Bumper Vs. Gooseneck Payloads

[AGGIE00]

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.

Refer to the second paragraph in my post. Pintle hitch trailers, though pulled at the bumper, and your f350 to a half ton are not the same as what the op is talking about.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Stephenville Trailers and Truck Accessories
Stephenville Trailers and Truck Accessories

They are apparently around, but uncommon.

Aaron Z

That first one is almost exactly what I have, but mine isn't so shiny.

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[Dargo]

Refer to the second paragraph in my post. Pintle hitch trailers, though pulled at the bumper, and your f350 to a half ton are not the same as what the op is talking about.

Um, you got me. I have no idea what you're talking about. No matter how you slice it, bumper pull trailers follow the tow vehicle better than GN trailers do. You can jack-knife and back a GN into a tighter area, but you can make tighter turns with a bumper pull. I've had plenty of each. Payload wise, as long as you have good brakes on either trailer, I still see no difference. It's actually relatively rare to see a 1/2 ton pull a GN trailer because of the design with the axles more towards the rear on the trailer leaving more tongue weight. In a half ton truck, I'd really want a bumper pull.

 

[HHR]

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

The myth is a reality with my friend's GMC Yukon XL with Quadrasteer. That thing has amazing maneuverability with a trailer attached.

 

[Dargo]

The myth is a reality with my friend's GMC Yukon XL with Quadrasteer. That thing has amazing maneuverability with a trailer attached.

I think all just said that the bumper pull tracked the tow vehicle closely enough to not make much difference. Example; 30 ft pintle hitch seems to stay within a couple of feet of the tow vehicle. My 30 ft GN cut off about 6 or 8 feet from the track of the tow vehicle. In reasonably close quarters, that is the difference between making it or not making it around a corner.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Here are the promised pictures of my little gooseneck horse trailer on my half ton truck.

Tonight I had to leave 4H a little early. I was boxed in with a trailer in front of me, one on either side, and a fence behind me. I jackknifed the trailer past 90 degrees to squeeze between the two trailers on either side of me and was able to get out with about 6 inches to spare on either side. I couldn't have done that with a bumper pull.

 

[xtn]

The myth is a reality with my friend's GMC Yukon XL with Quadrasteer. That thing has amazing maneuverability with a trailer attached.

Nope. It might track closer, but still not truly in line. Any trailer axle farther back from the hitch than the hitch is from the rear axle of the towing vehicle is going to track inside to some degree, period.

If you want to say that it tracks a little LESS inside, then I'm okay with that.

xtn

 

[Reg]

Nope. It might track closer, but still not truly in line. Any trailer axle farther back from the hitch than the hitch is from the rear axle of the towing vehicle is going to track inside to some degree, period.

If you want to say that it tracks a little LESS inside, then I'm okay with that.

xtn

No.
For very large radius turns a BP trailer CAN actually track outside.
If, if, if IF..... the hitch ball is back far enough from the rear axle AND the distance from the coupler to the trailer axle (or mid point between axles) is sufficiently short.

I made the mistake of building a hitch one time (just ONCE) that hung WAY outta the back o' the tow vehicle.
For what I tried to accomplish at the time it worked FINE, though it had the obvious drawback of additional leverage against the tow vehicle, increased "effective' tongue weight, increased effect of side sway, etc., however it DID push the trailer out on slight turns.

I've often want to say this in a thread, now I have an excuse; "Do the geometry"
(-:

 

[xtn]

No.
For very large radius turns a BP trailer CAN actually track outside.
If, if, if IF..... the hitch ball is back far enough from the rear axle AND the distance from the coupler to the trailer axle (or mid point between axles) is sufficiently short.
(-:

Um... yes. If you read carefully you will see that the conditions you call for are excluded by my statement.

xtn

 

[downslope]

Here are the promised pictures of my little gooseneck horse trailer on my half ton truck.

Tonight I had to leave 4H a little early. I was boxed in with a trailer in front of me, one on either side, and a fence behind me. I jackknifed the trailer past 90 degrees to squeeze between the two trailers on either side of me and was able to get out with about 6 inches to spare on either side. I couldn't have done that with a bumper pull.

This is all relative. It depends on how close the trailers were parked on either side of you, how far back the fence was, the length of your rig, the length of the rigs parked alongside, etc.

Depending on all the above factors in some cases a BP would be better, in other situations a GN would get you out. Like Reg said, it depends on the geometry of the particular situation. A blanket statement can't be made that one type is more maneuverable than the other in all situations.