Goober

I have a Quick lock gooseneck that you back into and it locks and all you have to do is drop a cover and knock it in place. Well i was going down the high way the other day unloaded (thank god) and it came unhitched and hit the tail gate. Any ideas on how to keep it from ever happening again.


Also it is a flat bed trailer and i want to at 3-5 feet on the end to make it a dove tail. Can this be done or is that impractical.

Sorry my spelling sucks.

Goober

Bonshawman

Goober-
Can't tell from pics, but is there a location to drill through a hole you could put a pin in to secure it in the closed position ? Or some way to mount something that could drop down and secure it closed (which then might have to be secured itself ?) ?

Also hard to answer on the add-on portion. First, if you change the trailer, whatever weight rating the manufacturer provided is no longer good, so you would possible have to re-weigh and certify, especially if you are commercial use.

Second - depending on the current weight of the trailer and its axles, (and tires) will they support the weight of the additional section and any load ?

If changing the configuration is not a concern from RATING or CAPACITY issues, it then becomes engineering - how to fabricate the tail to be both functional and strong enough. If you are a good fabricator and welder, you can make anything. Adding length to the rear of an existing trailer can be tricky because of load placement and balance as it relates to axle placement.

Step back, take a long look, and possibly consider selling your trailer and purchasing one which is closer to what you want (also solves your pin locking issue).

roughstock

As far as the coupler, I would replace it with the standard Bulldog type or other similar coupler. If it isn't the pin and set bolt kind, where you can just slide it out and replace it, GO to a weld or trailer shop and have them change it over. And for the dovetail, It is possilbe, but do you really want to? If it is just used for around the farm to and from town, with light stuff, I'd say maybe you could to it, But with the cost of trailers right now, new and used, I would consider getting a new one. It will have the good coupler and the dove tail/ramps and all the other things you would want. Check out Pro-trak trailers(near Terrell), that is were i ordered my new one. I sold my old GN FB locally and got good $$ for it, and I went new because I was seeing used trailers sell for the same price. just my experience.

cwrhnr

A buddy of mine welded two pieces of chain one on each side up high on the neck and welded some eyelets through the bed to his mounts with just enough slack that if it did come off it wouldn't go far enough away from the ball to hurt anything but the bottom of the bed. I haven't been around goosenecks alot, that may be the normal way things are, but he's always welding something extra to everything he owns.

rich

try using safety chains thats what prevents that problem i would replace the hitch that way their is no more safety issues

Country Limo

I have a older gn like you have with the exception that mine has holes behind the clasp that I place a bolt thru to keep it locked onto the ball. No way short of a crash will it come off the ball. I like ya but I ain't going to crash sooooze I can tell you that it stays locked on the ball!!!!!

Goober

Country Limo Could you take a pic and show me what u are talking about.

Country Limo

Sorry, signed off last night soon after I posted. Don't know exactly how to post a pic? I'll try to explain. behind where your clasp comes down over the metal dowel to lock it in place is where my holes are and where I put a bolt thru to really keep it locked onto the ball. the clasp in your pic you know the inverted "J" thing that comes down over the dowel? my plate extends about 2 more inches and in that area is holes on both pieces that I put a bolt thru with washers and two nuts to jam one another. Do u understand?

2RamsNoCash

On the beaver/dovetail we did it to one of our fifthwheel deckovers it was a 24' with tandem 7k axles we found that we had to move them back 10" for trailer to be stable loaded and empty a friend did similar with a 20' gooseneck and didn't have to move them as well we looked at other beaver designs and copied the framework after spending 300 in steel some we had around,and many nights welding it works but makes trailer harder to manuver and we dont carry any weight on tail as well it dropped the capacity of trailer by adding weight since we moved axles back load center changed.We decided if we had to do over longer loading ramps was the way to go.just my .02

Goober

My loading ramps are 8' and 150lbs. I was just looking for a way to have shorter ramps and this is the only way i can do it. No weight would ever ride on it but i would be driving my 3ton tractor on it all the time. I do not have the time or money for a new trailer right now.

Any other ideas on how to shorten these monster ramps.

2RamsNoCash

well my ramps are 6' and my deck ht is about 3' lemmie tell you I dont enjoy loading on flat I try and find a slope and put back up to it.They store nice under the trailer but it has room for longer and I am making them.when I loaded a stock 77 dodge army surplus truck the crossmember cleared by a half inch. I only load tractor/equipment usually and they have to run and have brakes and still at the angle you get nervous.its too bad you aren't near me I would probably trade ramps with you.if it was me I would keep longer ones and take 3"channel and weld 1 1/2"x1/4" angle across it.and at end weld extra channel on to hook to trailer.I saw a guy use old warehouse shelf uprights cut up as ramps they were light but I would worry about bending.Bill