Is this right? I can tow MORE with a bumper pull than I can a Gooseneck?

[mikehaugen]

If you are planning on putting implements in the bed, that will throw off your gvwr, which is why you are technically able to tow more with bumper pull anyway. Putting a 600# box blade in the bed will essentially take away 6000# of trailer capacity. Still may be better with the gn, even if you need to get it 5 feet longer.

 

[Piston]

I could certainly be wrong here, but the way I understand it, is that for the same weight GN vs BP, you would normally have more weight on the truck for the GN since you typically have 15%-25% tongue weight, whereas the Bumper Pull would typically have 10%-15% tongue weight. This would leave more weight available to put "stuff" in the bed.

I know a lot of you are die hard GN fans, and like I said I'm not arguing that a bumper pull is better, I'm just surprised that I can pull more with the bumper pull that's all, regardless of the fact that the GN would tow "better".

By the way, where do you guys with the goosenecks put all your other "stuff"? I often carry my brush saw (weed wacker style), gas powered pole saw, two chainsaws with my "saw bag", log peavey and a few other tools. Do you still put that in the bed with the GN? I imagine you can still fit some things back there right?


Mike,
It's a good point about getting a longer GN and I'm not ruling it out, but along with extra weight of the longer gooseneck, now I have even less payload, and even more weight on the truck.


Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong, but I don't see anyway that an equivalent sized GN can carry more than an equivalent sized BP???
I can definitely see why it would carry it better though.

 

[Marveltone]

I got a 20ft, 14,000 lbs bumper pull to haul anything from firewood, to my roughly 7400 lbs Fordson behind my '05 Ram 2500CTD. With proper load placement, wagging the tail is a non-issue. I purposely chose a bumper pull over goose neck or 5th wheel because I like the option of keeping my tonneau cover closed, or putting other bulky stuff in my bed, or pulling it with a grain truck, once I get one. Sometimes versatility trumps "towing better".

Get what fits your needs, not somebody else's.

Joe

 

[mikehaugen]

Mike,
It's a good point about getting a longer GN and I'm not ruling it out, but along with extra weight of the longer gooseneck, now I have even less payload, and even more weight on the truck.

Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong, but I don't see anyway that an equivalent sized GN can carry more than an equivalent sized BP???
I can definitely see why it would carry it better though.

My point was that if you are going to put heavy stuff in the bed because there's not room enough on the trailer, it negates the advantage of the bumper pull. If you can get a longer gn and keep everything on there, you may be better off. Remember that for anything on the trailer, only 20-25% of it counts toward your gvwr... if you have to put it in the bed then 100% of it is on the truck. Run the numbers and see which is best for you, they both have advantages... and they have all been discussed here.

I personally have never pulled a gn, but would really like to try one. I have a ram 2500 ec longbed and have pulled a 28' enclosed trailer a few times that was probably around 12k ( granted it was loaded pretty nose-heavy) but even with my long wheelbase, the front axle sure unloaded an awful lot, enough that it made me want a gn.

 

[redprospector]

Hmm. I guess you loose a little bed space with a gooseneck...about a 6" circle at the hitch. I carry 2 chainsaws, a 100 gallon fuel tank, and most times a twin tank gasoline powered air compressor in the bed of my pickup when hooked up to my PJ gooseneck, and that's not counting gas and oil jugs, and miscellaneous tools.
You've made up your mind, so I won't try to convince you of anything. Tow safely, and good luck with the new set up when you get it. :drink:

 

[joshuabardwell]

I have just gone through this with my truck, and my results are the same as yours. You can usually tow more with a bumper pull than a gooseneck or fifth wheel because the latter two put more weight on the truck and run you up against the GVWR. I think an exception might be if you had a truck like a standard cab/long bed, where the truck's curb weight might be low enough that you would be able to do your full tow rating with a gooseneck or fifth wheel.

You are on the right track to confirm whether your receiver requires a weight distributing system. Sometimes people focus on the max tow rating and miss the fact that it requires a WDS to achieve. You absolutely can buy a receiver that will allow you to tow close to your full rating without a WDS, but you have to be sure of what you're buying. The issue is how the receiver attaches to the truck. If you think about it, the trailer is creating a torque on the receiver, twisting the receiver down in the back and up in the front. This puts most of the tongue weight on the bolts in the back of the receiver. When you install a WDS, it counteracts that torque, distributing the tongue weight more evenly across the bolts that hold the receiver onto the frame. This is why when people say, "I have airbags. I don't need a WDS. My truck drives fine without one," they are missing an important point. Your truck may drive just fine without a WDS, but if your receiver bolts break, you're in a world of trouble. Long story short, some receivers are designed to stay attached without a WDS and others aren't.

I wouldn't sweat the WDS too much. Once you know how to set one up, it's no big deal, and takes just a little more time than without. When you have a heavy load, towing with a WDS is night and day compared to without. The truck rides level, and the truck and trailer are a lot more like a unit. When you brake, the trailer doesn't dive, for example, but the truck just sort of gracefully stops. Frankly, even if my receiver didn't require a WDS, I might consider getting one just to improve the ride.

 

[mikehaugen]

The issue is how the receiver attaches to the truck. If you think about it, the trailer is creating a torque on the receiver, twisting the receiver down in the back and up in the front. This puts most of the tongue weight on the bolts in the back of the receiver.

Joshua brings up another good point. Many of the adjustable drawbars stick pretty far out from the receiver, multiplying that torque. As handy as they may be, I avoid them for towing heavy. Just something to keep in mind if you decide not to use a wdh.

There are exceptions, I have one that is a plate welded vertically on the drawbar tube with bolt holes, then have a 4 bolt mounted pintle hitch on that. It really only puts the hitching point 1-2" further back than a straight pintle hitch, so it isn't too bad.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I could certainly be wrong here, but the way I understand it, is that for the same weight GN vs BP, you would normally have more weight on the truck for the GN since you typically have 15%-25% tongue weight, whereas the Bumper Pull would typically have 10%-15% tongue weight. This would leave more weight available to put "stuff" in the bed.

I know a lot of you are die hard GN fans, and like I said I'm not arguing that a bumper pull is better, I'm just surprised that I can pull more with the bumper pull that's all, regardless of the fact that the GN would tow "better".

By the way, where do you guys with the goosenecks put all your other "stuff"? I often carry my brush saw (weed wacker style), gas powered pole saw, two chainsaws with my "saw bag", log peavey and a few other tools. Do you still put that in the bed with the GN? I imagine you can still fit some things back there right?

Mike,
It's a good point about getting a longer GN and I'm not ruling it out, but along with extra weight of the longer gooseneck, now I have even less payload, and even more weight on the truck.

Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong, but I don't see anyway that an equivalent sized GN can carry more than an equivalent sized BP???
I can definitely see why it would carry it better though.

The issue is your truck. It's low GVWR is what is making the GN not possible.

I have had a GN and they have downfalls. Loss of bed space, limiting tow vehicles, inside tracking around turns, ect. For me a long BP trailer works much better.

Any good trailer manufacturer can make you what you want.

Chris

 

[CJONE]

Juice tranny (slang) = automatic.
I ask because in my 2001 f350 a/t Ford was replacing my tranny every July for 3 years, then I got an f 450 with a gear trans. for my towing, and was wondering if you're '99 has the same? I was pulling heavy 18000# JLG man lift every few weeks (short haul), but this was with aux cooling, Amsoil, & gauges monitoring temps. and on any tow that I could, I'd use low range (hubs out) for the mechanical advantage, still burned them up. I think it has an e4od or something. I still have the truck and love it but I don't tow with it. I know, I overloaded it, but I think it is widely known to be a crap transmission.
I think you'll be happy with the b/p trlr. for your described needs. One advantage to the g/n that has not been mentioned is that chances are you're buddies will not be able to borrow it. (no hitch):laughing:

You both have the R4100 trans [updated e4]. Anyway the converter is what is junk, trannys usually have little issues. Call Brian at BTS transmissions and you will not have to replace another one unless you do something really stupid! 2 year unlimited mileage warranty and even after it is up he still takes care of any issues. Mine has towed 21,000 and plowed for the past 5 years with 0 issues. CJ

 

[Piston]

I think I have a Banks torque converter in my truck, not sure how to tell though. I also have the Banks turbo and some other upgrades the previous owner did. I can't remember what it was though, that was 10 years ago when I bought the truck.