a 10k gooseneck is not much, i wouldnt want to pull it with anything smaller than 350/351 motor with a decent trans.. but for some one who lives in the flat lands, and hauls horses maybe once a month or so for 50 miles or less i would say go for it... that is me...

to me hauling 10k using a bumper pull unless it is behind a class 8 truck is silly, but i see people doing it every day, personally i have driven it... and you can have it... a gn is just a better pulling hitch, that doesnt require adjustment, guess work, or a complex hookup. to me wd bars a pita, with a gn, you drop the ball on the hitch, latch it do the chains and go... no sway... no critical balancing of the trailer... no fancey anything... it just works... costs a bit up front but if you ever sell it you get it back...

 

I have exactly the same questions that Country Gal started this thread with 18 months ago, but my truck is a little different than her's:

2006 F-150 Lariat SuperCab 145" WB, 4X4, 5.4L FFV, 3:73 axle, tow package.

We have 2 Tennesee Walking horses, but no trailer yet. I would love a 3-horse slant gooseneck with front tack storage compartment, two axles, electric brakes, etc. The ones I've looked at are around 4000 lbs. or so. Add both horses, tack, and other stuff, and I figure we're still towing less than 7500 lbs.

The specs for my truck show GVRW=7200, Max Tow Capacity = 9300, Max. GCWR=15000, and payload capacity= 1670.

Looking at these numbers it seems I can safely tow the weight, but I don't know how heavy the gooseneck should be expected to weigh on the truck bed (payload capacity). The other thing that bothers me is ... I've never seen another F-150 pulling a gooseneck before (and I've been watching for over a year now). I don't know if that's just because it's not popular here in Georgia... or if there is some other reason I'm not aware of why it would not be a good idea.

I would appreciate advice from anyone who has pulled trailers before with light trucks.

Thank you.

 

Rhodco, I think you'd be fine with that setup. I've pulled way more weight than that with goosenecks on older model F150's with no problem - yes, I know that it wasn't legal, and for that reason I prob'ly wouldn't do so now. But the weight you're talking about is well under the rated weights for your truck, so that's not an issue. I have a friend that pulls a 16' aluminum stock trailer with an '05 F150 supercrew, and he says it's plenty of truck for the job. Just be sure you have LT tires at least load range C, D would be be better. Also that you have a good brake controller and keep the braking system on your trailer in good operating condition - you should be good to go.

I think the reason's it's not popular are that until the past couple of years crew cab half tons haven't been available, and most folks that rodeo or show horses or livestock seem to want a crewcab. Also many people are pulling bigger trailers and heavier loads than you're talking about - in that case, a bigger truck is pretty much neccesary. Of course, you sometimes see one person driving a crew cab 4x4 one ton that never leaves the pavement pulling a trailer/load the same size or smaller than you're talking about - in that case, half tons aren't popular because...well... because they're just not popular, you know ?

Oh and btw - my 2 cents on the gooseneck vs. bumper pull issue - a gooseneck distributes the weight so much better that I'd choose it for any heavy load every time, especially with a half ton pickup.

 

Thanks Cowboy. I visited Oklahoma once and would love to live out there. Unfortunately, I have to live like a city slicker during the week - parking in tight spaces and creeping from stoplight to stoplight. The F-150 was the smallest truck I could get that would still let me pull my horses out of town on the weekends.

 

I've pulled plenty of bumper pull and gooseneck trailers, from 2 and 4 horse bp's to triple axle GN Stock trailers. I prefer the GN trailers myself. They distribute weight better onto the truck and seem much more stable. I prefer to jockey gooseneck trailers into tight places over a bumperpull.

 

I pullled a gooseneck 20' flatbed with a 7000 lb John Deere tractor on it. Total weight around 12000. It was a load for my F150 (351 motor) with 3.55 rear end. Your motor makes more hp and torque and your rear end is better for towing. You should do fine.

Goosenecks are definitely the way to go.

If the bed of the truck squats too much from the weight of the gooseneck you can always add a "helper" leaf spring on each side. Your Ford dealer and others carry them.

 

I have a 32ft enclosed racecar hauler (15K) that is bumper pull and a 50ft 5th wheel 3-car (18k) trailer. Both have their pros and cons. I like both....but I am pulling with a DRW Super Duty.

The major thing I like about the 5th wheel trailer is that I can jack the truck and trailer to get in and out of tight spots where the bumper pull requires some planning (even with it being shorter).

Both trailers ride like a dream when loaded. But I am hauling static loads...not live loads. Hope that helps a little.

 

In the end you are still going to be hauling the same amount of weight, so whether goose or BP, it is still weight. Obvious the trailer is going to be different between the two in regards to weight. But if you are talking comparable trailers as far as weight goes, i.e. plus or minus 500lbs. then the GN is going to pull much better. Anytime you put the weight over the axle it is much better as you don't amplify the affects of the trailer with the bed leverage. My 27' 5th wheel pulls much better than my brother's 24' toy box bp. And mine is much taller with a lot more wind resistance.

I will always vote for over the axle towing vs. Bumper.

 

I also think with the goose being a longer trailer(from ball to axles) that it will also give the horses a better ride.

 

cangim, not a fair comparison comparing your fifth to a toybox since the toy boxes are set up completly differently than any other type of travel trailor as far as weight distrabution goes. I really don't know what you guys have been towing that are bps and sway so much. I've towed at least ten different boats, 4 different campers, 3 different enclosed trailers, 5 different car/flatbeed trailors and 2 different equiptment trailors that have all been bps all behind 4 completely differernt trucks ranging from a 1/2 ton 85 F150 2wd to a 1 ton dually. I have yet to get much of any sway from any of these trailors and I garentee many of the setups were nothing more than hook up and go. Yes, my own personal camper and boat, towing double, I have checked but I have yet to adjust anything other than levelness with them. I know for fact I've over loaded the half tons many times when I was in my highschool and college years and have yet to find where every body talks about the sway in bp trailors! the only complaint that I ahve is hooking them up by yourself without dinging your bumper or tailgate. it takes me atleast 2-3 trys when I hook up my camper by my self which is a pain to get out every time but other than that I can see no problem with a bp. with a goose or fifth you have another set of issues ranging from bedrail clearance to slider hitch (fifth wheels on SBs) to pin weights overloading the TV. They both have there pros and cons you just have to decide which fits you and your wallet the best.

and JFYI I have yet to use sway control on anything that I've towed. I do use a WD hitch with camper but have pulled it without and found no ill effects either.

Personally I will more than likely be stepping up to fith wheel within a year or two but it has more to do with length then anything else (see the thread about towing double). I also plan to buy a fifth wheel that either has or can be converted to a GN so I can put a turn over ball in the bed and not have a big honkin fifth wheel plate in the bed thats always in the way, lol. Like I said you just need to access your situation and pick what fits your budget, your truck, and your needs, and it may not neccessarly be the trailor that you want or are leaning towards! Good luck

 

Yes, I guess that really isn't a fair comparison as the Toy box was pretty much empty. I just know that for the GN or 5ther that I have pulled, I don't do nearly as much counter steering when going down the interstate. On the BP that I have had, I am always counter steering to some degree as when the wind causes the trailer to sway it pulls the front end of the truck more than what my GN setup does. Not a big issue, I just perfer the GN or 5ther over BP as they are easier to drive with imop.

 

SLE, I used to think just like you - what are these people doing wrong to get all this sway they keep talking about? I found out, though ('86 F150 rc lb 4x4, the back of the truck loaded with tack, feed and luggage, pulling a (heavy) 18' bumper pull stock trailer with three 1300# show steers). Sure, I was overloaded, but not as much as I'd done with the same pickup and a gooseneck with never a problem. I think the lighter the tow vehicle, the greater the potential for sway, and since RHODCO was talking about pulling with an F150, I think the gooseneck is the better way to go. I've only experienced noticeable sway once with a gooseneck ('91 Chevy K2500ld x-cab sb pulling a '20 gooseneck stock trailer loaded with bagged cedar fiber (livestock bedding) - I think because we had the whole trailer stacked to the top with the cedar fiber, including the nose. The weight wasn't that great (the stuff's really light) but I believe having the nose full and a good percentage of the weight up high threw off the balance just enough, that combined with the relatively short wheelbase and light springs of the Chevy caused it to sway. Even at that it only happened at speeds of 70 mph or more).

Sure not arguing with you, just saying - sway happens .

 

I know sway happens, I just want to clarify that it's often times a lesser issue than many make it out to be. When ever this question comes up, sway is always the first thing that is thrown out even though it really isn't all that commen. I realize that a GN or fifthwheel is more stable but for the most part unless things are really not set up right, sway is often times a null issue. I also agree that the weight, and the length for that mater, of the TV makes a big difference in how they handle a trailor. My F250 has been the best, short of maybe my dads dually. His weighs a 1000k lbs less and is considerable shorter but the duals sure a make a difference in stability. To clarify his is a 96' 2wd reg cab lng box F350 (6000lbs). Mine is a 03' Crew Cab Short box F250 4x4 (7100lbs).

 

I read over on the Mr.Truck/Mr.Trailer boards that the NEW F-150 has tailgate and bed walls extending 3" higher above the bed that the older models. Together with the fact that it's a 4X4 and sits higher up anyway, I may now run into a problem with clearance between the top of the bed walls and the underside of the trailer front-end. Anyone here have any experience with that. I would really like to hear from someone who has a 04-06 F-150 pulling a gooseneck trailer to see if that is really an issue.

Another question... in searching through trailer ads I see references to a certain size "Short wall" and a certain size "Long wall". Can anyone tell me what that means?

Thanks,

(2006 F-150 Lariat 4X4 150"WB, SCrew, 5.4L, 3.73 axle, 6.5ft. bed, 18"wheels, LT tires and tow package)

 

RHODCO, I don't personally pull a gooseneck with a late model F150, but we're really thinking that our next truck will be an F150 screw, so I've researched this one pretty hard. I know several people that are pulling goosenecks with them, and I've also talked to a couple of trailer dealers about it. If you're thinking of buying a new (or used) trailer, be sure and back your truck under it to check clearances before you commit to it. Most livestock trailers built in the last several years have a little more clearance under the nose because pickups keep getting taller, and virtually all of them now have an adjustable stem. I'm assuming the same thing goes for most horse trailers (since most manufacturers of horse trailers also build livestock trailers). If you're looking at an older trailer, you can always add an adjustable stem - that's not a really big deal, but be sure you can level the trailer and still have adequate clearance between the top of the bed and the trailer.

As far as the short wall/long wall question, I'm not positive, but I'd guess it refers to the height of the main part of the side wall, below any openings - windows, vents, etc...

I'm sure there are trailers out there that'll suit your truck and your needs. Have a good one.