an extension. I didn't think how this would affect the weight distribution. Something to think about. Thanks
Posted 2010-07-11 11:04 AM (#122205 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
I don't know what pieces should be there on the hitch. I did have one like that installed in December or January and it was about $550 or a little less installed.
I may have more information about it (maybe a parts list?) in the truck but I'll have to look later in the day to see if it's there and what information that I have. We're having some construction done and the truck is parked elsewhere.
Posted 2010-07-11 4:45 PM (#122214 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 37 Location: Minnesota
I have a short bed (GMC, so 6'6") with a 2006 4-Star gooseneck. The nose comes close but doesn't hit, but I recommend you hook it up and try it out because noses have different tapers. I had the same questions when I was looking to purchase the trailer I currently own, and most of the folks on here recommended against the extender. Something about it changing the center of gravity or something. As it turned out, I didn't need one.Have you looked online to see if you can find a parts list for the D&B hitch you're looking at?
Posted 2010-07-11 9:54 PM (#122225 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Selah, WA
summit_bound: I looked online and found the parts list, and there are quite a few pieces. I think I will just buy new, rather than risk not having all the parts.
Anyone else know anything about this specific type of gooseneck? I haven't seen many like it on the 4 stars. I don't know if they just made them for a few years and then
d/c them or what. Any problems with them?
A friend said I probably wouldn't like the reduced space. I got up in there and wiggled around and there is more room than it appears. The only problem sleeping up there would be the chance of bumping your head up towards the front of the nose, if you sat
straight up. There is never a ton of room in goosenecks, so for 1 person, I don't think it would bother me.
RE: Shortbed/gooseneck: A friend just mentioned that the placement of the gooseneck in a short bed is in the same place it is in the full sized bed, so clearance shouldn't be a
problem. The problem with short beds is the rail clearance on the side of the truck. This doesn't make sense to me? Anyone want to comment?
Posted 2010-07-11 10:55 PM (#122230 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Selah, WA
Phoresic: Wow, that is beautiful. I will have to show my husband. We want to finish it out with a sink, microwave, fridge, lined insulated, A/C and heat and maybe a cabinet or two. A lot for this tiny space, but I think we can do it. I am excited now, after seeing those pictures! I could probably stack the microwave, refrigerator, and refrigerator on the 2' short wall, and put the sink in the corner right when you walk into the trailer, or do it something like they did. Hmmmm.
Posted 2010-07-12 12:19 AM (#122235 - in reply to #122225) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Regular
Posts: 90
Hi Slidingirl, The problem is smashing your rear window out, if not the cab of your truck. You may be fine 98% of the time...but there is that one tight turn that may get you & we all know that things like that happen at the most inconvenient time! I have the Pop-Up SB1 coupler & love it. I even use it after I purchased a long bed...extra room in the bed & keeps my tailgate away from my propane tanks when I'm hitching. The weight distribution being out of whack is incorrect...coupler is engineered to keep the weight over the original position...check it out...better safe than sorry :( & they are not too expensive. Cute trailer, congrats!
Posted 2010-07-12 9:11 AM (#122240 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Veteran
Posts: 214 Location: lyle,mn
climb up in the goose a couple of times and find out who easy or hard it is lay down and get up. then remember if you put a mattress up there you will loose even more head room. We had a trailler that had a bullet nose and we hated it for sleeping up there. Our feet had to be facing the goose and our heads at the bulk head and you would loose your pillow at nite. Don't know if you are young or older but do climb up there and try it out a couple of times you might be surprise.
Posted 2010-07-12 1:04 PM (#122256 - in reply to #122240) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326 Location: Gallatin, TN
Originally written by dawnb on 2010-07-12 9:11 AM
climb up in the goose a couple of times and find out who easy or hard it is lay down and get up. then remember if you put a mattress up there you will loose even more head room. We had a trailler that had a bullet nose and we hated it for sleeping up there. Our feet had to be facing the goose and our heads at the bulk head and you would loose your pillow at nite. Don't know if you are young or older but do climb up there and try it out a couple of times you might be surprise.
I agree, it may seem to be okay now but if you do finish out the inside everything you add to that nose is going to take away from what clearance/height you have now.
Posted 2010-07-12 8:17 PM (#122275 - in reply to #122194) Subject: RE: 4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Selah, WA
Well, hopefully it won't be too bad, because we already purchased the trailer. I did crawl around in the nose and sit up and there seemed to be plenty of room for just me. I have a pretty thin termpurpedic mattress to put up there, and even with the insulation, it should only add 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness to the walls.
I figured that since I am 5'3", that I can always sleep with my feet first if it seems too tight. LOL!!
4 star with tapered nose and shortbed pickup and other questions
