Posted 2010-01-03 8:26 AM (#114784 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Regular
Posts: 69
Location: NW Florida
The one truck we're looking at, it is up over the sides of the truckbed-box (has to be doesn't it?) I see what you mean, though. And, of course, the box is removable, it just looks so useful and utilitarian, that I'd love to be able to keep it and use it! I was wondering if there was a measurement as to how far back it could come...
Posted 2010-01-03 8:40 AM (#114785 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Regular
Posts: 92
Location: Harrisburg, PA
I think a measurement approach will only give an answer that applies to a perfectly level surface. If you make a turn on any kind of incline it will pinch down toward the box on the inside.
To be safe, I think I'd get the poly material kind and not overdo it on size. That way if it pinches you don't destroy too much stuff.
Or you can make a cardboard mockup and give it a try, moving around in tight quarters to see if it will interfere.
Posted 2010-01-03 8:49 AM (#114786 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri
A friend of mine has a long bed, but his tool box is across the front of the bed, not the sides, Has plenty of room also has room for a 65 gal water tank behind it and still has room. I would also think that the gn would hit the boxes mounted on the side rails... Better safe than sorry.....
Posted 2010-01-03 9:38 AM (#114788 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
Since I'm a builder, I always have tools in the bed of my truck. I don't want them getting wet in the weather or stolen when I'm parked some place. The bed caps and hard covers don't work for me, since I hook up the GN several times each week. So I have a roll up tonnaeu cover. When I don't have the trailer hooked up I keep the cover rolled out and in place. When i hook up the trailer, I just roll the cover to the front. It forms a 10" maybe a little bigger roll. Which I've never had problem with. Granted tool boxes are bigger. I've seen tool boxes that don't stick up over the sides. Mainly because I have the cover, I've kept an eye out for products that fit under neath the cover. Several of the Tonnaeu makers build roll up covers with tool boxes incorporated into them.
Posted 2010-01-03 9:52 AM (#114789 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Regular
Posts: 83
I have a long bed truck, with a toolbox that sits over the rails in the front of my bed. I've had this setup for over a year. I have a shorter gooseneck trailer, only a 2 horse with 4' SW. The only time you would be in danger of hitting the toolbox is if you turn the trailer very sharp, and the trailer is on a higher grade than the truck. I've never run into any trouble with mine so far, but I am very mindful of the situation. I can see out my back window and watch very carefully. I try to avoid sharp 90 degree truck to trailer turn offs, unless I know I'm on level ground. I've been in rough uneven terrain backing in and turning around. I would think if you have a real long trailer, that you need to make a lot of sharp angles for backing in and out, you might want to take the box off. If you turn around tight, like a real tight u-turn, is where you have to watch the most. You wouldn't want to make the u-turn real tight if the u-turn was on a side hill, or unlevel grade. The gooseneck WILL hit the toolboxes in certain situations.
My box comes off in minutes just by loosening 2 bolts and sliding out the back of the truck. I love my toolboxes though. All of my tools, cords, jacks, straps, jumper cables, tow strap, etc. are always locked in my truck boxes. With a smaller trailer, the extra room for storage outweighs the caution used on tight turns. When my toolboxes are on, I kind of treat my gooseneck more like a bumper pull as far as how sharp I will turn the trailer.
If you want to use the truck boxes, find an area where you can test out your limitations. That's what I did. Put the boxes on my truck, went out into the pasture with my trailer. I had a friend as a spotter to watch the distance between the gooseneck and the boxes. It doesn't take long to find what you can and can't do with the trailer. If the thought of having to be cautious with turning is an issue, take the boxes off, or buy one of those gooseneck extender things that people put on short bed trucks. That will put the gooseneck further back.
Posted 2010-01-03 11:47 AM (#114793 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas
Originally written by sweetas on 2010-01-03 7:09 AM
If you have a long bed, can you still use a toolbox with the gooseneck? Worried about damaging either the trailer or the goosneck. Thanks!
Depends on if you have a trailer with a dropped nose or not! If you have a standard gooseneck it will work with no trouble, if you have a trailer with a dropped nose like most newer 4 STARS or even our Sundowner has, it will hit on some turns. Our trailer can not be hauled with a 4x4 truck that has a reguler bed because it hits the corners of the bed on some dips in the road or driveways unless we raise the trailer up high in the front. That is why we have a hauler bed.
Posted 2010-01-03 3:52 PM (#114804 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Regular
Posts: 69
Location: NW Florida
Hmmm. That's alot of stuff to think about. We have the particular truck here for the weekend, the box sits up 5" above the sides of the truck box. If we get this truck, we'll have to get a gooseneck hitch installed, maybe I should ask about the extender. Does this change turning radius or any other hauling factors? Since we are planning to do some camping with this trailer, I assume we will not always be on level ground. It's just such a nice set-up! There's also an extra diesel tank as a separate piece - this makes the toolbox sit back a little bit, I'm sure this increases the likelihood of a problem. The extra diesel tank doesn't look like it will cause a problem, though.
Posted 2010-01-03 5:24 PM (#114810 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
Go ahead and buy the truck and sell those side boxes on Craigslist or Ebay or something..... If these side boxes are 5" higher than the bed rail, you'll be in trouble with a gooseneck horse trailer. I got about 9" between my trailer and truck bed and sometimes it almost touches when turning in a driveway. You'll be able to get more for those boxes if they're not all bent up...!
Posted 2010-01-03 8:13 PM (#114820 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Member
Posts: 20
We have a tool box in our long bed that sits down in the bed and is at an angle, got it from trailer world, it works great and is never in the way of the trailer, you can also see over it better when backing up to the gooseneck hook up.
Posted 2010-01-05 9:54 AM (#114899 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350
I have an aluminum tool box that I took off of the top of a fuel tank/tool box combo. The tool box portion was narrower than the bed; so I made an aluminum frame that let the toolbox set down at the height of the bed rails. This works great for towing trailers and for hauling long materials, as the box sets about 10" off the floor of the bed. If I need to take it out, it will come right out of the framework. I have it mounted in a long bed 350 Ford.
Posted 2010-01-06 6:48 PM (#114971 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA
I have a toolbox that runs the full width of the truck bed but sits lower than the bedrails, so no chance of hitting it in a tight turn with the gooseneck. It is nice to have an external compartment to keep tire chains, etc.
Posted 2010-01-07 11:32 AM (#114985 - in reply to #114782) Subject: RE: toolboxes and gooseneck trailers
Veteran
Posts: 229
sweetas. I would go for what retento suggests. Sell the existing tool box and then, if you want a box, buy one of the boxes that will sit down in the bed and be flush with the bed rails. I have one of these boxes. My box happens to be one of the types that is flat topped and sloped at the bottom to fit against the front of the wheel wells. I shove the box all the way back to the front of the wheel wells. This gives both the box space and the space between the box and the cab for storage. However, if you want to keep the box, I really don't see too much of an issue, especially with a 7 wide trailer, as I pile stuff ahead of my box well above the bed rails and have only munched my plastic chairs a couple of times.