Looking to get a better stock trailer. Been looking at 16 foot size. Will a half ton truck be acceptable for a gooseneck? Salesman insist that gooseneck would be better than the bumper pull on the half ton truck. Gooseneck weighs about 1000 lbs. more.
Bumper or gooseneck trailer?
- Thread starter tom4018
- Start date
TheBullLady
Well-known member
Definately go with a gooseneck. Easier to pull and easier to manuever, once you get the hang of it.
mbdear
Well-known member
tom4018":30u4smhn said:
Although we now use 3/4 and 1 ton pickups for pulling our goosenecks, in the good ole days when goosenecks first came out our first one (20 feet by 5 feet) was pulled by an early 1970's model Ford 150.
If you regularly pulled large loads or long distances, a larger truck would probably be more suited for the task but for occasional use and loads not in excess of load limits, you should do just fine.
mbdear
East Texas
Thanks,
Thats kind of what I was wanting to know. We probably average only pulling trailer once a month of so and usually a trip of 50 miles or less. Just not in the budget to upgrade truck in the near future but wanted a better trailer. The 16 foot gooseneck did seem a little small for a bigger truck in the future though. And the extra 1000 lbs. was worrying me on my current truck as it has the small V-8 (Ford F150 4.6 liter).
Thats kind of what I was wanting to know. We probably average only pulling trailer once a month of so and usually a trip of 50 miles or less. Just not in the budget to upgrade truck in the near future but wanted a better trailer. The 16 foot gooseneck did seem a little small for a bigger truck in the future though. And the extra 1000 lbs. was worrying me on my current truck as it has the small V-8 (Ford F150 4.6 liter).
mbdear
Well-known member
If you go with a larger trailer, you may not be happy if you load it to the gills :lol:
A few trips with different size loads will help you to decide when enough is enough and better gauge what load fits best with your truck/trailer setup.
mbdear
East Texas
A few trips with different size loads will help you to decide when enough is enough and better gauge what load fits best with your truck/trailer setup.
mbdear
East Texas
Your owners manual will give the data you need to calculate the load carrying and towing capacity based on 2wd/4wd gear ratio, transmission etc. You have to remember you're only talking about a 289 (Roughly) cu in engine.
dun
dun
greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
dun":1eb2qf0g said:
I believe I have seen the specs in Motor Trend, and it is a 281. Don't forget that it has more horsepower than the old 351, albeit with less torque. The 5.4 is the same block, about 330 ci on it, and it has much more horsepower AND torque than the 351 did. A friend of mine towed a 14 foot bumper with four head in it with a Ford 4.2 V6 5 speed. Pulled well.
Something to bear in mind, that I found out the hard way -- Be sure to have a transmission cooler added to your truck if you don't already have one. I had to purchase a new transmission to find out about that information. My cattle trailer is 16 X 6 bumper pull. I have to tighten up my bumper pretty regularly. My other trailer is 20 foot that I use to carry my tractor on. It is a gooseneck. I find it is a lot more bumpy, but I feel a lot more secure than with a bumper type. I use my 1/2 ton truck for these.
greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
You oughta see the bumper on my Ranger! I've surprised myself that it is still attached to the truck! People look at me like I'm crazy when they see a stock trailer behind it.
ffscj
Well-known member
Another thing to consider is the braking ability when you add the weight of the trailer. So its not how much your truck can pull but how much it can stop.
Chris
Chris
TheBullLady
Well-known member
Good point Chris! I was a little concerned about that Saturday night with a 32' trailer packed with Brahmans in a pouring rain.. when some idiot pulled out in front of me. :mad:
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
BullLady,
I hear what you're saying. It must be Murphy's Law that always provides a couple of jackasses per road trip that feel the need to beat a semi or a tired rancher with a load of cattle. Oh joy, huh?
Take care.
I hear what you're saying. It must be Murphy's Law that always provides a couple of jackasses per road trip that feel the need to beat a semi or a tired rancher with a load of cattle. Oh joy, huh?
Take care.
Another thing that has a lot of bearing on how much truck is needed is the terrain that it's being driven in. Flat country doesn't require as much as the hill and holler country around here. Mountains require even more, although it's overkill for most times, when it's needed, it's really needed.
dun
dun
