gooseneck vs bumper pull

Yay!Gurrr

Yay!Gurrr

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Mar 17, 2005
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N. N. Raleigh, NC
I've always pulled a bumper pull. I realize and understand the advantages of a gooseneck trailer in large trailer applications. But I'd like to hear input about its advantages in a single car application.

I have zero intentions of doing the truck camper/4x4 package that other are doing or planning to do.. What I do have in mind is my long ago original plan of a big rig style sleeper or simple 'dog house' type box on the front using about 4'-5'..

So that in mind I'd be looking at a 20' trailer. This is still in the realm of a normal sized tag trailer. I'm concered about the weight penalty just to stick the goose on the front.

Price aside is it worth it and why ???


Whats the pin weight on a typical empty goosneck?
Whats the total weight of a smaller goose??
 
You'll want to swap that 454 for something a bit more potent... preferably not naturally aspirated.
 
saf-t scissors said:
You'll want to swap that 454 for something a bit more potent... preferably not naturally aspirated.
Click to expand...

As in ??? H2O powered ?

Serioulsy, my other chevy pulled the jeep on a 2200# trailer ok even with its 190k, so im not sure why a 454 or fresh 350 would not be able to pull a similer sized car trailer/goose with an open center?

Guess I better got get me dually with a diesel.... :flipoff2:
 
actually, I think you'll have a good platform for a Cummins swap now. though I don't know if the non floater 14b would handle it well.

As for a goose, kinda tough to use with a high side utility box.
 
turning corners in town is easier IME with a tag, but other than that, I like the goose better... and you can find smaller ones like you had in mind for not too much $$
 
I had thought about the box thing, i was gonna at least back up to one to make sure it was at least possible :)

Im still thinking a basic 16' open deck toter is still a good idea..

I'm really tring hard to focus on the objective of getting to the trails on a regular basis.. Ill leave the diesel swap for a later day..
 
wasn't the yagerhual, smaller than a truck(tow rig) and a 16 ft+ trailer and rig in your driveway. this is my problem i can't get anything done b/c i have to spend an hour to jungle cars around to do anything. storing trail rig in, tow rig with no trailer seems like a nice space saver.

And if rig isn't broke when your ready to hit the trails no need to load, just jump in and ride. I thought the uhual was brilliant but i guess it is gone, i would have bought it if i had any money.

As for goosenecks- on the road they do pull nice, cons- truck has to have a 5th hitch, the way you go threw trucks you would never own anything that could move it. most people couldn't borrow it, i don't mind loaning mine out, gooesnecks in town are a pain or any tight corners of course i haven't driven one much so maybe i just can't drive. more expensive.

IF the goose was big enough for 2 Id say do it but otherwise bumper pulls are smallerand you can tuck it beside the house.
 
One you have a goose, you will never want to pull a tag again. Turning becomes easier that towing a tag. 20' is not tremendously long, but think of it this way. How many professional haulers have you seen pulling a tag?

The idea that you have to have a ball mounted in the back of your truck turns some people off. I thought the same thing so I bought a removable ball. Since 1999 I have taken it out 2 or 3 times (hauling panel board and sheet rock). You will get used to it.

Backing the goose is sooo much easier than a tag. You can tuck the tow vehicle underneath the trailer and spin around. Can anyone here turn a 24' tag around on a two lane road? With a goose there is a good chance you won't have to put your tires off the pavement.

The weight distribution is better with the goose. Most of your reciever hitches for a tag are only rated at about 500#. This means your trailer is holding almost all of the weight. By transfering the weight to the rear axle of the truck, you are sharing the load which creates a better ride. Remember that trucks are designed to be better balanced with a load in the bed.

My opinion, go goose. Swing wide until you realy get a feel for it, and you will not regret it.
 
I have never had a goose neck trailer, but what I have seen I think I would like it.
Kevin had his here. I have to use my whole yard to make a turn, he used less than a 1/4 of it.
Larry seems much more stable going down the road than I am. Never noticed a control issue.
Kenneth hauls two full blown rigs, and goes everywhere I can, with the exception of towing across trail one all the way over to Tn side. The switch backs would get him for sure.
Draw backs would be loosing some of your cargo area when towing. Some city driving, but I don't think so far I have been to any trails where that would be an issue. Windrock and Harland are the only ones really close to a city and I don't think there would be an issue.

So if I had the tow rig, I would want one too.
 
I can compare towing my 16 foot bumper pull to my 32 foot goose. Of course since the goose is twice as long, it is harder to maneuver. But not much harder.

The goose is REALLY smooth and stable on the road. The bumper pull isn't bad (especially with my big a$$ truck), but the goose is a lot smoother. I can back up really well with the goose, but again, it is long. A short goose would be freakin awesome to back up.

My bumper pull weighs 2300 lbs.
My goose weighs 3600 lbs.

With about 11-12k on my goose (8k load plus trailer weight), I had about 2k of tongue weight. I have an empty tongue weight measurement in the glovebox of the truck - I'll have to remember to look at it.

My feeling about tongue weight - I think for an identical trailer and load, the rear axle weights are going to be pretty close between bumper pull and goose, or the bumper pull might create even more. I think about it like this - the bumper pull tongue weight is amplified by the lever created by the distance from the ball to the rear axle.
 
i have a 20 ft gooseneck carhauler, including 2 foot beaver tail (deck in between wheels) made by PJ's trailers. I bought it in knightdale. It is extremely high quality, flush mounted lights, brakes on both axles, bull dog coupler and two jacks. It also has a built in toolbox on the front that takes up no deck spac (great for tools, chains, binders, straps etc). It pulls so much better than any bumper pull I've ever hooked to. I beleive it weighs close to 4000 lbs. My hitch is a hideaway design, i can pull the ball up, flip it over, and put it back in the bed. Takes 30 seconds and i have a flat bed again. I can pull into a cul-de-sac and turn 360 degrees with no problem. I highly recomend a goose if you have the truck to pull it and the cash to buy it
 
OK
I will go along with most and say that a GN is better towing, turning and so on but for me to tow one rig and thats it a GN was out for me.
I like to have a camper cover on the truck and use the room in it for camping stuff and I can sleep in it just fine.
If you set up a BP trailer it will work and pull fine for one rig and like yours a smaller rig.
Something else I like is this, anyone with a ball can tow the trailer, any tow truck can tow the trailer and rig or all three.
the trailer can be put on a roll back if needed like some one hits you and killes a axle or something.
Also like last weekend a tow rik had problems and we just changes around a little so he could drive back with no weight on the truck and another towed his jeep and trailer.
There were no 5ers or gn trucks around, so if it was a gn no one could have helped.
Something to think about with mounting a camper/sleeper cab is if you need to tow someone elses rig to help out it may not fit or not be able to get the TW to tow like it should.
If you need a longer trailer to haul junk around the house it takes some time to off load boxes or camp/cab. I run into that all the time with the tool boxes. Also TW with out the Jeep can be high, last time I check mine with trailer and tool boxes it was 850 lbs. Most hitches are set from the factory for a tw around 600 lbs without WD hitch and 1200 with. Because of the TW being high without the rig on it I run a WD hitch all the time.
just my 2 c
 
63cj5universal said:
How many professional haulers have you seen pulling a tag?
Click to expand...

There are a lot of people that tow BP just look down the road from you Big Mack towing has two I think.
He uses them for towing behind a roll back he can tow 4-5 cars this way VS a wedge GN harder to load and only get 3-4.
Yes the long haulers go for the GN but sometimes they just don't work for some peoples needs.
 
Its all in what you want.

GN advantages.

tighter turning
more stable
better braking as the truck has more weight
looks cooler
harder to lend out
overall ride quality is better
less responsive to cross winds (in other words, harder to blow all over the road)
That being said, there is more loading of the rear on the tow rig, while this is advantagous for ride, too much a good thing can be down right dangerous.

Tag advantage.

lighter (this can mean a few dollar difference in plating)
tracks to the truck better, you spend less time bouncing curbs during your learning curve
easier to loan and move with whatevers handy
easier to sell when the time comes, anyone can pull it.
unless custom, most are built lighter and use cheaper parts when it comes time to buy shit.
pretty much idiot proof when it come tow time, you simply have to work hard to make bed contact with the trailer inlike a GN, it can be and is done from time to time. For you ADHD guys, DONT FOGET TO CLOSE THE TAILGATE after hooking up that GN.

Me, I like a GN but, I'm wanting a slide in 8' camper. Leaves me out of the GN loop. On the subject of tongue weight and such. Just be sure to buy one that LOADED, doesn't exceed cargo weight of the truck. eg: 1800 lb load capacity = a GN with 1200 loaded. You dont want to run maxxed out everywhere you go.
 
Ratman said:
Its all in what you want.


On the subject of tongue weight and such. Just be sure to buy one that LOADED, doesn't exceed cargo weight of the truck. eg: 1800 lb load capacity = a GN with 1200 loaded. You dont want to run maxxed out everywhere you go.
Click to expand...

Very good point!!
I don't think I could run a GN for the weight reason.
My truck has a 9k gross and every time I scale I'm at 10K with a BP. now if the bed had a hitch then that would cut down on the gear in the truck but that weight would need to go some where and the GN pin weight would be more then the BP ball so that would push me over even more.
Jon
 
Thats kinda why I asked about weights etc. I usually run 800-1000# tonge and would definitly run a WD hitch..

The way I see it a 16' open deck tag is usually under 2000# so if i can not have the weight penalty and still transfer weight with a WD im fine and infact the basic 3500# package is still more than enough to hold my stuff...

I'm still considering all the options..

Thanks for discussing all your stuff..
 
my truck has a payload of just over 4000 lbs, thats alot of weight I can put over my rear axle, I'm sure my toyota doesn't do it (my rear springs barely sag loaded up). I beleive the only time I have come close to overloading was hauling a John Deere 4020 w/ loader about 10 miles last year.
 
Flipper said:
my truck has a payload of just over 4000 lbs, thats alot of weight I can put over my rear axle, I'm sure my toyota doesn't do it (my rear springs barely sag loaded up). I beleive the only time I have come close to overloading was hauling a John Deere 4020 w/ loader about 10 miles last year.
Click to expand...
So if I read you correct you can carry 4000 lbs in you truck.
thinking you truck is a HD 2500 with a 8500-9000lb gross that puts your truck in at 4500-5000 lbs????
Mine being a 2500 off the truck new was at 7000 lbs and add anything to it, goes up from there.
Not knowing all about your truck I would think it would be at 6000 or so for a HD and if the gross like most 3/4 tons is 8800-9000 lbs that would put you in at 3000 lbs at most for all added weight. 3-4 people and 35 gal fuel and gear would put you in the 7000-to 7500 lbs and give you something like 2000lbs or so pin weight.
More info on what 2500 hd can haul 4000 in the bed and anyone or gear but still be at and not over gross....

Ok, went to the web found C2500 HD has a GVWR of 9200, Thats good.
Also found it to say up to 3900-4000 depends on where you look but the weight of a 2Wd 2500HD LB STD CAB GAS was in the 6000lbs and that was the lightest I could find so with nothing else in the truck it would carry 3200 lbs.
If I looked at Diesel it went to about 2600 lbs, and 4dr 4wd dropped it to 2000 lbs or less.

I was told the same line of BS about cargo in the 4000 lbs or so but they base it on the lightest base model truck and the higest GVWR.
Who would have thought a 6 or 8 cyl gas would have a higher cargo weight then a diesel...
 
Mine is the lightest of the bunch, 6.0 gas 2wd (although it is extended cab). Curb weight is calculated with a full tank of gas. You are right, my payload is actually 3800 lbs (not a huge difference from the max available, but still there, and a little less with me and a buddy inside). Curb weight is 5400 lbs
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/chevrolet/silverado2500hd/100147798/specs.html

Either way, you and I both know our trucks can handle more than 9200 gross, but it is an argument against a gooseneck i hadn't thought of.
 
Yes the curb weight vs payload can be decieving... Also considering im toting a work body around all the time..


Not to send my post way off topic, but I was just reading the link on the spec for your 03 2500 Chevy truck. I've driven a moving box truck with a car toter on it from Tx -> NC when I moved my wife up here.. I was impressed with its overall performance and all around drivability even sporting the big old14' box on the back.. The engine specs are about what i'd like to build my 5.7 to be around.. We were around 10-11mpg driving no less than 70 the entire way..

Flipper where in Raleigh are you? I'd like to check out your trailer to get a feel for the size and possibly stick my truck under the goose to see if it would clear the work body safely.
 
Goose

Mike,

I have been told that some of the Trailer builders have an optional "taller" goose option, of course for more $'s. And I have also actually seen a work body pickup truck pulling a gooseneck one time before going down the highway. Just haven't seen one up close and personal. I would be concerned with clearances especially turning around off camber like in a field or tight space somewhere. I have also seen a gooseneck horse trailer hooked on behind a big ol' RV one time...Looked goofy, but it worked. I'd hate to turn that thing around.

BigJUGGY :driver:
 
trailers

Why does wanting a slide-in leave you out of the gooseneck loop? Works good for me.
 
Gooseneck for me, hands down. I pull a 30ft goose from Kraftsman trailers, and it's awesome. I'll pull it over a bumper pull any day of the week! I'll still pull one of our short bumper pulls around town if I'm hauling the skidloader, but besides that, it's the goose all the way.

- Mac
 
Gooseneck! All the way! No worry about binding while backing up. You can cause major damage with a bumper mount. I can back my trailer up in a small hole being about 30-40 degrees from front of my truck, hop out and disconnect, turn truck around and re-hook and drive off. Makes turning at tight situations a breeze that ain't even possible with a bumper mount.
Also, I can look out my back glass and guide my trailer over the ball. If I go too far it don't push my bumper into my tailgate.

I got a custom 20' gooseneck with all the bells and whistles with extra foot added to dove tail (3' total) and extra foot added to ramps (6' total). I plan on raising with 1-2" lift blocks and fabbing drive over fenders sometime and I'll be happier.
 
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