Gooseneck or bumper pull

farmall719

New User
I pull a bumper pull every day. I works fine, but the expense of a goosenek ball is about 6 hundred dollars installed and the trailer is 7 thousand new, used is 4,500 two years old. My truck can pull both. Also una goose or bw. I KNOW THIS TOPICS HAS BEN POSTED MANY TIMES. Anther ting I can get a bumper pull trailer 20+5 2 years old for 2800 3 ramps.
 
I can vouch for the B&W bein' a good set up.

Beyond that . . . I've got a car hauler that pulls really well. It's a nice-pullin' trailer. For loads that fit on it (size and weight) I don't mind usin' it at all.

That said, I do love my gooseneck. On the obvious side, there's the matter of capacity for weight or for deckspace when needed. On top of that, it's a deckover which is darned handy for pallet loads (like the stepdaughter's stove pellets).

And it pulls (empty or loaded up) like a dream, and backs just as well. She once got pressed into service on short notice to take a friend's truck up to the mud runs. I was some glad to have it when it came time to get out of the parkin' area. One tight crank back (trailer bed at about a 60* angle from the back of the cab), and outta there. Part of the reward were the looks from some of the folks watchin' me get out (the folks with the ends of their bumpers puckered up into the beds of their pickups.) A nice pull and handy.

I'd use it more, but for the mileage, and this I can't quite noodle out. It's a deckover, no exceptional wind drag to it. Weighs a whisker over 5K.

I pull with a '03 Ram 3500, 6-speed, Cummins, SRW, .373, 4WD. I get 19mpg on average running around bareback with it.

I'm used to the drop in mpg hauling a box trailer because of the wind drag. What I don't get is the drop in mpg with the gooseneck hauling it around empty (again, just over 5K). MPG drops to about 15. But my carhauler on the receiver hitch and put a car on it for a 5K total on the trailer and I can still make 16-17. I can't quite figger what's making the difference. Yeah, the car on the carhauler is streamlined, but there's really not that much for drag on the gooseneck over the car hauler.

Dunno what to make of it, but if you're on that margin, it's worth thinking about.

As always, YMMV.
 
Not sure if it would make that much difference, but this is my theory.
Your gooseneck being a deckover sits higher off the ground than a carhauler, letting more wind underneath. Also betcha the GN is built stronger, with more cross members, & they are taller too. More wind with more/taller cross members to catch can make some difference.
That's my story & I'm sticking to it.
Willie
 
I tend to agree, it's gotta be something along those lines. Just odd that a bare-nekked deckover goosenck should cost any more thana $2k bumper-pull with a 3K car on the deck.

Which gets back to the OP's question.

The goosenecck can be the answer to all your problems, if you've got the right problems.
 
If you're happy with what you have, why not be happy with what you have and save yourself $7600?

There is more material in a gooseneck trailer, they're not as common, and they're more desirable. That is why they cost more.

Make it apples to apples: Compare a new deckover bumper pull to the same-size new gooseneck, and the price difference is only about $1000.

Gooseneck hitches are pretty easy to install, though. You can get the Blue Ox Diamond hitch for $279. No-drill install, except for the hole in the bed for the ball to fit through.
 
I'm not a big fan of either. I would prefer gooseneck(ball in bed) over bumper hitch because the truck is more stable. The load is placed where it should be. I really prefer a fifth wheel hitch. More secure than the other and some hitches do come with side to side pivot.
 
in my f450, I have 5th wheel rails, have the 5th whl hitch out ( reese style ).. and have a 'the goose' reese gooseneck adapter installed. betweem that and a reciever hitch with a tri-ball and pintle, I can pretty much haul just about anything... good setup.

I much prefer gooseneck over bumper pull.

soundguy
 
I just went to through all this, and despite possiby being attacked for saying this I went with the following:

2011 Dodge 1500 Ram, w/3.92 with the 5.7 hemi. I am allowed 10,500 on a weight distrubuted trailer or 15,500 total truck/trailer.

I went with a GN, 12,000lb trailer (same trailer as 10k, just bigger brakes, tires and slipper springs) liscensed for 10k so there are no combination plates. Used the B&W bolt in kit, which is awesome. Takes about 2 hours to put in and very simple install and excellent instructions.

So far I am super happy with this rig, and it works for me.

I also have a bumper hitch tilt trailer and its nice too, but for one tractor on a long haul once or twice a month. Can't beat the new rig.
 
I was thinking of doing the exact same setup.
Did you add some air bags to the trucks rear coil springs to help with the load? How long is your trailer?
 
You can get the same frame and cross members and spacing on both traiers. The only differance is GN or bumper pull.
 
I didn't think I read anything about how much more easier getting in and out of tight spots is with a gooseneck.
They are so much better to jockey around.
 
i have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 HD, 4x4 hemi. i was pulling a JD 2010 w/loader with a bumper pull trailer. it hauled great at 55 to 60 but when i got on the expressway and ran it up to 70 it started to sway. stepped on the gas and straightened out fine, now im going almost 80. as soon as i leveled off speed it started to sway again. (OH CRAP MOMENT HERE) i managed to ride it out using 3 lanes and both shoulders. after catching my breath i repositioned the tractor and decided a gooseneck or 5th wheel with better brakes would be a good idea. JD and i made it home safe. WHEW!!! gosenecks and fifth wheels are more stable
 
Not trying to be mean here, but you failed to maintain the trailer, and you failed to load it properly. How is that the trailer's fault?

I agree that a gooseneck would've eliminated the sway problem, but so would moving the tractor a couple feet forward on the deck.

The brakes can be fixed on the trailer you have. Seems it would be a lot less expensive than running out and buying a gooseneck.
 
(quoted from post at 04:17:08 11/10/11) i have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 HD, 4x4 hemi. i was pulling a JD 2010 w/loader with a bumper pull trailer. it hauled great at 55 to 60 but when i got on the expressway and ran it up to 70 it started to sway. stepped on the gas and straightened out fine, now im going almost 80. as soon as i leveled off speed it started to sway again. (OH CRAP MOMENT HERE) i managed to ride it out using 3 lanes and both shoulders. after catching my breath i repositioned the tractor and decided a gooseneck or 5th wheel with better brakes would be a good idea. JD and i made it home safe. WHEW!!! gosenecks and fifth wheels are more stable

You were lucky no one got hurt. :wink: Even if you had a gooseneck with good breaks, going 80 mph is risky.

I have a F-800 with a 10 ton pintle hitch tag along trailer and I never go faster than 55 mph because if you have a front tire go out, it can get bad real quick. :shock:
 
(quoted from post at 20:17:08 11/09/11) i have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 HD, 4x4 hemi. i was pulling a JD 2010 w/loader with a bumper pull trailer. it hauled great at 55 to 60 but when i got on the expressway and ran it up to 70 it started to sway. stepped on the gas and straightened out fine, now im going almost 80. as soon as i leveled off speed it started to sway again. (OH CRAP MOMENT HERE) i managed to ride it out using 3 lanes and both shoulders. after catching my breath i repositioned the tractor and decided a gooseneck or 5th wheel with better brakes would be a good idea. JD and i made it home safe. WHEW!!! gosenecks and fifth wheels are more stable

And people still wonder why the DOT is cracking down on pickup-trailer combos??

Glad you finally got it under control and that no one was hurt.

Jim
 
(quoted from post at 04:17:08 11/10/11) i have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 HD, 4x4 hemi. i was pulling a JD 2010 w/loader with a bumper pull trailer. it hauled great at 55 to 60 but when i got on the expressway and ran it up to 70 it started to sway. stepped on the gas and straightened out fine, now im going almost 80. as soon as i leveled off speed it started to sway again. (OH CRAP MOMENT HERE) i managed to ride it out using 3 lanes and both shoulders. after catching my breath i repositioned the tractor and decided a gooseneck or 5th wheel with better brakes would be a good idea. JD and i made it home safe. WHEW!!! gosenecks and fifth wheels are more stable

You have to look at a trailer as a teeter, totter with the balance point being the center of the trailer axle, or axles, then load accordingly. Anything you load behind the center of the axle, or axles, will pick up on the towing vehicle.
 
I went thru the same thing. Bumper hitch or gooseneck. I had borrowed a friends HD bumper hitch and it did ok. I borrowed my brother in laws gooseneck trailer and it handled the loads great. It did not have the rocking motion of the bumper hitch. My wife even noticed how much nicer the gooseneck trailer pulled. I wasn't used to how the gooseneck trailed around corners and it kind of spooked me. I ended up having a 24' gn trailer built for me. It is a 24' low profile gn with 83" between the fenders with stand up ramps. Cost $4500. Has 2 7k axles. Pulls great. Can haul 88 Oliver and a 3btm plow just fine. I had to remember that a gooseneck trails around corners differently than a bumper hitch but I am glad I spent a little more money and got a better trailer. The gn trailer allows my 75 Chev K 20 to haul bigger loads more safely.
 
best reason for a bumper pull: you're towing with a RV, dump truck , cube truck or van. That said- it's amazing how small changes in tongue weight can affect the handling of a bumper pull trailer, and how few trailer designers apparently think about it. Case in point- look where Featherlight puts the hayracks on bumper pull horse trailers. Use it, and it unloads the tongue and sends the trailer all over the road- .
 

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