Quote:
Originally Posted by JumpinJoe
.... Has anyone put a 1" shim under the bed rails to gain that inch? Would it even work?
|
Assuming that in this context "bed rails' refers to the rails that mount the hitch-base to the bed floor (perhaps "hitch rails" a better term to avoid confusion)...
Note that ETI's clearance guidance is based, in part, on keeping the trailer nominally 'level' when towing (for a number of good reasons relating to tire wear, handling, weight transfer / center-of-gravity location, etc).
What you're describing is effectively raising the nose of the trailer to an attitude where the trailer is no longer 'level' when towing (which BTW can often be accomplished by adjusting the hitch-ball height or hitch-plate height without resorting to a shim under the in-bed hitch rails).
Not only will +1" at the hitch ball / hitch plate not gain a full +1" of vertical clearance at the bed-rails/tailgate (due to the 'slope' now introduced on the trailer) but towing with the trailer 'nose-high' beyond some limit has it's own potentially bad consequences.
I could be wrong but methinks that raising the hitch ball (or hitch plate) above the 'trailer-level height' is not the solution to inadequate vertical bed-rail / tailgate clearance
if in fact you suffer that problem.
Linear Mode
