Goose Neck trailer pulling

[bradheiter]

I ran a search under trailering and didn't find anything about goose neck trailering. So...

First the basic info:

My Ford pickup manual states GCWR of 13,500 lbs with a max trailer weight of 8,400 lbs. The truck weighs 5,160 lbs as measured at the local scale. The question is how unsafe is pulling a GN trailer that at times (maybe three times a year) could get to be about 1200 lbs higher than the max GCWR?

This is why I'm asking:

I have a chance to get a great deal on a 20 foot goose neck stock trailer (electric brakes on both axles) that when loaded with my tractor fel bh will be within those weight limits BUT when loaded with my wife's draft horses the loaded trailer will be about 9500 lbs or 1200 lbs over those limits. The only time we would load all the horses (causing the overload) is about every 3 to 4 months to take them to the farrier. Normally the trailer would be loaded with two horses, tack, a wagon and would weigh very close to the limits.

I'm in central Wisconsin so mountains are not an issue. I know, I should get a bigger tow vehicle. If it were a bumper pull I wouldn't do it but I've been told that goose neck trailers distribute the weigh much better and that other than the extra wear and tear from the heavy load the truck should be able to pull it safely. My only experience with a GN trailer was a light one (maybe it went 5500 loaded) pulled by an F350 diesel so I can't compare that experience with this situation.

Thanks

Brad

 

[beenthere]

Given that the draft horses are a "live" load, I wouldn't do it. Bad enough that you are overweight, but add the possibility of any emergency (braking, or turning quickly to avoid an accident) with the live load, you may be asking for a big problem. And if in the accident, the 'law' determines you were also overloaded, it could add big time to your life's history book. Just imagine those horses trying to catch their balance by stepping quickly in one direction, and taking the trailer with them. I'm sure you have some experience with that already. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
For a static, tied down overweight load, I may (would) take a risk. But not what you are proposing. But that is your risk, not mine. I would take two or three horses, not all four, and make two trips. Why take the chance?

 

[cowboydoc]

What is the year, make, and model of your pickup? 13,500 is the weight you can pull a gooseneck trailer. Your GCVW which is the weight of your truck and trailer will be 20,000 lbs. You will be well under the max load. I haul a 16,000 pound trailer and have never had one issue. The vehicle recommendations are for warranty purposes mostly. If you have the proper brakes, pin weight, etc. you will be fine. The law is based on what your plates say you can tow.

 

[Mark4510]

Brad,
What the manufacturer states as a limit and what you can reasonably expect to pull can be very different. Keeping your rig in good shape along with using a gooseneck trailer certainly improves your odds.

We haul stock on a weekly basis and generally for at least a couple of hundred miles with an average monthly trip to someplace like OK, TX, NV, OR, AZ or around CA. I have certainly hauled overloaded rigs but not any longer......

It's the things you cant plan for that cause the problems. Down hill, around a corner, traffic coming to a stop and the stock jumps around......next thing you are losing traction. If its wet or icy it just gets worse. Maybe the guy in front of you drops out a big chunk of angle iron that at 35 mph you swerve to miss but dont and it flats all the tires on that side of the rig......It's not that you cant physically do it but its more about how much control do you have when things really go bad. For us, the value of our load sure outwieghs running overloaded.

Certainly your call....personally I would not do it with livestock. If you choose to do it, leave plenty of room to stop.

 

[johnday]

Sounds like your trying to drag a load with something like an F-150. Please, get a truck suitable to pull a load like you want. I probably shouldn't be answering at all since overloading is a real sore spot for me. If your going to endanger your life it's OK. But do it on a back road at 0300 so you don't take someone else, like someones 17 yearold daughter with you. What I am describing happened to a friend of mine close to 15 years ago, the careless/reckless individual who murdered her wasn't even scratched. So now everyone knows why I post things like this. My apologies to everyone, I think I'll stop reading anymore posts that have to do with driving or towing.

 

[cowboydoc]

I hardly think that it's reasonable to say that just because you are over the mfg. rated #'s you are unsafe. Trucks everyday are over the mfg. rated specs from dump trucks to semi's to hotshots to pickups. If you are commercial it is usually done within the letter of the law. Anytime a truck is carrying multiple trailers, or has a legal overlimit you are talking about gross weights of 10-50% above the mfg. limits. Every year when we haul crops we are legally ok'd for farm use to haul at 80k and above. The mfg. limits are well below this. But we have adequate brakes, proper load distribution, hitches, etc. so that we can stop just as easily with 50k as with 90k.

With my dually and my larger trailer I am usually at 25 or 26k which is over the mfg. limit. However, my pin weight is below my axle and my tire limits. The key is distribution of weight. When I go over a scale I am completely legal because my axle weight is where it should be. I can actually stop quicker with the big trailer because it has the appropriate brakes than I can stop with my smaller trailer at which I am 10k lighter but that trailer doesn't have half the brakes the larger trailer does.

There are certainly more factors that play into this than the mfg. ratings. If this guy is trying to haul an F-150 with that load then he is probably too light. If it's a new F-150 they are rated for 10k hauling. If it's an F-250 then it's a moot point as they are rated to haul 13,200.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( There are certainly more factors that play into this than the mfg. ratings )</font>

And you covered them quite well. I'd only add that the expertise and common sense of the driver is another important factor.

 

[johnday]

Richard; I wish I hadn't gotten into this thread to tell the truth. I believe just what your saying, but how many people really are knowledgable about these things? I believe on the lighter trucks that the GCVW is more important that is followed opposed to a big truck. I know you've seen like I have some of the combinations out there. I even hear the big trucks commenting about unsafe at any speed.

Again, I appologize to everyone, especially bradheiter for the way it appears I attacked him. He came to the right place to ask intelligent questions like he did.

My reasoning as to why I am so adamant about safe driving habits and loading, I think I explained fairly well.

Richard, only 80K?, this is Michigan you know. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bradheiter]

Thanks for the input. I obviously want to use what I have (truck), get a near new trailer at a "steal" price BUT I also don't need or want a road hazard.

The truck is a single rear wheels F250. The towing numbers are right out of the owners manual. I don't want to do anything unsafe. When I look in the book I see that the trailer towing (with regards to combined weight and trailer weight) goes up according to the engine, I have the 5.4 liter, if I had (I don't) the next bigger engine then I would be within specs. The truck won't be over it's GVWR and the trailer won't be over it's weight rating BUT the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) will be over the specs. If 'all' I am doing is working my engine/trans a bit too hard I'll accept that, it's only 3 or 4 times a year. BUT if I'm an accident waiting to happen, then that is NOT OK. My idea was since it seems that Ford is Ok with the trailer weight for the chassis but not my engine. I could safely but slowly get away with it. I've plenty of miles pulling bumper pulls, but only one experience with a goose neck. Does a goose neck go down the road like a properly balanced bumper pull with a weight distrubution hitch or ??? are they better or worse? What percentage of the trailer weight should be on the truck?

Brad

 

[bradheiter]

Hi johnday,
I did not take your response as an attack. Rather I Thank You for your input. Your posts will definitely be factored into my decision to make one or two trips per farrier visit.
Brad