Determining Cab Clearance on Short Bed F-350 with Reese Goose Box

Question:

2016 f350 crew cab short wheelbase will it work also a 4 inch offset goose neck ball and how do you measure length of goose box from center of ball hookup to what thanks for your help trailer is 96 wide center of ball to cab 42

asked by: Doug

Helpful Expert Reply:

There is a handy formula you can use to determine if you will have the necessary cab clearance to make a 90 degree turn with your short bed truck and 20K Reese Goose Box like # RP85FR. The formula is as follows:

(A + B) - C = Clearance

A = Distance from center of gooseneck ball to truck cab (This is the 42" you mentioned).
B = Length of Offset (If the above measurement is taken from the offset ball this will be 0 - if the measurement though is from the gooseneck ball hole - then you would use 4 here for the offset that your ball provides)
C = Width of trailer divided by 2 (this comes out to 48" for your trailer).

So for your particular setup your formula is (42 + 4) - 48 = negative 2. In order to ensure cab clearance during 90 degree turns this clearance number needs to be at least 4.

So with this in mind you won't have enough clearance for these types of sharp maneuvers, even with the 4" offset on the gooseneck ball. The Goose Box itself doesn't offer any kind of additional offset with its design. If you proceed with this existing setup you will just need to be really careful when making sharp turns. I recommend taking the trailer out to an empty parking lot with a buddy to test its capabilities. You can have your buddy stand outside while you make various turns so he can give you the panic wave when the trailer starts to get close to your cab.

Otherwise you will be better off using a different gooseneck adapter, such as the Ranch Hitch # AM3139, which bolts right onto the original standard king pin on your trailer and offers an 8" offset to help with that cab clearance.