When to go gooseneck

[ovrszd]

taht ex will have A codes in it. just swap in some b codes or c codes (if you want a dually ride). they bolt right in. you know that greg

I like my GN, i also like my bumper pull. Depending on what i am doing will determine what i take. GN do take some getting used to. especially the really tight track. there are some roads here i can not take my GN because the GN will track into the ditch. this is my biggest issue.

They definitely shortcut more.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Yeah, Terry, I know that... And hope to swap the springs now that I found a parts truck! Do hate to loose that smoother ride though... But look forward to clearing 35's!

 

[Rara Avis]

Why do you need safety chain? I do not have safety chain on my 5th wheel... Why is the gooseneck different with safety chains?

I have considered a 10k gooseneck for my tractor. I have kind of outgrown my 16' 7k bumper tow. Part of the reason for me considering a gooseneck is because of how nice my 5th wheel tows. I was also looking at the goosneck plates that fit my bed rails for the 5th wheel hitch.

It just isn't a financial priority for me right now...

D.O.T. requirements for gooseneck hitches are the same as pull hitches (bumper hitch, etc, even pintle). D.O.T. makes no distinction between them.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah, Terry, I know that... And hope to swap the springs now that I found a parts truck! Do hate to loose that smoother ride though... But look forward to clearing 35's!

Wish I had a pic of my friend's EX with 38's on it but alas I do not. I'll see if he can send me a pic. It was insane. He's a short guy. How he got in it is beyond me. He sold it and now drives a sweet SD. I've got a pic of it somewhere. "Digging"......

 

[TMGT]

Yeah, Terry, I know that... And hope to swap the springs now that I found a parts truck! Do hate to loose that smoother ride though... But look forward to clearing 35's!

Air bags, best of both worlds. Put them on my 3/4t Ram and it makes a huge difference and once aired down rides like they aren't there. Mine rode so rough I didn't want to put stiffer springs.

I pull a 16ft dump bumper pull and it makes for a much easier ride since it's easy to get a higher tongue weight then expected.

 

[kthompson]

D.O.T. requirements for gooseneck hitches are the same as pull hitches (bumper hitch, etc, even pintle). D.O.T. makes no distinction between them.

Thank you Rara Avis

Had an ex trucker with me this afternoon and asked him this question and he said, "I do not know."

KThompson

 

[QRTRHRS]

SUV's tow considerable less then 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. So yes if you are moving loads under 8K including a trailer than a gooseneck is not for you. But when you go over 10K you need a truck and a gooseneck will tow better than a bumper pull. Tractor trailers do not need safety chains, because they have air brakes. When it loses pressure the brakes will lock up. I have seen several trailers fall off the tractor that was towing it. If it has a light load the landing gear can survive. But if it is heavy it just breaks.

Air brakes have nothing to do with safety chains on semi's. As mentioned before, it is the strength of the kingpin and properly adjusted fifth wheel jaws. If you ever watched Highway from **** when they were trying to disconnect a tractor and trailer in a bad way, that connection can be tough to seperate. Real life and not some TV show, that is exactly how it is.

If you saw a trailer seperate it was because as I said the fifth wheel jaws were not properly adjusted and/or the driver never crawled under the trailer and looked to see if it was properly secured. In addition to that, the driver still needs to test that connection.

FWIW, the tow dollys or jiffster's on a set of doubles do have safety chains that need to be connected to the lead pup. That is in addition to really heavy duty pintle hitches. The tow dolly of course has a fifth wheel so now the driver needs to crawl under two trailers. When I ran doubles, I did see them dropped on occasion. Some of the dolly configurations were shall we say seemed to be more prone (the ones with a high saddle for those of you whom have had the pleasure) so you had to be extra careful. I always did a figure eight in the lot before I ever pulled onto the main road. Trust me, making and breaking four sets a night gets old.

There are a couple of negatives with goosenecks. Though more of an issue with an older tow vehicle as in a lot less torque is that they do pull a little heavier. If you can, before you pull the trigger, hook the trailer up and see how it handles. Some combinations will cause "cab slap". That is a motion where as the seat back seems to be nudging you sometimes pretty roughly. On a dovetail or a beaver tail, watch the clearance between the rear frame and the road. Depending on your area of operation, you could be dragging a bit. Lastly, don't be jacking that trailer around anymore or faster than necessary. You can roll the tires right off of the rims.

 

[civilian]

I can't think of a gooseneck trailer because my truck has a cap/shell on it. I need it to haul tools, etc for my work that have to stay dry. Therefore for me, just bumper pulls. However, my trailers are 7k and under. I am waiting on a 10k bumper pull to be built. Everyone has the own needs. Jon

 

[TMGT]

Like civilian I need a cap which makes a gooseneck not practical.
I pull a 14k dump on a somewhat regular basis and have a large dually tandem equipment trailer that gets used less regularly. I'm not sure why people say 10k is the max they'd bumper pull, I prefer gooseneck for heavier loads as they are more tolerant of less then ideal weight distribution but I wouldn't shy away from a properly connected and loaded BP even at close to 20k on a pickup.

 

[Btown]

Air brakes have nothing to do with safety chains on semi's. As mentioned before, it is the strength of the kingpin and properly adjusted fifth wheel jaws. If you ever watched Highway from **** when they were trying to disconnect a tractor and trailer in a bad way, that connection can be tough to seperate. Real life and not some TV show, that is exactly how it is.

If you saw a trailer seperate it was because as I said the fifth wheel jaws were not properly adjusted and/or the driver never crawled under the trailer and looked to see if it was properly secured. In addition to that, the driver still needs to test that connection.

FWIW, the tow dollys or jiffster's on a set of doubles do have safety chains that need to be connected to the lead pup. That is in addition to really heavy duty pintle hitches. The tow dolly of course has a fifth wheel so now the driver needs to crawl under two trailers. When I ran doubles, I did see them dropped on occasion. Some of the dolly configurations were shall we say seemed to be more prone (the ones with a high saddle for those of you whom have had the pleasure) so you had to be extra careful. I always did a figure eight in the lot before I ever pulled onto the main road. Trust me, making and breaking four sets a night gets old.

There are a couple of negatives with goosenecks. Though more of an issue with an older tow vehicle as in a lot less torque is that they do pull a little heavier. If you can, before you pull the trigger, hook the trailer up and see how it handles. Some combinations will cause "cab slap". That is a motion where as the seat back seems to be nudging you sometimes pretty roughly. On a dovetail or a beaver tail, watch the clearance between the rear frame and the road. Depending on your area of operation, you could be dragging a bit. Lastly, don't be jacking that trailer around anymore or faster than necessary. You can roll the tires right off of the rims.

A trailer should not disconnect from the ball or king pin period. Yes the tractor trailers who lost the trailers was operator error. But even tow ball hitches should not disconnect

It's not the best pic, but the back of the truck is in the air. The truck is still connected trailer. They had to pick the truck up in the air pull the pin and slide the hitch out of the receiver. When there is pressure on any connection it is a bear to get it off and dangerous. I have yet to see a gooseneck come off, but I have seen bumper pulls and tractor trailers come off. Just my experience. In general the tractor trailer will stay connected when they roll.