Need bigtime help on trailer decision
- Thread starter LabLuvR
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Diamondpilot
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I am like you and like a bumper pull for the same reasons, I need my bed. Anyway with only 10,100# available you will have to go bumper pull, a goose neck trailer would take up 40% or more of your available towing weight so thats out of the question. A 10,000# bumper pull trailer to do what you need is going to tip the scales at 2,500-3,000#. That is only going to leave you with 7,100-7,600# of possible payload. I am guessing you are going to need to upgrade your hitch to a WD model to carry the weight because you will be over the 7,500# limit on your truck so add another $400 to the mix. The factory hitches leave a lot to be desired on all trucks except for the new 2.5" units but will work with the proper equipment.
Time to go trailer shopping. Don't forget to look at the empty weights of the trailers, the tires are also rated for loads so make sure they add up to the trailers carrying capacity, and that it has brakes.
Chris
Time to go trailer shopping. Don't forget to look at the empty weights of the trailers, the tires are also rated for loads so make sure they add up to the trailers carrying capacity, and that it has brakes.
Chris
Is that at the bumper or for a goosneck? I would think it would be rated higher for a goosneck than bumper.
My 05 F250 powerstroke is rated max of 12,500lbs at the bumper with a weight distributing hitch or 15,000 lbs for a goosneck/5th wheel. I would much rather be pulling a goosneck than a bumper pull if your at or near your weight limit. Also, don't forget to you have to stop. A good break controller would be a good investment.
This is the only info I could find relating to a gooseneck unless I missed something in the manual:
"GN kingpin weight should be 15% to 25% of trailer weight up to 2,500 lbs"
That all it had to say about GN's. I will look some more but I believe that's it.
"GN kingpin weight should be 15% to 25% of trailer weight up to 2,500 lbs"
That all it had to say about GN's. I will look some more but I believe that's it.
rutwad
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LabLuvR said:
What year/cab/bed configuration is your truck? The worse case scenario for a 2008 is 9600# bumper and 12,100# GN.
Builder
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LabLuvR said:
Is the "10,100lbs max trailer weight" for any trailer or a bumper pull trailer? I'm sure the 5th wheel rating is higher, because my GMC is much higher than that. Look in the fine print at the bottom. there it usually defines 5th wheel capacity.
Looks like you can get a 12,500lb 5th wheel if you have 2500lbs available over your rear axle. 20% divided into 2500lbs is 12,500 lbs. So you could use a 12,500lb 5th wheel as long as you keep the pin weight at 20% (which should be pretty easy). If the 5th wheel trailer weighs 4,000lbs, then you'd have a 8,500lbs payload. You must also check your GCWR. Let's say it's 20,000lbs. Then if you buy a 12,500lb 5th wheel, your truck must weigh less than 7,500lbs. Should be do-able.
Basically, it comes down to knowing exactly what weight you're carrying- if your total load GVWR (trailer and cargo) is less than 10K, the 10K bumperpull would free up some bed space for more cargo and be cheaper in price as a bonus. Bumper pull trailer will weigh ~3,000lbs so you'll have a 7,000lb available payload. Just be careful here because as you add cargo to the bed, you drastically reduce available pin weight. Every 500 lbs in the bed reduces available trailer capacity by 2,500lbs!!! (500lbs/20% = 2,500lbs)
You know with nothing in the bed, you can put 7,000lbs on the trailer (10K-3K = 7K). Now you put 1,000lbs of seed & tools in the bed. Now you reduce your allowable trailer pin weight capacity by 1,000 nearly 40%!! That's because you reduced your pin weight from 2,500 to 1,500 lbs. 1,500 lbs / 20% = 7,500lbs trailer capacity. So basically with 1,000lbs in the bed, you can only pull roughly a 7,500lb GVWR trailer! Remember that before you buy a bumper pull if you plan on loading up the bed!
If you're over 10K, the 5th wheel gives you another 1,000-1,500lbs +/- extra load capacity and more manueverability as a bonus. Disadvantage is cost & bed space.
What I did was a "dry run". Snap chalk lines on the driveway to the shape of your 5th wheel (say it's 7' x 24') and see if you can park all your stuff in that 7 x 24' rectangle.
The truck is a 2004 shortbed 4x4 Silverado 2500 HDmodel with the 4:10 axle. I've reread the manual and I can't find anything that mentions a GN other than the kingpin weight should be no more than 15-25% of trailer weight. The manual does make allowances for more weight with other model trucks using a GN but apparently not mine which I find strange.
Btw, I love the chalk line idea! Amazingly brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?
Btw, I love the chalk line idea! Amazingly brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?
Builder
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I just realized you have a 6L gas. Just checked trailer towing guide. If it's an '07 or older, the base 6L gas engine IS limited to 10,300lbs on bumper or 5th wheel.
Ford is just as bad. Base 5.4L triton ratings are worse off bumper only 8800lbs and a little better 5th wheel at ~10,800lbs.
If you had a 2500 w/ DMAX, 5th wheel would be 15,600 lbs. If you had a 3500 w/ DMAX like mine, 5th wheel would be 16,600 lbs! That's quite a difference!
OK, so that pretty much means you need to get the longest 10K bumperpull you can get because the 5th wheel rating is no better than bumperpull and since a bumperpull is lighter, you can carry more weight..
Think about my idea of an aluminum bumperpull trailer to make up for your light tow rating. That will really help you a lot.
Ford is just as bad. Base 5.4L triton ratings are worse off bumper only 8800lbs and a little better 5th wheel at ~10,800lbs.
If you had a 2500 w/ DMAX, 5th wheel would be 15,600 lbs. If you had a 3500 w/ DMAX like mine, 5th wheel would be 16,600 lbs! That's quite a difference!
OK, so that pretty much means you need to get the longest 10K bumperpull you can get because the 5th wheel rating is no better than bumperpull and since a bumperpull is lighter, you can carry more weight..
Think about my idea of an aluminum bumperpull trailer to make up for your light tow rating. That will really help you a lot.
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Here's a good link with tow rating info for anyone else who needs it. Gives ratings by engine size, 4wd vs 2wd, model, etc.
Trailer Life Magazine: America's Number One RV Magazine
You will also want to check your GCWR. I re-checked the rating for my 05 F250 (reg cab long bed) and shows 15,900 for a goosneck max but the GCWR is 23,000 lbs. So if you do the math that leaves me with only 7,100 lbs for the truck and and additional cargo (including passengers). I think the dry weight of my truck is around 7,200 lbs before adding fuel and driver/passenger. This would also put my load at twice the weight of the truck and again I stress you have to be able to stop.
jk
Trailer Life Magazine: America's Number One RV Magazine
You will also want to check your GCWR. I re-checked the rating for my 05 F250 (reg cab long bed) and shows 15,900 for a goosneck max but the GCWR is 23,000 lbs. So if you do the math that leaves me with only 7,100 lbs for the truck and and additional cargo (including passengers). I think the dry weight of my truck is around 7,200 lbs before adding fuel and driver/passenger. This would also put my load at twice the weight of the truck and again I stress you have to be able to stop.
jk