The Spark

I'm looking at upgrading trailers. I currently have 24' Wellscargo bare bones enclosed trailer that I can use in my business. I'm looking at a 28' enclosed trailer with lots more options. I was going to go with another tag trailer. A gooseneck with same 28' inside trailer length would cost me an additional $5,000 to $6,000.

Is it worth spending the extra money to get a gooseneck?

I have an F250 with diesel engine. It pulls the tag trailer fine. Does sway a little when passing/being passed by by 18-wheelers (but I guess either tag or gooseneck will do that).

I was ready to pull the trigger on the tag trailer but a friend said I ought to get a gooseneck because they pull so much better. I've never pulled a gooseneck so I can't comment.

Jason

gooseneck

bb69

I pull a 40' gooseneck with my 2500 Dodge. The trailer never sways. I don't anticipate ever going back to a tag trailer. The biggest downside to the GOOSENECK trailer is the very real possibilty that the trailer will hit your truck bed. The gooseneck hitch allows the trailer to move a lot more than a fifth wheel hitch. If you go up a steep driveway entrance or something similar, the trailer gets really close to the truck.

If you have room to store it, I would buy a bigger trailer. The larger goosenecks don't seem much more expensive because there are fewer people that can tow them.

Ken

EDIT: I meant to say that the gooseneck trailer runs the risk of hitting the truck.

AU N EGL

Goose

with the highest wt rated axles and tires.

and you dont pull a goose, you push it. the ball hitch in the bed of the truck is in front of the trucks rear axle, so the truck will push the trailer IIRC or something like that

Oyishdog

GN...I went with Tag since a GN configured the way I wanted was over twice the price.

0Randy@DRM

Goose neck is the wave of my future. I have been kicking the tires of a few trailers lately. We have a super nice tag trailer, so nice I hate using it. It really tows very nicely. But after my test tow with a 5th wheel 48 footer it will not be the same. 48 feet is too much for me, so I'm shopping for a good deal on a 30 footer or something like that. Maybe it's best to buy bigger just in case my wife makes me sleep in it

Randy

Short-Throw

Get a gooseneck and drive with your pinky finger!

The weight over your rear axles makes for a smooth ride.

redvetracr

now that Kantrud has retired isn`t that tow rig available? ...PS...did you see his Corvette on ebay last week?

0Randy@DRM

Good call sir!!! We sold his Corvette a few weeks ago
Wait a minute his rig is about 20 times more money that what I have........
Randy

AtomicZ

Once you go gooseneck you will never go back. Tows so much better and turns much tighter.

0Randy@DRM

My offer still stands for your trailer I wasn't trying to insult you either, it's all I got to spend Anymore and I would have to cut it in half and my wife would burn her half

Randy

dvandentop

yep 40' goosie here also tows really nice even better with a dually



eric you getting a diff trailer?

i finally got my e track laid to haul 2 cars in mine so will see if i can fit the v and the z06 in there

mousecatcher

goose all the way, but the pin weight will be higher than the tag so make sure your truck is rated for it! also if you're getting a longer trailer and also it's a goose then the GTW will also be much higher, so watch GCWR. just want you to watch out for the very real possibility that you have to upgrade your tow vehicle.

jawfixer

I have the F250 diesel but not 8 ft bed--without an extension the goose may be a problem and you will have to go with a 32 to equal the 28 in floor space--I have a 28 with a Pro Pride hitch--cost $2500_ no sway at 90 mph and steady all day at 75--pulls great and I am a first time buyer--if you have the 8 foot bed--go for goose-if not thibk and do homework before buying

AtomicZ

No worries. Enclosed gooseneck is the way to go if you can.

Derek - No. Same trailer. I would like to have 40' on the floor instead of the 32' I have now.

I have a 2500 duramax with the short bed. I have only had to worry once when I got stuck in a very tight parking lot. Otherwise, no issues whatsoever.

dvandentop

yeah i am sure the extra 8 ft come in handy if packing 2 cars along most the time now

mousecatcher

if you convert the goose to a 5er you can get a sliding hitch to "fix" that problem. or if you are buying a trailer new you can get a tapered nose.

bb69

As opposed to a tapered nose, they will also build an extended hitch. Basically, they stop the box two feet short. You lose the 2 feet in the area above the truck bed, but it's still big enough for a queen size mattress. That is what I have and it's never been an issue with my 6.5' bed on the Dodge.

Ken

tjZ06

A lot of my buddies are into sand toys (quads, rails, etc) and have "Toy Hauler" trailers. Most of them are around 30' 5th Wheel style and weigh ~12k lbs w/ water etc. but w/o the toys. Some of them approach 15k lbs all said and done ready for the weekend. They all tow with Diesel 2500 or 3500 single rear wheel trucks. A few Duramax, a few Powerstrokes, and one Cummins. They all tow great and are a pleasure to drive. When I go on trips w/ them I often take turns at the wheel. We went to Glamis for New Years which was basically a full-day drive so I got plenty of time behind the wheel. It was amazing how well they drove and towed, even in cross winds. Toy Haulers are really tall, and just looking at them it doesn't seem like they'd be stable. With the 5th Wheel (I assume that's what ppl call "5er" as opposed to a goose-neck????) they are stable and you don't "feel" the weight so much. Of course, like any towing you have to plan ahead, leave your self space, and avoid super small parking lots.

All of the trucks are short-beds too. The guys w/ standard hitches do have to be careful of the corners of the cab. The guys w/ the sliding hitches can do whatever they want w/o worries of hitting the cab. The bed can hit the front of the trailer though if the truck is on a steep incline/decline and the trailer is still level. But it has to be pretty extreme and you really only have yourself to blame if you get yourself in a situation like that.

One other little note... if you're into lifts and big tires (which I'll admit, I sorta am) a goose/5th Wheel will limit how high you can go. You can usually do a small leveling kit or lift, and 33"-35"s on most of the 2500/3500s and still have a reasonable height for the trailer. I see guys w/ 6"+ lifts and 38"+ tires with lift kits on their 5th Wheel trailers. It just looks unstable as heck... but they get away with it.

-TJ

ScaryFast

Another vote for gooseneck...I just received my Unagoose hitch for the new 2500 yesterday. Time to upgrade from the tag I've been pulling for years.

I haven't seen that they cost that much more ($5 - 6k as stated in OP), usually they're almost the same, at least on the used market. I'll have to dig around.

All I know is that I almost bought a killer new 30' gooseneck last summer for about 65% of cost (I think it was around ~$13k) because the side had hail damage. I replaced the panels on my current trailer, would have been a cinch to do this one too. Oh well, I let her get away.