Stupid question about gooseneck trailers.

[Crusarius]

Keeping the tranny cool is key. Overheating or running tranny hot will shorten its life treemendously

Pun intended

[charles mann]

I bet you really have a blast in Central Texas cedar season.

actually, that does NOT bother me for some reason. my wife on the other hand, yep, puts her down like the sage brush in the rockies and west coast. something with the foundry dust her dad brought hm form the foundry he and i worked at messed her up. something in a burn pit in iraq back in 08 got me. 

[Old Greenhorn]

If you are not specing a new truck then make sure it has the tow package - including an auxiliary transmission cooler and a transmission which can handle the weight or you will get into trouble.  Ask me how I know.  

Yes SS, that is exactly it. I will do some shopping for the right stuff. Still reading up and learning a lot as I go. This will help me find the right truck before I make a mistake. Everything is open right now. I am pretty set on the goose neck now that I know more and assuming I follow through. I REALLY appreciate all the help and knowledge here. It would have taken me days to do all the research and I still would not have the real time experience being offered up.

[LeeB]

My goose neck trailer is 20 + 5 ft overall and I like the length but there are times when I also wish I had one a few feet shorter. I also wish I had spent a few more bucks and gotten a little heavier duty trailer. Max payload is 11,120#.

[sawguy21]

I have some exxperience pulling goose neck and fifth wheel, some of it not good. Either style puts about 20% of the weight on the pin compared to around 10% for a properly loaded tag along. You will quickly exceed the payload capacity of an F-150/1500 if you are not careful. I know many of us go where angels fear to tread with trailers and have gotten away with it but it can and will bite you especially if you meet up with a truck cop.
We towed a 14,000# gn behind a single rear wheel one ton, the truck was junk after 3 years. Granted little of that was highway.

[Ljohnsaw]

It has been a long time but I think you will also see the load capacity of a gn to be much less than a 5th.  Back when we had horses, my wife kept wanting a bigger, better trailer.  Had a 2 horse straight bumper pull but needed to haul 3 or more.  Found a 4 h straight bumper pull but our 1500 Chevy made it feel like dragging the Titanic.  Found a 3 h slant bumper that was better.  Finally got a 3 h slant gn.  While my wife could back the bumper pull trailers, parking at the ranch was a challenge.  With the gn, she could do it all.  

Now on the hitch, we opted for a disappearing hitch.  EDIT: Gn 5th hitches take up your bed when not towing and are a pain to remove.  The disappearing hitch you pulled a pin from the wheel well to release the ball.  You lift it out, flip it over and drop it back in the hole.  Now you have a clean bed to use.  A really nice feature.  The trailer was an aluminum one so IIRC it was about 3,000# (really light) and loaded we were probably pushing (pulling) 7,500# (1993 Z71 truck rating and the hitch rating was probably just a tad more).  It hauled great.

[firefighter ontheside]

Exactly what sawguy said.  A gooseneck may not be a great idea for you.  For the same length trailer, the gn itself is heavier.  They are designed to carry 20% of the load on the tongue.  This is the reason I went from a 3/4 ton truck to a 1 ton.  My 10,000lb fifth wheel camper was technically not too heavy for the truck, but the tongue weight was too much payload.

For what you're talking about doing, I don't see why a carhauler trailer with tandem 3500 axles wouldn't be perfect for you.  1/2 ton truck with a brake controller and brakes on your trailer.  I love my 1 ton truck, but for logs I use a 10,000 trailer that is 16' plus 2' dovetail.  Carries all the logs I need.

[firefighter ontheside]

If you're gonna get a gn, as John says, the B&W turnover ball is the way to go.  That's what I have.   I can tow a gn if I want, but I have the B&W companion fifth wheel hitch that also attaches to it.

[charles mann]

It has been a long time but I think you will also see the load capacity of a gn to be much less than a 5th.  Back when we had horses, my wife kept wanting a bigger, better trailer.  Had a 2 horse straight bumper pull but needed to haul 3 or more.  Found a 4 h straight bumper pull but our 1500 Chevy made it feel like dragging the Titanic.  Found a 3 h slant bumper that was better.  Finally got a 3 h slant gn.  While my wife could back the bumper pull trailers, parking at the ranch was a challenge.  With the gn, she could do it all.  

Now on the hitch, we opted for a disappearing hitch.  Gn hitches take up your bed when not towing and are a pain to remove.  

5th wheels seem to take up more room than a gn, but both are a pain when need a relatively flat surface for hauling. Yet, like you said, them hide-a-hitch gn balls are worth the $350-$600. This round on my 2018, i opted for the pre installed in bed system, yet i didnt know i had to buy the ball and safety chain devices separately. 
Every 5th wheel system for these smaller tcks seem to be less on towing capacity @ 25,000# as where my gn system is rated @ 30,000#. 
The old dough nut hitches had a 35,000# rating, but evidently are thing of the past. Those are about as common as an honest politician nowadays. 

[TKehl]

With a gooseneck and under bed mount, you pull a lever under the fender, then pull the ball out and have a fairly flat bed floor.  5th wheel will have tracks in the bed and a larger thing to take out if you need a flat bed again.  

We overloaded 1/2 ton trucks on the farm for years before stepping up to 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.  Great move for us.  I was going to try to talk you into a 3/4 ton truck, but for your use, it does sound like a 1/2 ton would be suited.  I would try and get a factory tow package.  Beyond a hitch, it will usually give you a transmission cooler and sometimes bigger radiator.  

One thing to think about is terrain.  Bed sides have been getting taller.  There are places I have to watch to make sure the trailer tounge doesn't hit the bed side when the truck is tilted left and trailer right or vice versa.  A flatbed cures this, but more $ on a 1/2 ton (unless you can buy a 1/2 ton cab and chassis... I've never tried...).

I still have to say that 3/4 ton equipment is made for more severe duty with 1/2 tons being "Cowboy Cadillacs".  Better transmissions, brakes, springs, etc.  1/2 ton components just haven't lasted as long for us.  But being in NY, with occasional use, it may still rust out before you wear it you.   ;)  :D  ;D

[alan gage]

I pull a 14k 20' gooseneck. I started with an old 3/4 ton chevy with a 350. The trailer itself weighs about 4000 pounds and you could really tell even empty when connected to the truck. It could pull the trailer with a full load of logs or an 8000# tractor on it but it wasn't happy at all and topped out at about 45mph (and dropping going uphill). Suspension-wise and brake-wise it was fine. Just not enough power.

I found a '95 3/4 Ram with V10 and that has no problem pulling the trailer no matter how heavy I load it up. Very happy with that combination.

I don't need the truck to pull the trailer a lot but it sure is nice to have when I do. Picking up logs is a snap and dragging the skid loader back and forth between locations is a breeze.

Gas mileage is, obviously, terrible. And since it's old with higher miles I know it's on borrowed time. So the truck only gets a few thousand miles/year, if that. Otherwise I'm in my Corolla. I don't see the need to drive it when I don't need it. Replacing that truck will be much more expensive than replacing the Corolla. And the Corolla has a lot more miles left in it than the truck does. It's cheaper to own both.

It's tough because if you want a flat deck (deckover) you're looking at a big heavy trailer. A lighter trailer, better able to be pulled by a 1/2 ton engine, is going to have a lower deck between the wheels, which will make it harder to load/unload.

I really like the gooseneck but from what you've described so far I'd probably be looking at a bumper pull and a lighter trailer. I'd also be looking for a Corolla.

Alan

[Nebraska]

I'd vote for keeping the little truck as your daily driver and finding an old 1ton with a dump bed, ok I know not a goose neck option but it would be nice haul a few short logs and dump them off or a little rock from the gravel pit here and there. (Just my silly want) Is an older beater 3/4 -1 ton an option? I have one whom I don't drive daily just hauls for me a 2001 7.3 diesel, I dont want to be without  it. Yes I fix on it here and there but way cheaper than buying a newer one.
I have a flip over type ball on mine but the B&W type setup is nicer, mine is sometime a pain if I haul plywood or pallets of stuff since it has a plate that sticks up a little.

[scsmith42]

Old GH,

I've towed gooseneck trailers for almost 40 years and presently own three.  Here is my 2 cents.

First - you can evaluate a potential tow vehicle in three ways.

• Ability of the truck to pull the load.  This means engine capacity, transmission capacity, hitch strength, rear end ratio, etc.
• Ability of the truck to stop the load.  This equates to brake and tire capacity.
• Ability of the truck to handle the physical weight on the tow truck itself (tongue weight).  Tire weight rating plays a role here along with axle capacity.

In general, using a gooseneck hitch instead of a tag-along serves to increase #3 above by one truck size.  IE a 1/2 ton truck pulling a gooseneck is almost equal to a 3/4 ton truck with respect to #3 above.  This is because a higher tongue weight can be distributed across both tow vehicle axles, instead of being cantilevered via the rear mounted trailer hitch.

A gooseneck will help you slightly with stopping, only because of the better weight transfer to the front end and brakes.  However the benefit is slight - maybe 10% - 20% improvement over tag-along.

A gooseneck will not help you at all with respect to #1, and that's your weak link with respect to the tow vehicle.

If you really want to use a 1/2 ton truck to pull a gooseneck, I'd strongly recommend that you upgrade your trailer brakes to hydraulic ones with an electrically operated master cylinder on the trailer.  These are hands down the very best brakes that you can get for a small or mid sized trailer (10 ton and under).  These will significantly compensate for any deficiencies in #2 above, which means that your primary risk is damaging your vehicle from overloading the engine / tranny, as opposed to putting other drivers at risk by not being able to stop the load.

YMMV - just my 2 cents.  Personally I really like goosenecks due to the superior handling and especially the maneuverability.

[dgdrls]

I have a similar situation, I have a full size 1/2 ton with a V-6 its a grocery getter commuter 90% of the time.
This year I purchased a 10K 16' deckover twin axle with brakes on both axles.
I have pulled a few loads already and some loads in the past with a smaller trailer.

I'm looking to do what Alan Gage does,  3/4 or 1 ton when I need it and a commuter car.

Best
D

[TimW]

Another item to note..............most all 1/2 ton pickups are short wheel base.  Short wheel base and a gooseneck are limited in turning (as far as a long wheel base truck) if you have a deck over the gooseneck, or an enclosed GN like a horse trailer.
   I have pulled 14k and 22k gooseneck trailers with a Dodge 2500 and a 3500.  I wouldn't pull anything over a 16 foot lowboy with a 1500.  Just not enough weight to stop suddenly on a wet road.  If that hasn't happened before, it will.
hugs,  Brandi

[TKehl]

most all 1/2 ton pickups are short wheel base

I should add that you should measure the bed.  Recently had a guy come buy some stock racks.  He had a F150 "Longbed".  Turns out the longbed on a that model is only 7' long.  :D

My F350 rarely goes anywhere without a load.  When my wife got a new minivan, I got the old one.  Have always had a reliable little beater gas sipper that gets most of the miles.  Like Alan said, it's cheaper to have two even with insurance and upkeep.  Also gives a backup vehicle if one needs repairs.  Granted, they are both older cars.  My F350 is a 93, but has the 460, 5 speed, and 4x4.  It will pull most anything I want to pull.  MPG sucks, but it doesn't get a lot of miles on it and only have $4k in it including the plow.  ;)  

[TimW]

most all 1/2 ton pickups are short wheel base

  Turns out the longbed on a that model is only 7' long.  :D

That is definitely fuzzy math and :D. 
hugs,  Brandi

[reride82]

OG,

I have what most would consider to be a heavy half ton with a gooseneck hitch and receiver hitch. Now, it is rated around 350 HP and 380 ft-lbs of torque with a heavier duty transmission with cooler and 4.11 rear axle, but it is the suspension that is lacking. It came with four wheel disk brakes and I have trailer brakes as well. I've had it as heavy as 21k gross weight, but would never do that again. It is fairly comfortable up to 16-17k gross weight with a gooseneck(about 7-8k payload), and 14-15k gross weight with a bumper pull trailer(6-7k payload). It is an older 6.0 GMC gasser that can get 18 mpg if I'm not loaded and don't drive like an angry teenager :D Most of the time with a trailer it gets 14-15 mpg. Good luck on your search, but my next pickup will be a 3/4 ton at least and I'd prefer a turbo, either gas or diesel 8)

Levi

[Old Greenhorn]

Levi, just to round out the numbers for comparison, do you know what the GCVWR is on your truck? I am trying to correlate some numbers.

[barbender]

My opinion is, physics dictate that whatever trailer you specify, it will pull and handle better in a gooseneck or 5th wheel configuration.

[BargeMonkey]

 Honestly for what your doing, where you live and how much wood your going to haul, buy a nice fuel sipper 1/2ton with the tow package, decent little equipment trailer / car trailer with a couple stake pockets and go with that. The extra couple trips you may make to pick up wood is offset by the fuel and maintenance. Gooseneck / 5th wheel is more money if you register it in NY, you can still get private plates on a 1/2 ton and go downstate without issue. 1/2 ton and a small trailer flys under the DOT radar, big thing to think about anymore. 

[BargeMonkey]

 Call Joe Marchese @ Marchese ford in Lebanon, tell him what your looking for, where we spec all our 1-tons thru, hes probably got what you want sitting there. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Call Joe Marchese @ Marchese ford in Lebanon, tell him what your looking for, where we spec all our 1-tons thru, hes probably got what you want sitting there.

Gonna go see what they have online now. Thanks once again. Just got home from work, what else am I gonna do? I am guessing they are not open now.  ;D

[Old Greenhorn]

Honestly for what your doing, where you live and how much wood your going to haul, buy a nice fuel sipper 1/2ton with the tow package, decent little equipment trailer / car trailer with a couple stake pockets and go with that. The extra couple trips you may make to pick up wood is offset by the fuel and maintenance. Gooseneck / 5th wheel is more money if you register it in NY, you can still get private plates on a 1/2 ton and go downstate without issue. 1/2 ton and a small trailer flys under the DOT radar, big thing to think about anymore.

Of course you are right, but I hate the way those tag-alongs handle with decent weight. 2 good 2,000# logs and I have a load. I am torn on this point. I always wanted a solid trailer and a goose neck would give me that BUT you are correct, I don't have a lot of application for it...yet. I am leaning toward a 250/2500 class because when I retire I won't have the daily commute and when I do make a run, it will be for a reason.
 I looked at Marchese and there wasn't a lot, but he did have a 2010 250 that interested me. Man, that's a long way to go for a truck, even longer for you. You must like the guy. That tells me something.  I am trying not to rush into this. I alwasy have in the past because I HATE shopping (see other thread), but this time I may be buying my last truck and I want to get something I actually like and works for me.

[Puffergas]

The ball GN has better traction on uneven ground. You would want a special made light GN for your truck and it would still weigh more than a tag along. The game is to haul cargo not trailer iron. 5th wheel and GN trailers are easier to hitch up than a tag along. I got tired of avoiding the long arm of the law and sold my GN years ago. Just use a light weight tag along with my car. With a 1/2 ton I would go with about a 5K tag along or a bit more with the right truck.