Bumper Pull vs. Gooseneck....Help me choose!

[Gavman]

Hello to all.

First of all, I have been pulling since I was old enough to drive, with both bumper pulls, and lately with my gooseneck. I am pulling with an '05 Ford F-250 PSD. I am already setup to pull either style of trailer. I pull, on average, 5500 lbs. to 7000 lbs. of equipment, not including weight of trailer.

I currently have a 20' GN, but I am going to sell it and by a new trailer. I am either going to get a 22' GN with 2 7K axles, or a 22' BP with 2 7K axles. I "want" to get the bumper pull version. The reason being I leave my equipment at my dad's house due to neighborhood association/lack of room at my own, so I have to hook up pretty much daily. This is easier with a bumper pull, plus it is easier to get around the truck/ use the truck bed with a BP. However, I tow on average 40 to 100 miles per trip, so I like the comfort/control a GN offers.

I am wondering if I put a WD hitch and airbags on my truck, will it make pulling a BP more similar to pulling with a GN. ( I know it won't be exactly the same, but how close? )

Also, how will the WD hitch effect connecting/disconnecting to trailer?

If you were making this decision, what would you choose and why?

Please share your experience!

Thanks,
Gavin

 

[Diamondpilot]

You know the answer to your questions but I am like you and prefer the bumper pull because I need my bed 90% of the time I pull. Nothing will make it pull like a GN but a WD hitch will be a good addition. I have a 2004 PSD F-250 SRW and a 2006 PSD F-350 SRW. There is no difference. The F-350 is twice the truck. I would look at changing the rear springs and if thats not a option then look at the air bags or trading up to a F-350

Chris

 

[radman1]

I too prefer the bumper pull for easier hitching and doesn't take up space in the truck bed. I have 14K 24' tilt trailer and 14K dump trailer as well as smaller BP trailers. Still have 25K 31" deck over GN. I still like the GN for really heavy loads but use the BP's 95% of the time. I don't use an equalizer hitch but I am sure I exceed the reciever load limit many times. With longer trailer lengths, I rarely ever experience trailer sway unless my tongue weight is too light. Overall, longer trailers pull very nicely.
I pull with 1999 V10 F250. The early F250s had the same springs and rear axle as the F350, minus an additional 2" riser block on the F350. My truck barely squats under heavy loads. Savy buyers noticed this difference and saved money and purchased a F250 instead of 350's. My brothers 2003 F250 will drop 4" with moderate to heavy loads. As expected, his truck rides better when unloaded. Your 05 F250 will probably squat a fair amount with the bumper pull.

 

[Gavman]

Thanks for the input...keep it coming.

I assume that the airbags will "basically" convert the rear suspension to the load bearing capacity of a F-350 or 1 ton, which should alleviate the rear end from squatting. Then the WD hitch will distribute the weight better to help with control, I just don't know how much.

 

[Diesel-ME]

I probably have far less trailer experience than many here, but since we got the GN horse trailer I am VERY happy with how darn easy it is to hook up. What could be easier than watching the GN line up with the ball in the back of the bed? If you use a turn over ball hitch you lose no bed space/use at all. Plus you will have far fewer friends who will want to borrow the gooseneck.

$.02

paul

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

I'm with Paul, I'm new to the GN scene but not to bumper pulls. The GN is a better ride and handling than the BP. The only way I'd go back to BP was if I bought a dump truck and didn't have the GN hitch as an option. As for hitching up there's no way a BP is easier than a GN. You can actually see the ball on the GN. I think you crazy to go back. Just my opinion.

Matt T.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Hitching up a GN trailer being easier depends on the truck. I pull with 4 different trucks and my friends all have trucks. It is imposable to see the GN ball on my neighbors 2007 GM 3500 4 door long bed D-max. It is a 2 man operation. As for me I have 3 Diesel trucks and a F-150. My only truck with a GN hitch is my 1999 F-250 PSD. Its a regular cab long bed and is a cinch to hook up because I can see the ball. My other 2 diesels, a 2004 F-250 PSD and a 2006 F-350 PSD which both are 4x4's with extended cabs and short beds would be as tough to hook up as my friends GM. Thats why the do not have GN balls in them. My 2007 F-150 Super Crew 4x4 is just the daily driver for the wife so it rarely pulls anything but a small 7,000# car hauler and a 7,000# boat.

Chris

 

[Gavman]

I have hooked up both...so in my opinion..BP's are easier to hook up. What I mean by this is not that they are easier to line up. Most of the time, I can back up to either style of trailer and have it lined up close enough to connect in the first try.
I do however have a tool box in the bed of my truck, which keeps me from seeing the GN ball, but even with that, if you do it enough, you learn to line it up.
A BP will be easier to hook up for me, because I usually keep 2 commercial weedeaters with bicycle style handle bars, an ice chest, and a gas can in the bed of my truck. So when I get to my dads house to hook up I have to get out and put my tailgate down and arrange the cargo so the GN can get to the ball. I will not have to mess with any of that with a BP. Also, I have to climb up in the bed of my truck with a GN, where I won't with a BP. I realize that may seem lazy, but when you hook up/pull everyday, it's the little things that will drive you to the funny farm! I just do not want to get a BP, and end up wishing I would've stuck with a GN for stability's sake.

I am willing to sacrifice the benefits a GN offers, if I can get close with a BP with a WD Hitch, and airbags.

Anybody pulled a similar GN and a BP with WD Hitch & airbags. What was the performance difference?

 

[kevinj]

I have hooked up both...so in my opinion..BP's are easier to hook up. What I mean by this is not that they are easier to line up. Most of the time, I can back up to either style of trailer and have it lined up close enough to connect in the first try.
I do however have a tool box in the bed of my truck, which keeps me from seeing the GN ball, but even with that, if you do it enough, you learn to line it up.
A BP will be easier to hook up for me, because I usually keep 2 commercial weedeaters with bicycle style handle bars, an ice chest, and a gas can in the bed of my truck. So when I get to my dads house to hook up I have to get out and put my tailgate down and arrange the cargo so the GN can get to the ball. I will not have to mess with any of that with a BP. Also, I have to climb up in the bed of my truck with a GN, where I won't with a BP. I realize that may seem lazy, but when you hook up/pull everyday, it's the little things that will drive you to the funny farm! I just do not want to get a BP, and end up wishing I would've stuck with a GN for stability's sake.

I am willing to sacrifice the benefits a GN offers, if I can get close with a BP with a WD Hitch, and airbags.

Anybody pulled a similar GN and a BP with WD Hitch & airbags. What was the performance difference?

I set my cargo trailer up as a fifth wheel. That offers easy hook up and it is quite easy to remove the hitch. I have an extended cab with cross box so I can't see a goose ball. I have a 14k Cornpro with a Putnam ?? fifth wheel post in place of the goose post. I can change back to goose in about 10 minutes by just changing the post.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

If a bumper pull suits your needs and you want it then buy it and be happy.

I personally prefer gooseneck trailers. However, I currently do not own one right now. I have two bumper pulls (a 16' 5 ton equipment hauler and a 10' 5 ton dump trailer) and they are handy for what we use them for (mostly on construction sites). They allow us to haul what we need to and still have full access to the bed of the truck. However, my farm needs have dictated the future purchase of at least a 30' gooseneck. So a third trailer will be added as soon as I am healthy enough to work full time again.

 

[Gavman]

I really don't need to spend more cash on a fifth wheel set up, although that would be really handy for a guy who already has fifth wheel camper! I would be that much closer to getting a fifth wheel camper though, which would be fun!

I do want a BP, but the point of this thread is to make sure I am gonna be happy with the performance of a BP with a WD hitch and airbags pulling the weight that I mentioned above as opposed to a GN!! I have pulled with both, so I know how they pull. I have not, however pulled a BP with a WD Hitch and airbags, so I am wondering how much more sturdy this makes the BP trailer compared to a GN?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I've got 2 gooseneck flatbeds, a gooseneck stock trailer, 2 bumper pull equipment trailers, and a bumper pull enclosed box trailer. With enough practice, either is a breeze to hitch up. I don't give an advantage to either in that regard. Goosenecks tow better when loaded close to full capacity. Bumper pulls manuever/corner better (tighter turning radius) in tight quarters (and not just because they're shorter) . My gooseneck flats are 20'+5' (14,000) and 22'+4' (20,000). Bumper pull flats are 18'+2' (14,000) and 16'+2' (10,500). When the bumper pulls are big enough, I tend to hook them up FIRST. All things being equal, I'd MUCH rather drag them around in traffic.

 

[Eagleview]

How about a reversing camera mounted below the high level brake light aimed at the goose hitch to make hook ups easier ? And for extra storage space , use under body tool boxes .

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I really don't need to spend more cash on a fifth wheel set up, although that would be really handy for a guy who already has fifth wheel camper! I would be that much closer to getting a fifth wheel camper though, which would be fun!

I do want a BP, but the point of this thread is to make sure I am gonna be happy with the performance of a BP with a WD hitch and airbags pulling the weight that I mentioned above as opposed to a GN!! I have pulled with both, so I know how they pull. I have not, however pulled a BP with a WD Hitch and airbags, so I am wondering how much more sturdy this makes the BP trailer compared to a GN?

The F-250 you have should be able to handle the 22' bumper pulled trailer fine as long as it is loaded properly. Add the weight distribution hitch and you are further ahead. I would not hesitate to pull it behind either of my F-250's (one is a 5.4 and the other a 6.0).

I will tell you that I have put 5 ton of fence on my 16' trailer before and pulled it from West Virginia back to New York (over loaded as the trailer is rated for 5 ton with the trailers weight). The weight was evenly distributed and the 5.4l F-250 pulled it just fine all the way home (twice now). The trucks can handle it as long as you know how to load it (which I am assuming you do).

 

[LoneCowboy]

GN's turn tighter than a BP, the pivot point is further up on the chassis. You can do 90 degrees plus with a GN, you can't do that with a BP. (may or may not be important to you)

I've converted my BP's to a pintle hitch.
simply darn near impossible for it to come loose/off.
and
it's usually quicker to hook up. (you can be off a little and still get it to slide in, much further off than with a ball).
Plus, no one asks to borrow it. (since they typically don't have a pintle hitch for their reciever)

 

[Diamondpilot]

Pintle hitches have no place on light duty trucks like 2500's and 3500's. They will wear out the drive components in stop and go traffic quicker than anything. They do have a place and that is on small dump trucks and bigger where the drive line is that much heavier.

I tow aprox 80 different trailers yearly and I can tell you I have never had a coupler off the ball. If its worn that bad its not going behind my truck. I always put in a safety pin also.

Chris

 

[wushaw]

If you haven't used a WD system then do a little reading first, if your pin weight changes regularly then you have to adjust for the weight changes.

The WD hitch weighs a ton not to mention the stick out from the bumper, the bars require frequent greasing, you will have to store them somewhere daily.

Hook up WD VS GN on a daily basis is a wash in "YOUR" case since you have to move a bunch of stuff to access your GN ball.

What if you loose a WD bar?

That's all I got, I am not a fan of WD but they are necessary on LD stuff.

 

[Egon]

I have no experience with a goose neck but do have a 20 ft. 10K rated bumper pull with WD hitch and air bags on a 96 Dodge Diesel that has been across Canada a few times when we moved to Nova Scotia from Alberta.

I've no complaints but then I've not got anything to compare too. Many times I also have a camper on the truck when towing the trailer. I now use it to go between town and our play farm. Other times its serious and I do some cutting and hauling of firewood. [ the farm is playing, the trees are serious ]

Some days the hookups go easy. Other days they take forever. I have to hook up by myself. The WD hitch isn't a problem to hook up. The air bags allow you to keep the truck level so it steers better and may also help reduce sway.

If it would not have been for the camper I would probably have gone with a goose neck.

 

[Renze]

We convert Mercedes Sprinter and similar vehicles to air brakes and 5th wheel, and build 5th wheel trailers.

Couple of months ago, a customer complained about a trailer we built for him. Its a 5 ton gross weight trailer, 1500kg rated 5th wheel and 2x 1800kg (3600 pound) axles. and ultra low 255/50 B12 Trelleborg tires.

He wanted a price for a new trailer, but he'd rather sacrifice the deck height, to put 14" tires under it, because he thought the Trelleborg balloon tires were too small and fragile. He thought his trailer was up, because the frame also cracked.

Then a warning light lighted up in the back of my head, and i asked him what they did with the trailer... Hmm nothing special really, our guys that make sports fields use it to haul the MF 4200 series farm tractor (4000 kg ? ) and scraper/grader (1000 kg ?) and rotavator (700 kg ?) and a 400 liter fuel tank and a trailer mounted boom crane (600kg) to the job...

While he was talking, he realised that he -MIGHT- be overloading that trailer, as the Net load rating is 3500 kg while he was taking allmost 190% of that....

We made the customer an offer for a trailer like attached below: with air suspension, air brakes, ABS, and 2x 3500 kg axles:




My point is, what would happen if he used a bumper pull trailer with the same light duty 1800 kg torsion axles, overloaded by 180% ??? He wouldnt be able to live and tell !!!

Carrying trailers more than twice the weight of the truck, gooseneck is definately the way to go !!!
Another safe way is a turntable steered 2 or 3 axle trailer, but that is just a b*tch to back up, when you have to steer on mirrors instead of direct sight.

 

[Eagleview]

Ive just stolen the design of that trailer . I was going to do a knock off of the H&H Speed loader Goose but have changed my mind . You still can use the trucks deck space on yours as the trailer deck takes it's place .