Thinking about a new Gooseneck trailer

[sandman2234]

Here’s the 6500 and trailer. The one ton was a 4 door long bed GM truck. I don’t have the GN trailer anymore. But hitch weight wasn’t a concern for dump truck pintle trailers so the axels are pretty far back. The 6500 has a 10’ bed and the axel is almost at the back of the bed so I think the wheel base on the trucks would be pretty close. View attachment 672633View attachment 672634

Throw a tape on the center axle to center axle on the truck and I will throw one on my extended cab F350, or maybe someone else can with a four door. (Although F350 wheelbase is probably on the net somewhere). The best way for us to confirm this would be to find 2 same size trailers and drive in a circle behind the same truck. I think axle position is going to be the reason for any differences.
David from jax

 

[4570Man]

I know for a fact a leaf spring ford can’t match the turning radius of the 6500. My regular cab long bed IFS ton would be a close match. I don’t know how they managed it but that straight axle, leaf spring, 40” tire truck will flat turn.

 

[LD1]

Throw a tape on the center axle to center axle on the truck and I will throw one on my extended cab F350, or maybe someone else can with a four door. (Although F350 wheelbase is probably on the net somewhere). The best way for us to confirm this would be to find 2 same size trailers and drive in a circle behind the same truck. I think axle position is going to be the reason for any differences.
David from jax

Nothing to confirm other than to yourself.

BP tracks truck better than a GN. Its about where the hitch is (which is what the trailer follows/pivots around). And on a GN it is slightly FORWARD of the axle. On a BP it is BEHIND.

PS....this is also why a BP trailer reacts much faster to steering input

 

[sandman2234]

Everywhere I am reading on the web says that a GN will turn in a smaller radius than a bumper pull. This was what we were wondering, right?
David from jax

 

[4570Man]

Everywhere I am reading on the web says that a GN will turn in a smaller radius than a bumper pull. This was what we were wondering, right?
David from jax

You might be able to with several forward and backwards movements turn around in a smaller area. I doubt it but maybe. If you just cut the truck wheels as far as they’ll go and drive in a circle the BP will track tighter to the path the truck drove. So I guess technically the GN is driving in a tighter radius but that’s not what you want. Tighter tracking to the same path the truck drove would give a greater ability to make turns while staying on the road.

 

[LD1]

You might be able to with several forward and backwards movements turn around in a smaller area. I doubt it but maybe. If you just cut the truck wheels as far as they’ll go and drive in a circle the BP will track tighter to the path the truck drove. So I guess technically the GN is driving in a tighter radius but that’s not what you want. Tighter tracking to the same path the truck drove would give a greater ability to make turns while staying on the road.

Yes.

Its tighter tracking to the trucks wheels is what you want.

Sure, a GN may turn inside a smaller circle, because no worry of jacknifing into a bumper.

But when you are doing that tight circle, look how far inside the trucks tracks that the GN is.

IF you set up a 90 degree turn.....an equal length BP will do it in a SMALLER area than a GN.

That is why it is a yes and no answer as to which is most manueverable....as I mentioned in my first post.

 

[nisaacs]

Its abut the hitch point.

With a GN, the hitch is FORWARD of the rear axle. So the VERY MOMENT you start turning into a driveway....the Trailer starts heading the same direction.

With a BP, the hitch is several feet behind the rear axle. So you start a turn into a driveway....the trailer actually goes the opposite direction for a moment if you turn real sharp....and tracks much closer.

I agree, the two trailers are apples and oranges. They both react different to what the tow vehicle is doing. If the tow vehicle pivots on it's rear axle there is no steering english applied to the gooseneck hitch, the drive axle has to move sideways first. On a bumper pull the tail swing of the tow vehicle steers the trailer hitch immediately. On a narrow crooked driveway, lined with railroad ties for example, I can back the bumper pull mostly anywhere I can tow it forward. Not so with a gooseneck, not enough room for the tow vehicle to swing and get the needed steering input to the gooseneck hitch.

Not taking anything away from sandman, when you need a 90 degree turn the gooseneck wins that one, however it is hard on the trailer axles to pivot on themselves. But, the room needs to be there for the tow truck or it wont work. Trees, fence post, buildings, rocks all play a part. Any slight movement of the tow vehicles front axle will help make the bumper pull start to follow with no side movement of the drive axle, so it stays centered in the driveway.

Hard for me to explain but if the truck has a stinger hitch 15' from the center of the drive axle and the trailer has a reach hitch the same length from it's axles, it will follow in the trucks footsteps. Such as a long log truck and trailer. That's the only way you can navigate tight switchbacks on a spur road. The standard fifth wheel truck/trailer will not.

 

[RollTideRam]

was the camper 5th wheel or BP

Bumper pull

 

[Redlands Okie]

I have several gooseneck and several bumper pull trailors of various sizes. For stability on the road a bumper pull cannot compete with a gooseneck. Perhaps not every one needs to worry about that issue.

I agree that bumper pulls follow the same tracks as the pulling vehicle better than a gooseneck. When pulling, goosenecks need more attention on tight corners as some have pointed out.

However, working construction for a living and mostly on residential and some light comercial jobs I have to deal with limited room to back into or park trailors almost every day I work. Often times its a choice of making multiple trips walking and hauling tools from a distance to use on the job or hauling debris from the job to the trailor. The effort, time and the expense of paying employees to carry things back and forth is a major factor. When comparing equal trailor bed area to carry your load or tools in, and for tight quarters I will pick the gooseneck every single time.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have a 35 GN and when I bought it, I was dreading it wouldn稚 make it into a few of my tighter driveways, especially ones with pillars, but it does.
I simply drive to the point where it feels like the nose of my truck is past the driveway, then turn hard back towards the driveway and hug the edge of the driveway. The GN makes it easily. I previously had a Big Tex 30 GN and I could turn that into literally any driveway no matter how tight it was.
A 30 footer can go about anywhere a 35 footer is a little tougher.
The OP should be ok unless he has a crazy-tight driveway.

I have 2 bumper pull trailers and have owned several GNs including my 35 Kaufman. It has a GVWR of 38500. The difference between bumper pull and GN for handling, loading and operating is like night and day. GN is superior in 10 ways to maybe 1 maneuvering advantage of the bumper pull.
Its why tractor trailers are primarily a GN design, not a bumper pull design.
If you really need a GN, get one and you wont regret it. If youre concerned about getting in/out driveway, find someone who has one and ask them to do a trial run with their truck & trailer.
Then its settled.