bumper pull vs goose neck

[Mallard1]

I've decided on a 14k 21'+3' dovetail equipment trailer with drive over fenders. I originally ordered a bumper pull and it should be in in the next month. They called me back to confirm all the specs I wanted and said they also a goose neck on the same order if I changed my mind for the same price. this got me thinking if I should choose the goose neck.

If I go bumper pull I will be putting a WD hitch on so I will have around $500 for that. a BW turnover is also about $500 so that's a wash.

My current truck is a 2017 f150 with about 10k tow rating. my last truck was a 3/4 ton and I'm leaning towards going back with a 3/4 ton for my next truck that will be about 4 years from now or just buying a used 1 ton for a combination hunting, towing, labor truck.

I know the 14k is way more trailer than I need now but I want to future proof this as my heavy trailer. I already have a 7k 16' and a 3.5k 14 so this should round me out.

the only goose neck I ever pull is our triple axle goose neck but it is made to fit the backhoe and is to short for the tractor with anything on the back. however I haven't had to move the backhoe in 3+ years.

from the people that have used both which would you prefer?

 

[4570Man]

Behind a half ton hands down GN .

 

[dieselcrawler]

I'm all for a GN... but not crazy about a half ton as a tow rig, even though the newer ones are rated for much more than the '78 chevy I stereotypically think of as a 'half ton'... my current F250 will out-tow my (long gone) '84 chevy dually all day any day, no matter the load.

So, if you're going to a 3/4 ton in the future, get the GN. But be prudent with how you load the trailer, for the sake of the truck.

 

[Hay Dude]

Interesting that the dealer wants same price for both. Usually GN is a decent amount more money. Financially youd be ahead with GN

 

[Rock Crawler]

Whatever you do, have them build the trailer as a full on 14K unit, but have the manufacture down rate the title to 9,995 lb do that you don't get forced into combination if you buy a1 ton.

 

[Monster5601]

A gooseneck greatly reduces the number of people that may ask to borrow the trailer, if that is a concern. Then a half ton with a gooseneck, iffy. The tow rating is one thing, the payload capability of the truck is yet another issue.

 

[dodge man]

What is the payload of your F150? It is on the door jamb sticker. Most F150 would be less than 2000 lbs and some more like 1500 lbs. Figuring 20% hitch weight with a full load on the trailer would put you over 2500 lbs. Keep in mind the payload does not include any people in the truck or any equipment, but does include a full tank of fuel. Just adding the hitch will take some away from your payload. Load the gooseneck lightly and you would be OK but then you might as well use your 7k bumper pull.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have a 28' gooseneck and a 20' bumper pull. Both have 2 - 7000 lb axles with 14 ply tires.

I pull them with either a Ram 3500 dually or a Ram 2500.

I prefer using the 20' whenever possible, mainly because it is much easier to hook and unhook to either truck. I hook and unhook often when on job sites.

 

[ovrszd]

This is the proverbial "cart ahead of the horse".

I don't remember ever seeing a 1/2T with GN ball.

GN all the way.

 

[Peter 315]

This is the proverbial "cart ahead of the horse".

I don't remember ever seeing a 1/2T with GN ball.

GN all the way.

I seen a few 2 horse GN trailers on half tons around here....

 

[dodge man]

There is a guy on the F150 forums that tows a 5th wheel RV camper with his. It had the Heavy Duty Payload Package, which is as rare as hens teeth. His truck has something like 2500 lbs of payload I think. There are a lot of heavily optioned half ton trucks with less than 1500 lbs of payload.

Also max tow on the F150 doesn’t do much for you, usually payload is the limiting factor. I hate to sound like the payload police but someone looking at a gooseneck needs to be aware.

 

[Mallard1]

What is the payload of your F150? It is on the door jamb sticker. Most F150 would be less than 2000 lbs and some more like 1500 lbs. Figuring 20% hitch weight with a full load on the trailer would put you over 2500 lbs. Keep in mind the payload does not include any people in the truck or any equipment, but does include a full tank of fuel. Just adding the hitch will take some away from your payload. Load the gooseneck lightly and you would be OK but then you might as well use your 7k bumper pull.

door sticker for payload is right around 1950. I do have E rated tires and also put on Add a Leaf. I know this doesn't change the number on the door but it does change how the truck handles a load.

 

[Mallard1]

Thanks for all of the replies, consensous seems to be go for the goose neck. I will definatly take a closer look at them. I saw today they had two on the lot but neither had fold up ramps. Also I did see E trailer sells a 3rd brake light camera that plugs into the factory touch screen that can be activated with a switch to go from tailgate camera to brake light camera. This was one of the drawbacks I had against a gooseneck as I have been spoiled with a back up camera for hooking up a BP trailer. Add in remote tailgate drop and hooking it up would be just as quick as a BP. Thanks again for the help.

 

[George2615]

Just my 2 cents. I've owned a GN and due to the axle placement being more toward the rear than a BP trailer I found it difficult to steer while backing up making sharp turns. My driveway has very sharp turns and would take forever to back into the trailer parking spot. I'd have to pull fwd and back many times to get the rear of the trailer where I wanted it. Axles on my three other BP trailers are more forward and easier to back in. Also, going forward with the GN I need to make wider turns where the BP follows the truck tracks better. A GN just wasn't for me so I sold it.

 

[dodge man]

door sticker for payload is right around 1950. I do have E rated tires and also put on Add a Leaf. I know this doesn't change the number on the door but it does change how the truck handles a load.

That’s not bad, mine is 1940. If you have nothing else in the truck a GN wouldn’t be horrible as long as you go more on the light side with your load.

 

[ovrszd]

It doesn't change the axle rating either.

Or the brakes....

 

[Mallard1]

Or the brakes....

I see brakes mentioned in threads like this a lot. While it is a sample size of less than 10 different trailers (around 10,000 miles of trailer pulling in 3 years according to my truck), the trailers I have used with brakes stop better than my 14' 3500lb trailer with just an ATV. I know this assumes the brakes are adjusted correctly and working correctly and maybe it is because we don't even have small hills here.

 

[ovrszd]

I see brakes mentioned in threads like this a lot. While it is a sample size of less than 10 different trailers, the trailers I have used with brakes stop better than my 14' 3500lb trailer with just an ATV. I know this assumes the brakes are adjusted correctly and working correctly and maybe it is because we don't even have small hills here.

Under a critical stop situation the truck will have to assume a LOT of the responsibility. Trailer brakes being electric can only do so much.

Next time you are pulling a trailer with brakes, activate the brakes to complete a normal stop. In the middle of the slow down switch to stopping as fast as you possibly can. Only then you will realize how valuable the truck brakes are.

You can pull a large trailer with a heavy load using a compact pickup. But can you stop it?

 

[dodge man]

I once owned a 3/4 ton 2004 Ram with a Cummins. That was before they had the payload stickers like modern trucks, you had to do the math. I don’t remember the numbers but I bet it was no more than or maybe less than my current F150 which is 1940 lbs. It was just a lot more truck than my F150. I swear that Cummins rode better and handled just as well with a 7000 lb trailer behind it.

 

[ovrszd]

I once owned a 3/4 ton 2004 Ram with a Cummins. That was before they had the payload stickers like modern trucks, you had to do the math. I don’t remember the numbers but I bet it was no more than or maybe less than my current F150 which is 1940 lbs. It was just a lot more truck than my F150. I swear that Cummins rode better and handled just as well with a 7000 lb trailer behind it.

Yep. I'm afraid the math has changed a little over the years. As you said, new 1/2T trucks with higher ratings than old 3/4T or even 1T trucks...... No way...... Everything is fine 'til it isn't, then it's really bad.