Bumper Vs. Gooseneck Payloads

[slowzuki]

Yeah, the extra weight of the gooseneck hurts in stop and go, they are quite a bit less aero dynamic depending on the shape of your loads. The hitch uprights and bracing catch the wind but if you've got a monster wind catching load on the trailer is not going to be the biggest effect.

Really? Is there a difference in gas mileage between goosenecks and bumper type trailers?

 

[Dargo]

I'd say yes, really. For me it depends on weight. If I'm hauling light loads I'd rather a bp, but for my tractor or skidsteer it is only a gooseneck. It's not possible for me to fit my tractor or a smaller one on a bp and distribute the weight so that my receiver is not overloaded, but with a gooseneck I can pull the load all the way to the front of the trailer and be just fine. I do get a lot of drama with bp trailers and it has to do with the tongue being attached 4 feet behind my axle as opposed to a few inches in front of it.

I also don't see where a pintle hitch trailer behind a dump truck can be compared to a bp. They are not even remotely the same given bp axles ares till to the rear of the trailer and pinlte hitch trailers have them almost centered where tongue weight is minimal.

I haul a 9 ton mini excavator, 8 ton track loader and 15,000 pound tractor behind my F350 on a pintle hitch trailer. I've hauled the excavator from IN to FL twice. Tows great, no issues.

 

[Highbeam]

This is a good thread. The original question about using a low GVWR truck to tow a GN or BP is an important one. I think you, the OP, has reached the wrong conclusion about the percentages of tongue weight. The 10% for BP and 20 or 25% for GN is NOT the maximum. You need that amount of tongue weight to provide stability. Also, your manual tells you that you can have a max 1500# GN tongue weight load but of course, if you exceed the GVWR or any other ratings then you can't utilize that maximum.

In any case you can only put 1000 lbs of tongue weight on your truck. Due to the fact that you need at least double the tongue weight on the truck with a GN vs. a BP, you will only be able to tow half the total trailer weight with a GN.

Low GVWR trucks (like a half ton) are not good canidates for GN trailers. Even with high GVWR trucks, like the F350 I own, you have some major cons with a GN.

Personally, I agree with Diamond and especially Dargo that a GN trailer is not a good deal. Everywhere you go, except open freeway and fields, the roads are built to allow a single lane to move your truck and trailer. It takes much more room to turn, and back, a GN.

With a high GVWR truck, you can tow a huge GN trailer.

 

[mjw357]

This little gooseneck horse trailer only has a single axle, so raking the tires is not an issue. It does track to the inside a bit on turns, but I learned to account for that long ago when I was driving 18 wheelers.

I'd like to see a picture of that. Haven't seen many single axle horse trailers, let alone a GN.

 

[xtn]

Sure, bumper pulls get steered a tiny bit to the outside because the rear bumper moves at first away from the turn direction. But it's a difference that becomes smaller as your trailer gets longer.

Even so, a bumper pull does not truly track behind the tow vehicle as some have indicated. Even a short 6x10 single axle trailer tracks inside the turn, despite the advantage of the bumper moving away from the turn direction. If you don't believe me take one through the drive through window at a McDonalds that has an 8' lane, with curbing on both sides and a tight radius. You WILL drag the inside trailer tire up over the curb.

I'm not arguing for or against either type of trailer. Just want to dispel the myth that somehow a bumper pull truly tracks with the towing vehicle. A friend of mine - driving my truck with my 29' bumper pull boat trailer behind it - used the fender of the trailer to take out a bricked gate post because he believed that myth.

xtn

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'd like to see a picture of that. Haven't seen many single axle horse trailers, let alone a GN.

It's one of a kind. It actually belongs to my neighbor who doesn't have horses anymore. I keep it registered and maintained, and he lets me keep it at my house and use it whenever I want. He tells me the original owner was a rodeo cowboy that pulled it with his Cadillac. Of course this neighbor says a lot that makes even less sense than pulling a gooseneck trailer with a Cadillac.

I'll have to remember to take a picture tonight since I'll have it all hitched up for 4H.

 

[Duffster]

It's one of a kind.

No it's not. My neighbor has one too.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

No it's not. My neighbor has one too.

Seriously?? A single axle gooseneck "Featherlite"?

Does your neighboor also live in the motorhome behind the travel trailer behind the double wide? Does he have to borrow 20 bucks from you every month the week before Social Security comes out?

Maybe we're talking about the same neighbor.

 

[Duffster]

Seriously?? A single axle gooseneck "Featherlite"?

Does your neighboor also live in the motorhome behind the travel trailer behind the double wide? Does he have to borrow 20 bucks from you every month the week before Social Security comes out?

Maybe we're talking about the same neighbor.

LOL No it's not a featherlite. :laughing:

He does have a motor home as big as his double wide.

 

[aczlan]

Seriously?? A single axle gooseneck "Featherlite"?

Stephenville Trailers and Truck Accessories
Stephenville Trailers and Truck Accessories

They are apparently around, but uncommon.

Aaron Z