Goose neck vs bumper pull

foreman Etexas · Feb 10, 2015

I'm thinking about getting a tandom 32', hit me up about April. Mine currently is a 14k-25ft it's 3yrs old.

dodge man · Feb 10, 2015

Yeah you want to look at your weights. I'm not sure what your truck is rated for, its a 7.3 so its an older one. For reference my truck is a 04 Dodge 2500 with a Cummins and is rated for something like 11,500 pounds. You get a trailer that weighs 5000 or 6000 pounds its easy to get over the weight your truck is rated for in a hurry.

Diamondpilot · Feb 10, 2015

kevin37b said:
Chris , you are usually right on the money . I do not understand this post .Why would you pull that big of a trailer , assume BP with a SUV ? I do not understand the loss of bedspace either . I have a toolbox , shovels , laser case and tripod stacked around my hitch and no problem . Just asking .

We had an Excursion and Expedition at the time in addition to my F350 and prior to that a GMC 3500 and my uncle had a 2500 Suburban. We only had one pickup at a time and it limited us.

As for the bed I needed it for boat stands, bikes, implements, ect. No shovels or small stuff.

Just didn't work for us.

Chris

Cord · Feb 10, 2015

streamin said:
I tow with an f250, 7.3 diesel and my trailer is a 20ft pipe top with 7k axles. When I went to my new tractor it weighed more. With loader, boxblade(#1100) or brush hog the weight I think is between #7500- #8000. Trailer is about #3000. Tongue weight was about #1100. Even though it is within limits the last time I drove 1500 miles it was very nerve racking to drive and not comfortable. I also had about #500 in the bed of the truck.

It sounds like you have an older truck with a solid front axle. This means you'll have recirculating ball steering. I had a similar setup in my Dodge 2500. What I found is that the truck did not like having the front axle unloaded. With your tongue weight and load in the bed, the front axle was light. I have since added a weight distribution system to my bumper trailer and the truck just loves it. Although a gooseneck will pull much better, for the cost of a craigslist deal, I'd give the weight distribution hitch a try first. I've since graduated from the Dodge to a current F150. Towing capacity went up, HP went down but the half ton is way more capable of towing 10k than the Dodge ever was.

btw- I've been told that backing a goose-neck trailer is not the easiest thing to accomplish.

RedNeckRacin · Feb 10, 2015

Backing a GN is different but certainly not harder. I actually think its easier since I have caught onto it because you have to try and jack knife it. Once you get onto it, you don't even think about it. DP and I don't see eye to eye on BP vs GN trailers. We have gone back and forth quite a few times. I think that for a pickup to tow heavy equipment around, there isn't a better choice than a GN provided all your weights work out. GFAWR, GRAWR, GCWR, and your license and truck registration as your state requires. I towed around 18k behind a 1 ton SRW diesel regularly when I first bought my JD. The truck did it but I was not comfortable if I ever had to panic stop. I would have never have dreamed of hooking that much weight up on the BP if the truck had been equipped to do so. We have large hills in PA that puts a diesels pulling power to the test and braking even more so.

RobertN · Feb 10, 2015

My experience is a little different than others have mentioned so far. But if I get another trailer it will be a GN.

We have a relatively light(7500lb) 5th wheel; it is 27' and no slides. For my tractor, I have a 16' 7000lb BP that is close to max with the tractor on it. The 5th wheel is a pleasure to drive(longest trip 5000 miles round trip Sacramento Ca to Corpus Christi Tx). The BP trailer, even with good balance load, still bounces the back of the truck.

The 5th wheel does back different, but it is easy. Worst is when I don't think and try to back it like a BP.

I have been looking at replacing my flatbed. Use one of the GN adapter plates for the rails in my truck in place of the 5th wheel hitch. The trailer fairy has not visited, so will be a while before I buy

bironacad · Feb 10, 2015

RobertN said:
My experience is a little different than others have mentioned so far. But if I get another trailer it will be a GN.

We have a relatively light(7500lb) 5th wheel; it is 27' and no slides. For my tractor, I have a 16' 7000lb BP that is close to max with the tractor on it. The 5th wheel is a pleasure to drive(longest trip 5000 miles round trip Sacramento Ca to Corpus Christi Tx). The BP trailer, even with good balance load, still bounces the back of the truck.

The 5th wheel does back different, but it is easy. Worst is when I don't think and try to back it like a BP.

I have been looking at replacing my flatbed. Use one of the GN adapter plates for the rails in my truck in place of the 5th wheel hitch. The trailer fairy has not visited, so will be a while before I buy

I am looking at getting trailer for my compact and have a 40' fifth wheel and was wondering if there is a disadvantage to just getting the trailer for my tractor with the tongue for the fifth wheel hitch?

ovrszd · Feb 10, 2015

streamin said:
What size truck are you using to pull these? Now I am questioning my F250.

I pull with a '00 Ford Super Duty F250 Powerstroke.

farmer2009 · Feb 10, 2015

bironacad said:
I am looking at getting trailer for my compact and have a 40' fifth wheel and was wondering if there is a disadvantage to just getting the trailer for my tractor with the tongue for the fifth wheel hitch?

No disadvantage that I know of. But one big advantage is people won't be trying to barrow it because it's got the wrong hitch in it. All you do is slide out the coupler and slide in the king pin. Keep the coupler for when you want to sell it. It may make the deal.

Diamondpilot · Feb 10, 2015

ovrszd said:
I pull with a '00 Ford Super Duty F250 Powerstroke.

With that truck you have to watch tongue weight closely. What is the GVWR? If it's 8,800# as so many were in that era you are going to be close.

With a diesel a 4x4 F250 is 7500#. Add a driver and passenger and you are pushing 8000#

The tow rating was around 12,000# for your truck. Even a light weight GN trailer is 4000# only leaving you with 8000# payload. You are more than likely in one of them cases where you can "legally" tow more with a BP. A GN is going to put 20% on the ball which is 2400# in this case, clearly over your rating. In most cases just the empty trailer would put you at the max rating by putting 800# on the ball. A BP trailer put 10# on the ball so you could have a 8000# load vs a 4000# load with a GN and as mentioned earlier a BP trailer is considerably lighter than a same size same GVWR GN.

Chris

idaho2 · Feb 10, 2015

Loss of bed space is not a problem with the B & W turn ball. I have one in my Ram 2500 and when using the GN I unlock the ball and turn it over and now I can slide in a sheet of plywood. For a fifth wheel I remove the turn ball and insert the companion stem and lock down the fifth wheel hitch. Like the rest of you I did not want lose my bed floor space when not needing my hitches.

idaho2

QRTRHRS · Feb 10, 2015

I think the 14k 20+5 beavertail GN I sold weighed 4500lbs. The man I sold it to showed up with a 7.3 non turbo that struggled a bit to pull the trailer. He was wondering if the brakes were dragging so we hooked it to my 12v 5.9. I think he lost a little faith in his truck that day but he bought the trailer anyway.

One reason I sold it was I kept dragging the beavertail due to the low clearance that this particular trailer had. That trailer would also give me "backslap" no matter how I loadeded it. Yet the same truck pulled my tandem dually dump like a dream.

That's a good deal for fellow members to offer to let you pull their trailer so you can get a feel before you buy.

Diamondpilot · Feb 10, 2015

idaho2 said:
Loss of bed space is not a problem with the B & W turn ball. I have one in my Ram 2500 and when using the GN I unlock the ball and turn it over and now I can slide in a sheet of plywood. For a fifth wheel I remove the turn ball and insert the companion stem and lock down the fifth wheel hitch. Like the rest of you I did not want lose my bed floor space when not needing my hitches.

idaho2

I'm not talking about the ball. I had the same setup. I'm talking about towing the trailer and still using the bed.

Chris

Billrog · Feb 10, 2015

Got rid of my GN and no regrets truck box is always free equalizer hitch only takes a couple mins. to install when I'm hauling something heavy enough to need it.

bindian · Feb 11, 2015

Below is a photo of my 20 foot GN. She carried 14,000 pounds. Weight on the axles was 2600 pounds, giving me 11,400 pounds of carrying weight. My tractor weighs 11,300 pounds. Adding the grapple onboard with a bucket over grossed it. This is why I upgraded to a longer, heavier trailer. She pulled like a dream empty or full at "high" highway speeds, just like my dual tandem. With my Ram 2500 and my Ram 3500.............I can see the GN ball while backing up to hitch up. This is why I don't have a bed fuel tank. I could put this 20 GN in places a 20 BP trailer would never dare to go.

Oh yeah........only reason I upgraded from a Ram 2500 to a Ram 3500 is pulling all this weigh in the Texas Hill Country. I routinely pulled with the Ram 2500 way over the trucks rated pull.
Farm tags keeps all the legal stuff simple.
hugs, Brandi

bindian · Feb 11, 2015

Streamin,
Thanks for the PM. If I am lucky today and win the bid on a JD 14 foot tandem disc, you can test pull it on Friday on my dual tandem GN. When I get it back to Willis, I will head for the Cat scales at Love's truck stop to get a weight on the disc.
hugs, Brandi

rustyshakelford · Feb 11, 2015

bindian said:
Streamin,
Thanks for the PM. If I am lucky today and win the bid on a JD 14 foot tandem disc, you can test pull it on Friday on my dual tandem GN. When I get it back to Willis, I will head for the Cat scales at Love's truck stop to get a weight on the disc.
hugs, Brandi

Bidding on another disc! Rb auction? I hope you get it. Looking forward to seeing ya soon!

Brett

streamin · Feb 11, 2015

Wow, so much food for thought here. now you all have me worried, if I go test drive your stuff I may want more than I bargained for and have to take out a loan! Thanks for all the responses.

foreman Etexas · Feb 11, 2015

I believe my trailer weighs around 5empty and my dully doesn't even know it's back there. Only reason for me wonting to move up is a longer trailer so can pull my tractor and batwing combo without having to unhook shredder and pull it behind trailer on receiver hitch,then get to where I'm going and hook everything back up. I can also get quit a few more round bales on a 32ft 20k.