Gooseneck for 150/1500 truck

[Too many Kubotas]

I'm about as far from recommending towing with a 1/2-ton as it gets, but if I had to, this would be my trailer of choice. Checked the weight on the ball out of curiosity - 400 lbs. according to the scale, which was about right for that trailer. It was light.

You mean between a 5th wheel and a GN?

A GN has a ball which can be mounted below the trucks bed, allowing more open cargo space when towing.

What I really like is that a gooseneck has less leverage on the tow vehicle side to side because of the lower pivot point. Much like a bumper pull has lots of leverage on the tow vehicle, making a gooseneck (or even a 5th wheel) a much better choice.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not a fan of loomnum being used on a trailer, but that is incredibly light.

 

[LouNY]

Personally I would have a 1/2 with a gooseneck or 5th wheel if I was contemplated considerable towing with it. With a bumper pull without a WD unloading the front axle a gooseneck or 5th wheel is going to put some weight on the front axle for much better balance.
On back roads and field roads a WD hitch is about worthless, while a goose neck is always helping the pickup load all the way around. As long as the axle weight ratings are observed I much rather be using a goose neck then a bumper pull for max hauling.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Not a fan of loomnum being used on a trailer, but that is incredibly light.

I hesitated buying that one (for about $7K in '10) until learning that the guy was building Class 8 trailers for a living. Absolutely beautiful welds. And I'm sure he had squirreled away the material from work.

Had it delivered (only had a 1/2-ton at the time), only thing wrong with it was that it only had brakes on one of the 7K axles, which was easy enough to fix.

Should have added a third axle to make it more useful for me, but ended up selling it to a friend for cheap.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I don’t like giving up the bed space even for a gooseneck. I have a 30ft gooseneck but I can haul nearly the same load using the flat bed and the bumper pull trailer. View attachment 3941856

But you still give up your bed space that you wanted to keep. It's tit for tat, I find uses for both gooseneck and bumper pull trailers that I own.

 

[Hay Dude]

But you still give up your bed space that you wanted to keep. It's tit for tat, I find uses for both gooseneck and bumper pull trailers that I own.

Yes they both have their places.
I need a BP fro my International 7500 to pull the excavator, but everytime I save up 5-10K to buy a used one, an unexpected invoice for 5-10K comes in the mail.

 

[gsganzer]

I used to tow an old aluminum Sundowner 2-horse slant w/rear tack with an F150 and 5.5 foot bed. I had an offset gooseneck to give additional cab clearance. It towed just fine.

 

[Renze]

Reason I'm curious about this is a gooseneck is SOOO much safer and better weight distribution than a bumper pull. If you look at what Ford approves my F150 to pull on a receiver hitch....no way I'd want to do that.

I would first worry about rear springs: e.g. a Firestone AiRide assister kit. It will stiffen up the truck when towing a bumper pull, but also allow you to actually put weight on that gooseneck, if you still feel the need for it after stiffening up the rear suspension..

 

[Renze]

I went from a bumper pull 8000# trailer pulled by an F250 to a 8000# fifth wheel pulled by an F350 and I will take the fifth wheel trailer any time.

We once put 3 leaf spring sets of a 3500 sprinter under 2 leaf 2500 Sprinter 5th wheel tractor. A customer had rented it and said he couldnt load the 38ft curtainsider fully. I scrounged the springs from the leftovers of a full air conversion, called him in and within an hour he was on his way again. Called back for the pit lane fast service, and that the stiffer springs made a day and night difference in handling and stability.

Meaning, youre comparing 2500 vs 3500 springs as much as comparing hitch styles...

 

[4570Man]

There’s hardly any difference in a 250 and a 350 single wheel. I’m honestly surprised they even take the effort to make both trucks. A 350 dually is much more stable than the previous 2.

 

[Renze]

There’s hardly any difference in a 250 and a 350 single wheel. I’m honestly surprised they even take the effort to make both trucks. A 350 dually is much more stable than the previous 2.

It probably doesnt snow in your area.. even when it has just rained, a dually with no load slips and slides all over...

 

[Hay Dude]

I don’t like giving up the bed space even for a gooseneck.

I don’t give up any space for my GN hitch. It’s under the deck of the bed and has a door that covers it.

I have a 30ft gooseneck but I can haul nearly the same load using the flat bed and the bumper pull trailer. View attachment 3941856

That looks like a miserable ride though. It’s a much nicer ride and pulling experience to put all that load on a gooseneck. The truck rides much better and there’s still space in the bed for some tools.

No thanks. Bumper pulls with giant loads and loads in the bed are not as nice as putting the load on a GN. Tons of stress on the rear axle and suspension, too. I bet you’re over on your rear axle, or it sure looks it anyway.