Maximum Jack Knife Angle

I reach, or pass, 90 degrees every time I park at home.

fred42 wrote:
I was building a kayak rack and because I only have a super cab, not a crew cab, I am trying to squeeze a little more room into the bed area.

Here are my clearances at different trailer angles:



My question is do I really have to allow for 90 degrees? What number are you comfortable with staying under?

thanks for any advice,
fred

Fred, backing up is where you'll get in trouble. A good portion of trucks, especially 4x4's, simply won't turn tight enough to hit, going forward. Some =will=; ALL will when backing up.

Lyle

The only time mine has ever been at 90° was when I was testing it in a parking lot. But it gets to 45° frequently. I think it is pretty rare that I have ever been past 45°, and I think figuring 67.5° would be a pretty good compromise.

Having said that, don't forget that the front cap of your fiver angles back a lot and I would think you should have a lot more clearance than your drawing shows, at a height 6" above the cab where the kayak would be riding. The higher the rack, the greater the clearance.

Well, maybe strike that last thought, because the sidewall is vertical. Would still apply to a single kayak on center, but not outward from center.

You could consider going with a slider hitch, even though you have a long bed.