well, i know this probably belongs in the towing forum, but ive trusted my truck and life (in that order) to you guys thus far and dont intend on stopping now. my girlfriend is getting together a late model race car to run at stafford springs soon and guess who got nominated as the hauler! (hint: the guy with the one ton truck!) right now the trailer of choice is a 24' enclosed tag along, 2 axle, with brakes. right now my truck has a 10.5" drop drawbar with a 1 7/8" ball on it. i know that probably wont do, so looking into a new one. there is a very real possibility of a 38' fiver in the near future, 3 axles. as of now, i have no brake box or 5th wheel hitch. any recommendations on brands? with the brake box, is there a factory pigtale under the dash or do i have to do the wiring myself? anything im missing in my package thusfar that ill need? thanks for any and all responses.

Brandon

 

I have a draw tight brake box, it works really well with my 24' toy hauler. I don't know if it just plugged in or not since it came with the truck when I bought it.

 

Its a little pricey but the tekonsha prodigy is a very good brake controller. As for hitches. you will definatly need a good class 5 receiver hitch. Draw bars aren't made for carrying weight just pulling it. honestly if you are looking into trialers and 5th wheels I would look into a gooseneck car trailer and get a goose neck plate for the 5th wheel rails. your truck and you will like a gooseneck much better "bumper" pull.

 

oh and yes the brake controller will plug in you just have to get the ford pigtail to connect to your controller. they are availible pretty much anywhere that sells hitches.

 

just from my experiance i would get a 5th wheel (goose neck). they simplify life. alot nicer to pull for long distance and they handle alot better. i like the one tracter supply carries its not to expenceive. i know napa can get the pigtail for you brake control and they also carrie a good brake control unit. i like the one piece ball the one that does not fold down. my dad has one that folds down and its a pane sometimes. and alot less moving parts on the one peice.

 

I agree I pull all 3 types of trailers and I would definately get a goose or 5th for the trailer they pull great and don't sway. Very safe as well. Most any break controller is good just get the one that you like best. You can get the rail system and remove the ball when you don't need it. That way when you get the 5th you can just slpi the 5th hitch right in there with no mods.

 

Yep, but it's sure nice having a full use of my long bed, and being able to put my golf cart in the back, and still haul a full trailer.

5th wheels are nicer ride and pulling, I pulled a 32ft one, rode really well, but I've been raised on driving a tongue pull backwards, so it's no big deal for me. As long as you get a really good sway bar control setup, it's not too bad but if you pull all the time, 5th wheel is the way to go.

 

a goose neck will ride a lot better but even more important they can handle more weight. like somebody said earlier, bumper hitches can pull a lot but cant hold much weight, in most cases anyways. I pull both types of trailer very regularly and will say their are advantages and disadvantages to both. If I were you I would probably be inclined to get a gooseneck car trailer that is about 20 feet with tandem (6000 - 7500) axles and electric trailer brakes. maclander, homesteader, and doolittle among others, all make a good quality trailer. one that size would be good for hauling just about any vehicle and is still very easy to move around.

as for the brake box, just about any of them out there are acceptable but I would stick with the name brands just to be on the safe side. I got mine from NAPA. the controller will handle 1, 2, or 3 axles and has worked great. the part number is 755-2061 and the pig tail is part number 755-2063. this pig tail will plug directly into the controller and into the plug under the ash tray in the cab. that is the only in cab wiring you need to do and possibly the only wiring needed period if you already have to proper plug in the back of the truck.

Franklin

 

well franklin, you sure hit that on the money i just was about to post the part numbers on here. great job bud

 

hey guys, thanks for all of the input. i found it very helpful. i bought a brake box today, drawtite activator 2, and the pigtale for our trucks. does anyone have a picture or detailed description of where it plugs into on the truck side? i have a 7 pin outback, so that is sufficient. still no word on the trailer yet. as of now, its still the 24' bumper pull trailer. ill keep you guys posted. thanks again.

Brandon

 

the plug should be right under the dash attached to a metal bracket. its directly under the ash tray.

 

If you go with the 5th wheel or gooseneck IMHO the B&W Turnover is the only mount to get. Will leave tull use of the bed when not towing and when towing it does not bang around like the fold away mounts do. You can do a seach for B&W Turn Over Ball.