Need Trailer Advice

[pat32rf]

Maybe I'm out in left field, but I was always under the impression that most every "bumper" style receiver hitch, limits the tonque weight to about 500lbs, ideally 10-20% of the load, but with a GN hitch you can load up to the gross rear axle rating of the vehicle. Having said that, I still use a 2 and 5/16 ball receiver hitch to pull my 4300 so I have the truck bed free for the extra stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobertN]

Depends on the reciever hitch; there are different classes.

Mine can do 500lb tongue/5000lb trailer, or 1000lb tongue/10,000lb trailer with weight distributing hitch(factory Dodge towing package hitch). I think that is a class-4 reciever?

Some are limited to the 500lb tongue/5000lb trailer weight. Some go hiegher too, like 12,000lb.

 

[dieselmotorhead]

I ended up getting a similar setup to what you are contemplating. Dodge 3500 SRW/6 sp/full box ( 9900# ) for the truck 23,000# total combined. An "appalachian" trailer 24' with dovetail, deck over neck 14,000# weighs about 4,000# empty. I have the full bed. I do need to be carefull at greater than 90 degrees, I cant really jack it around to much. Without the deck on top of the trailer neck there is would be no problem with shortbed and a gooseneck ( unlike travel trailers). IMHO I do not think the gooseneck is a poor choice, this would be proven by towing the same load flat VS gooseneck. I towed a john deere 4600 with a 7k flat car tailer. Only 3550# right?? NOT! after the FEL and BH I was close to or up over the limit of that trailer. White knucle ride to the dealer. I was more comfortable with a 13,000# trailer with the gooseneck on an interstate than the flat trailer at 40 MPH. Shortly thereafter I got the gooseneck. Only paid a little over 4 K$ and I picked it up in ohio where they make it. They are a "low bidder" brakes on both axles though- insist on it. There are better ones out there, I only tow a few times a year so the time savings of the good and $$$ features did not make any sense.