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Member
Posts: 10
Location: Ivanhoe, NC | I have a 2009 Bison Stratus 4 horse with 16' SW and 12' super slide. My GMC 3500 towed the trailer great but didn't have enough stopping power, so I just upgraded to a new-to-me 2006 GMC C4500 with the Monroe truck bed. Even with the air bags off the truck is still running the trailer nose high. Can't adjust the coupler any more or I will likely get into the bed when turning. My Bison has always been really low to the ground and drags on very small humps or uneven ground. What experience has anyone had with blocking the axles to gain more clearance on the trailer? |
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Veteran
Posts: 170
 
Location: Minnesota | I had the back of my 4 Star (32' on the belly) rasied 3" because the box on newer pickups are higher. Local guy does it all the time. The blocking was between the axle frame and the trailer. He used 3" block channel steel. I have been pulling for 3 years with no problems. Sounds like you did not have the trailer brakes properly adjusted if you could not stop. My four horse, mid tack, with full living qtrs 4 Star with a 3500 Chev has no problem in stopping. |
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Veteran
Posts: 122
Location: Grant Twp., MI | It depends on your total GCWR - you might be surprized what it weighs - we pull a 4 Star 4 horse living quarter...solid wood, slide-out, generator, all the bells and whistles and the trailer alone WITHOUT HORSES AS STATED ON THE TITLE FROM OUTLAW/4 STAR is GVWR: 19,650 pounds! (Shipping weight 12,750 lbs) When we add 3 horses, hay, water, our personal belongings etc,etc,etc...we pull with an International truck (about 11,500 pounds) and when we went over the CAT scale we were about 37,000 pounds....so they can and do weight more than most folks realize...really depends on the trailer you own...we tried with a 3500 chevy. duramax dually/with air bags...and we could not stop either...and the brakes were properly adjusted on the trailer, it was the tail wagging the dog, and we also were using a Prodigy brake controller so everyone has a different experience...good thing we are "flat-landers" but we did eventually sell the Chevy....expensive choices....regrets later....such is life! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | Back to the OP question. Blocking the axles is a fairly common practice. Especially with folks who trail ride and frequent back country Forest Service trail heads. And 3" is the common lift normally installed. Much more than that and you may need to add a ramp to load your horses. Measure your trailers height off the ground and see just what a 3" lift does to the bumper hieght. Something in the 21" to 24" range is pretty doable for most horses. And I suspect it's more a problem for people to step up over a taller bumper than for the horses to jump in. Also if you lead the horses out forward vs backing them out, The height will make a difference. Horses backing out of a trailer are always reaching to find the ground, So they notice the raised height more than a horse coming out forward that can see the ground and just plops out. |
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Member
Posts: 10
Location: Ivanhoe, NC | What about air bags on the trailer? |
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Member
Posts: 10
Location: Ivanhoe, NC | My trailer has a ramp, so loading should not be an issue. Four inches would be better as far as getting enough clearance on the truck. |
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Veteran
Posts: 170
Location: Minnesota | Originally written by rowancreekfarms on 2012-06-18 3:47 PM
What about air bags on the trailer? I spoke to one company re airbags and they were north of $5,000 for the bags & installation. Cost to block was less than $400. |
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Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | With ramp and wanting 4" of added height,
I'd even consider changing out your tires for 17.5" or 19" wheels for added load capacity. With the extra height, You should have the clearance, Just watch the space between the tires. |
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Member
Posts: 10
Location: Ivanhoe, NC | I think there's room for a bigger tire...hauling the trailer to my tire guy today. Sure would hate to remove the box on this truck and replace it with a hauler bed, but it looks like both of my trailers aren't going to ride level without doing something. Don't want to block both trailers. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
Location: CA | I had the same problem with an older Featherlite and a (new then) 2001 Dodge 4x4. I ended up blocking the axles and lowering the truck. I considered getting bigger tires, but with the added diameter they rode too close to each other. The only problem I have is with trailering horses who aren't used to the big step up. |
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Blocking axles to tow with Kodiak
