Putting A Gooseneck Body On Your Truck To Increase Versatility
Any time you use your truck for work or hauling, you want to ensure it can work for you. Adding versatility to a truck sometimes means changing the rear body and replacing it with something different. Gooseneck truck bodies are a great option if you use the truck to haul a gooseneck trailer and still need some cargo space.
Body Designs
Gooseneck trailers use a hitch design that reaches over the rear of the truck pulling it, to attach to a ball mounted over the rear axle. This allows more hitch weight to sit directly over the suspension and tires for more strength and towing stability.
One way to accommodate this design is with gooseneck truck bodies that have lower sides and no tailgate to get in the way. The truck can more easily back into the gooseneck and connect the trailer, and when the body is designed right, it can still have utility boxes on the sides that allow tool storage or small amounts of cargo to be stowed in the boxes.
Gooseneck truck bodies often don't carry the trailer's weight but have an access hole in them for the hitch to connect through. Because of that, the body does not have to have any standard other than the lower sides, and if it has a tailgate, it is often cut down low to allow the hitch to clear it.
Body Materials
There are some benefits to choosing the aluminum gooseneck truck bodies over other materials beyond weight. Gooseneck truck bodies are typically made from steel or aluminum, and the latter is an excellent option for saving weight on the back of the truck. Because aluminum is anti-corrosive and nonferrous metal, it is durable, and since it can be recycled repeatedly, it is a good option that will not end up piling up as scrap years down the road.
The maintenance on aluminum gooseneck truck bodies is lower than steel or other materials, and you can paint it or powder coat it to match the truck if you want. Often leaving it bare is a good option, but if you want to ensure there is no staining or damage to the body, you may want to have the body sealed with a clear coat to protect it.
Picking out the truck body's design, color, and options is a good starting point, and many manufacturers will install the body on your truck when it is ready. Talk to the dealer or manufacturer you are working with to determine if aluminum gooseneck bodies would be a good option for you and how long it will take to complete the work.
