When to go gooseneck

[vsteel]

If you need the bed then go bumper pull.

Other than that I have been told if you tow occasionally go ahead and get a bumper pull, if you tow a lot then you should go gooseneck. I have a 12K trailer bumper pull and never had any issues towing with it. I have gone up to 10K (trailer and load combined) and pulled it from SD to ID and it did great. Though I only pull that far once a year or once every couple of years. So I don't do a lot of pulling and when I do most of it is local 20 mile type runs. I also normally am towing more about 6K total combined weight.

I would buy the trailer based on what you are going to do 90% of the time and just go slow and careful if you do haul your friends heavy tractor.

 

[fried1765]

Like civilian I need a cap which makes a gooseneck not practical.
I pull a 14k dump on a somewhat regular basis and have a large dually tandem equipment trailer that gets used less regularly. I'm not sure why people say 10k is the max they'd bumper pull, I prefer gooseneck for heavier loads as they are more tolerant of less then ideal weight distribution but I wouldn't shy away from a properly connected and loaded BP even at close to 20k on a pickup.

I have a 14K bumper pull equipment trailer that I tow with my K2500 4x4 Suburban (454-V-8).
I added the Air Lift suspension system to the Suburban, and use a 14K Equal-i-zer hitch.
The max receiver hitch available for the Suburban is 12K, so I limit my trailer gross to 12K.
It tows just great. Stopping is my only concern, and I do not tailgate.
I tow my (12K) loaded equipment trailer (Ford 3400 TLB), at highway speeds, up to 800 miles each year.

 

[Btown]

I have a 14K bumper pull equipment trailer that I tow with my K2500 4x4 Suburban (454-V-8).
I added the Air Lift suspension system to the Suburban, and use a 14K Equal-i-zer hitch.
The max receiver hitch available for the Suburban is 12K, so I limit my trailer gross to 12K.
It tows just great. Stopping is my only concern, and I do not tailgate.
I tow my (12K) loaded equipment trailer (Ford 3400 TLB), at highway speeds, up to 800 miles each year.

Just because the receiver is rated for 12K. Your Suburban is not rated to pull that. It is probably rated to pull 8K or so, so be careful. I'm not saying it is not capable of towing it. But if you get in an accident even if it's not your fault and the insurance companies get involved watch out. My 2001 F-250 super duty even the F-350's and dually super per the Ford manual sets max bumper pull at 10K.

 

[fried1765]

Just because the receiver is rated for 12K. Your Suburban is not rated to pull that. It is probably rated to pull 8K or so, so be careful. I'm not saying it is not capable of towing it. But if you get in an accident even if it's not your fault and the insurance companies get involved watch out. My 2001 F-250 super duty even the F-350's and dually super per the Ford manual sets max bumper pull at 10K. View attachment 518420View attachment 518421

I do understand that my Suburban may is not rated for towing 12K.
The trailer is not licensed commercially, and I only tow my personal play equipment.
I keep the brakes on both the K2500 Suburban, and trailer in first class condition.
My towing is usually limited to 500 miles per year, (or less), though as mentioned, I have actually done 800.
This year I expect to tow about 550 miles.
I am almost 77 years old, and at my age, am solidly in the category of: "I ain't gonna worry about it".

 

[bdog]

Here is a simple explanation. With a bumper pull trailer every pound on tongue weight reduces the weight on the front tires. If you pushed down hard enough on a bumper pull ball you could lift the front tires off the ground. Practically speaking that would not happen but you get the point. Heavy bumper pull trailers can make your front tires so light you can't maintain control. With a gooseneck the ball is ever so slightly in front of the rear axle. The bulk of the tongue weight goes on the rear axle but it also adds slightly to the front axle as well. This lets the vehicle maintain control. The more weight you have directly on the truck the more control the truck has over the trailer. The problem with bumper pull is you can't put much tongue weight or you exceed the hitch vertical load limit or make your front axle too light.

I have towed Pintle hitch trailers behind a pickup that weighed nearly 20k. It is doable but not safe. I think 10k is a pretty good rule of thumb to where you want to switch to a gooseneck though I have pulled bumper pull trailers weighing 12-14k thousands of miles. Had some close calls and feel much safer with a gooseneck. All my trailers now are gooseneck except my boat and BBQ pit.

Another huge plus to a gooseneck is the borrowing factor as already mentioned. I have a lot of trailers and anytime anyone I know needs to move, or move a car, or haul building materials they call me asking to borrow one. Everybody has a bumper hitch. None of them have had a gooseneck hitch. I can easily tell them sorry don't have one.

 

[Monster5601]

Another huge plus to a gooseneck is the borrowing factor as already mentioned. I have a lot of trailers and anytime anyone I know needs to move, or move a car, or haul building materials they call me asking to borrow one. Everybody has a bumper hitch. None of them have had a gooseneck hitch. I can easily tell them sorry don't have one.

Amen!

I recently added a dump trailer to my collection and when I was on the trailer dealer's lot, they had both the GN and BP in a 16-foot dump. I didn't really have a preference based on usage and I am equipped to pull either, tractor included. Even though the GN was about $1,700 more, the wife and I decided to get the GN because no one is going to ask to borrow it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a friendly neighbor willing to help anyone with anything but it just seems I get burned sometimes when I lend equipment and that includes immediate family.

The addition storage on the top of the goose neck frame is a bonus too.

 

[fried1765]

Here is a simple explanation. With a bumper pull trailer every pound on tongue weight reduces the weight on the front tires. If you pushed down hard enough on a bumper pull ball you could lift the front tires off the ground. Practically speaking that would not happen but you get the point. Heavy bumper pull trailers can make your front tires so light you can't maintain control. With a gooseneck the ball is ever so slightly in front of the rear axle. The bulk of the tongue weight goes on the rear axle but it also adds slightly to the front axle as well. This lets the vehicle maintain control. The more weight you have directly on the truck the more control the truck has over the trailer. The problem with bumper pull is you can't put much tongue weight or you exceed the hitch vertical load limit or make your front axle too light.

I have towed Pintle hitch trailers behind a pickup that weighed nearly 20k. It is doable but not safe. I think 10k is a pretty good rule of thumb to where you want to switch to a gooseneck though I have pulled bumper pull trailers weighing 12-14k thousands of miles. Had some close calls and feel much safer with a gooseneck. All my trailers now are gooseneck except my boat and BBQ pit.

Another huge plus to a gooseneck is the borrowing factor as already mentioned. I have a lot of trailers and anytime anyone I know needs to move, or move a car, or haul building materials they call me asking to borrow one. Everybody has a bumper hitch. None of them have had a gooseneck hitch. I can easily tell them sorry don't have one.

I have had a GN in the past and totally agree that they are the best/safest.
I no longer have a pickup, so I must use a bumper pull.
If anyone can explain how I could use a GN with my K2500 Suburban.....I am listening.

 

[bdog]

I have had a GN in the past and totally agree that they are the best/safest.
I no longer have a pickup, so I must use a bumper pull.
If anyone can explain how I could use a GN with my K2500 Suburban.....I am listening.

Do you have a cutting torch?

 

[Btown]

You don't need a torch, just a 12" drop hitch. Turn it up and put a 2 5/16" ball on it.

 

[ovrszd]

Air brakes have nothing to do with safety chains on semi's. As mentioned before, it is the strength of the kingpin and properly adjusted fifth wheel jaws. If you ever watched Highway from **** when they were trying to disconnect a tractor and trailer in a bad way, that connection can be tough to seperate. Real life and not some TV show, that is exactly how it is.

If you saw a trailer seperate it was because as I said the fifth wheel jaws were not properly adjusted and/or the driver never crawled under the trailer and looked to see if it was properly secured. In addition to that, the driver still needs to test that connection.

FWIW, the tow dollys or jiffster's on a set of doubles do have safety chains that need to be connected to the lead pup. That is in addition to really heavy duty pintle hitches. The tow dolly of course has a fifth wheel so now the driver needs to crawl under two trailers. When I ran doubles, I did see them dropped on occasion. Some of the dolly configurations were shall we say seemed to be more prone (the ones with a high saddle for those of you whom have had the pleasure) so you had to be extra careful. I always did a figure eight in the lot before I ever pulled onto the main road. Trust me, making and breaking four sets a night gets old.

There are a couple of negatives with goosenecks. Though more of an issue with an older tow vehicle as in a lot less torque is that they do pull a little heavier. If you can, before you pull the trigger, hook the trailer up and see how it handles. Some combinations will cause "cab slap". That is a motion where as the seat back seems to be nudging you sometimes pretty roughly. On a dovetail or a beaver tail, watch the clearance between the rear frame and the road. Depending on your area of operation, you could be dragging a bit. Lastly, don't be jacking that trailer around anymore or faster than necessary. You can roll the tires right off of the rims.

The GN world tries to duplicate the Air Brake scenario by having a battery powered brake lock that is activated if the trailer separates from the tow vehicle. That's the best solution to a separation.

Doubles tow dollies use safety chains because the pintle hitch simply isn't as strong as the fifth wheel pin. An attempt to contain the "crash" is as small area as possible.

"cab slap" on a GN is caused by not having the weight centered properly on the trailer. Even something so simple as changing the tow vehicle can require a load adjustment as well to avoid this. A few inches of weight change fore/aft on a GN trailer can change the quality of the pull dramatically.

Properly inflated tires will not roll off the rims. On single tire tandem axle trailers you may bend or destroy the spindles/axles.

Everyone's scenario is different and requires different loading methods. Practice makes perfect.

 

[Copperhead]

Air bags, best of both worlds. Put them on my 3/4t Ram and it makes a huge difference and once aired down rides like they aren't there. Mine rode so rough I didn't want to put stiffer springs.

I pull a 16ft dump bumper pull and it makes for a much easier ride since it's easy to get a higher tongue weight then expected.

A viable alternative to air bags that have to be inflated and such is SumoSprings. The effect of air bags without the hassle, and you can drill a 1.5" hole thru them and they still work. And so easy to install. Once in, never deal with them again. I have them on my 3/4 ton and it was one of the best mods I ever made. Great ride and stability. They have varying ratings based on what one needs. And also have them for front as well as back axles, and for coil springs, torsion, or leaf.

SumoSprings(R) by SuperSprings(R) International, Inc.

 

[lpigott]

Why do you need safety chain? I do not have safety chain on my 5th wheel... Why is the gooseneck different with safety chains?

I have considered a 10k gooseneck for my tractor. I have kind of outgrown my 16' 7k bumper tow. Part of the reason for me considering a gooseneck is because of how nice my 5th wheel tows. I was also looking at the goosneck plates that fit my bed rails for the 5th wheel hitch.

It just isn't a financial priority for me right now...

The reason for chains was covered above. Yes you can convert your 5th wheel hitch to a GN OR you can convert the GN on the trailer side to a 5th wheel type connection and not change anything on your current 5th wheel hitch or worry about safety chains. This is the route I will be going when I get a GN in the near future. Connection to a 5th wheel hitch is a little faster and easier than a GN. Gooseneck to 5th Wheel Trailer Adapter with 4 Drilled Holes Wallace Forge Gooseneck and Fifth Wheel Adapters 25-DR

 

[lpigott]

A viable alternative to air bags that have to be inflated and such is SumoSprings. The effect of air bags without the hassle, and you can drill a 1.5" hole thru them and they still work. And so easy to install. Once in, never deal with them again. I have them on my 3/4 ton and it was one of the best mods I ever made. Great ride and stability. They have varying ratings based on what one needs. And also have them for front as well as back axles, and for coil springs, torsion, or leaf.

SumoSprings(R) by SuperSprings(R) International, Inc.

Another cheap and easy fix is adding Timbren rubber overload springs. I have ran them for years on my 2500HD and they are awesome with heavy loads and do not effect the ride when when empty. They are maintenance free too. The downside is the ride rough with light loads like 400 to 1000 pounds. Here is my truck with 3500# on the hitch and a 20K 5 slide toy hauler.

 

[4570Man]

I had 3 cord of green oak on my gooseneck. In hindsight we stacked the load too far forward, but moving it wasn't a viable option. It had a 3/4 truck ton bottomed out. We hooked it to a dually and it squatted like 2 inches. Assuming a cord weighs 5000 pounds we were within safety limits of the setup. I wouldn't have done it on a bumper hitch trailer without better weight distribution.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Gooseneck trailers are way more stable pulling loads than bumper pulls. All states have different laws when it comes to towing and no two law officers or dot officers in the same state will give you the same answer. Some states like Missouri anything towing with a trailer gross weight over 10000 has to scale and other states anything over 26000. Only towing considered exempt is recreational like campers. The gooseneck utility trailer I have left I bought when I had a 2010 3500 dodge. Tow capacity of that truck was some where over 14000. Truck weighed about 8600, trailer gross weight was 14000 rating. I was legal to tow it without having to stop at most state scales. Not Missouri. Sold the 2010 dodge and now own a 2002 3500 dodge, Tow capacity is a smig over 10000. So not legal to pull the goose neck according to dot laws. According to dot it doesn't matter if you have a push mower on the trailer rated at 14000 gw. Your not over weight but they go by the rated weight not actual weight. Farmers in most states are exempt when doing farm related towing as long as your not making money. Meaning someone else is paying you to move their tractor or haul their hay. At that point your commercial and then it's a hole different set of rules. Lots of laws and they get tangled and miss interpreted and do I still tow my goose neck. Yep but only for my needs. Am I breaking the law. Probably. If I bought another gooseneck to be towed behind a pickup I would get one with 7 to 8 thousand lbs axles and have it tagged at 9999 lbs gw. If you get a big deck over rated at 20000' truck is rated over that weight to tow and you plan on making money using the rig better check into licenses, dot numbers, insurance the whole ball of wax. You may get by for years towing not having proper stuff but just one little bump or cut a corner to sharp and scrape a fender any little thing and have police involved and dot shows up it turns out to be a bad day. I myself have never meet a dot official that didn't say awh just go on. They like to pick, pick, pick and write and write. The new dodges 3500's and ford f350's I think are rated over tow capacities of 26000. Now according to dot regs because it's rated at over 26000 you have to have a commercial licenses. Even though you just haul the weekly groceries home from krogers or where ever.

 

[TMGT]

Gooseneck trailers are way more stable pulling loads than bumper pulls. All states have different laws when it comes to towing and no two law officers or dot officers in the same state will give you the same answer. Some states like Missouri anything towing with a trailer gross weight over 10000 has to scale and other states anything over 26000. Only towing considered exempt is recreational like campers. The gooseneck utility trailer I have left I bought when I had a 2010 3500 dodge. Tow capacity of that truck was some where over 14000. Truck weighed about 8600, trailer gross weight was 14000 rating. I was legal to tow it without having to stop at most state scales. Not Missouri. Sold the 2010 dodge and now own a 2002 3500 dodge, Tow capacity is a smig over 10000. So not legal to pull the goose neck according to dot laws. According to dot it doesn't matter if you have a push mower on the trailer rated at 14000 gw. Your not over weight but they go by the rated weight not actual weight. Farmers in most states are exempt when doing farm related towing as long as your not making money. Meaning someone else is paying you to move their tractor or haul their hay. At that point your commercial and then it's a hole different set of rules. Lots of laws and they get tangled and miss interpreted and do I still tow my goose neck. Yep but only for my needs. Am I breaking the law. Probably. If I bought another gooseneck to be towed behind a pickup I would get one with 7 to 8 thousand lbs axles and have it tagged at 9999 lbs gw. If you get a big deck over rated at 20000' truck is rated over that weight to tow and you plan on making money using the rig better check into licenses, dot numbers, insurance the whole ball of wax. You may get by for years towing not having proper stuff but just one little bump or cut a corner to sharp and scrape a fender any little thing and have police involved and dot shows up it turns out to be a bad day. I myself have never meet a dot official that didn't say awh just go on. They like to pick, pick, pick and write and write. The new dodges 3500's and ford f350's I think are rated over tow capacities of 26000. Now according to dot regs because it's rated at over 26000 you have to have a commercial licenses. Even though you just haul the weekly groceries home from krogers or where ever.

Not in every state, the stated towing capacity by manufacturers is a recomended guideline set by the manufacture based on vehicle weight, transmission, axle gearing etc., some states may try to use them for dot enforcement but it's not a standard.
What they can get you for is exceeding axle, tire, coupler etc. capacities.

Also not every state requires a cdl over 26k unless it's comercial use (this subject has been hashed pretty hard on a number of sites)

 

[TMGT]

A viable alternative to air bags that have to be inflated and such is SumoSprings. The effect of air bags without the hassle, and you can drill a 1.5" hole thru them and they still work. And so easy to install. Once in, never deal with them again. I have them on my 3/4 ton and it was one of the best mods I ever made. Great ride and stability. They have varying ratings based on what one needs. And also have them for front as well as back axles, and for coil springs, torsion, or leaf.

SumoSprings(R) by SuperSprings(R) International, Inc.

I looked at a lot of options and decided airbags were best for my use, if I had a fairly standard load like a camper or a race trailer where my tongue weight was consistent I would be more inclined to go with an fixed product like that. My loads can vary a lot and the ability to level the truck back out is what I wanted.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Not in every state, the stated towing capacity by manufacturers is a recomended guideline set by the manufacture based on vehicle weight, transmission, axle gearing etc., some states may try to use them for dot enforcement but it's not a standard.
What they can get you for is exceeding axle, tire, coupler etc. capacities.

Also not every state requires a cdl over 26k unless it's comercial use (this subject has been hashed pretty hard on a number of sites)

Yup like I said every state is different, every dot official will give you different answers there is no consistency in anything about the laws of towing and weight.

A couple years ago I needed some hay and found some a few miles away. My gooseneck trailer I had loaded with a hundred bales of straw so I took my little bumper pull. Light weight 6000 lbs gw and went. I got 40 bales and was headed home. Came up over a hill and there was a state cop and flagged me over behind a line of other trucks. Semi's and pickups with trailers and such. It was a dot inspection set up along side of the road. Got to the front of the line after a hour or so and two dot officials were inspecting. One was a real horses ***** and just wasn't in a good mood at all. They stuck the tank to make sure I wasn't running red fuel, checked all my lights, breaks on the truck, trailer, the hitch, safety chain, my licenses, insurance then the horses --- asked me what was the gw weight rating of the trailer. I told him its on the tag and showed him. He right away said I think your over weight for that trailer. I said come on and he hit the ceiling. I told him the trailer probably weighed 1600 and the hay at 50 lbs apiece is two thousand meaning a total of about 3600. He didn't like my attitude and I didn't like his but out came the portable scales. He had me unhook and put the scale under the jack, then weighed the axles and came up with under 4000. He tried his best and wanted to screw me but couldn't find anything. That wasn't my first go around with dot and when I pull anything I just make sure everything works and I don't get pinched by dot. Glad I wasn't pulling the gooseneck. Like I said he check the towing capacity of the truck and capicity of the trailer and me a retired person just hobby farming and needed a few bales of hay.

When I first started hauling things to make a little extra cash after hours and on the weekends I called dot, law enforcement and not one time did I get the same answer about rules and regs about towing with pickup and trailer. I came to the conclusion it really up to the dot official and the mood he is in. I don't haul anything for profit anymore because of the crap.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I have had a GN in the past and totally agree that they are the best/safest.
I no longer have a pickup, so I must use a bumper pull.
If anyone can explain how I could use a GN with my K2500 Suburban.....I am listening.

EZ

ULTIMATE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER,CAMPER RV HOOKS UP TO CAR ROOF! - YouTube

 

[downslope]

... but out came the portable scales. He had me unhook and put the scale under the jack, then weighed the axles and came up with under 4000...Like I said he check the towing capacity of the truck and capacity of the trailer and me a retired person just hobby farming and needed a few bales of hay. ..

It's good you point this out, I have some friends who think they will only weigh the trailer axles and so long as the axle and tire ratings ard not exceeded you are OK to go.

Like you say, DOT/police can look at the tag on the trailer for ratings but where do they look on the truck to find its trailer towing capacity? On pickups I've only seen tow ratings in the back of some owner's manuals, and it's dependent on things like axle ratios and engine options.