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Gooseneck in a 1/2 ton. Who else has them?


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Who else has a gooseneck in their 1/2 ton? I have a 2014 Silverado High Country 6.2 with a b&w flip over gooseneck. Has been very handy and prefer it over bumper pull any day. I’ve towed a 4 horse trailer, a 16’ dump trailer, and a 20’ car trailer. I have the factory trailer brake controller as well as firestone helper air bags. Curious about who else has a gooseneck in their 1/2 ton. 

0C4DDF05-40A8-4997-9C8C-FA982C1777F7.jpeg

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Nice truck. 

 

‘How many miles? How’s it been holding up?

 

Guessing your max towing is 9100lbs?

 

Theres a select few on the forum that 5th wheel tow with their half ton. 

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I'm subscribing this this thread. 

 

Wife is talking campers, and I'm 6'2" tall. After a day walking around the boat/camper show this weekend I can clearly see the additional headroom in a 5th wheel being a better choice over a standard bumper pull style. There are a few companies that make them small enough to pull with a 1500. 

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I would love to replace my open car hauler with an enclosed gooseneck.  I figure if I stay in the 24-26' range, everything I haul plus the race car will be under the limit of my '18 Max tow.  I think having the weight on the axle instead of out back will help with stability towing something that heavy.  I too have Firestone Ride Rite air bags.

 

Did you install the factory wiring for the gooseneck or install your own?  Any pictures of it?

Edited by Kubs
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Saw a YouTube video today of some half tons doing 5vers and goose necks. Queue the 1 ton police. BS like the max tow should know tow 7K MAX. I don’t know how people think semis get down the damn road. I’ve never had these issues being pushed into runaway ramps and dived off bridges with a truck loaded near max. Then again I drive a responsible speed. I merge onto the highway when I and the load is ready, I don’t try to get to traffic speed. There’s left lanes for that. You mention that a half ton today has more capacities than their 70’s brethren and its back to “but mah steel!”. Damn old school thoughts that just won’t die.

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15 hours ago, heymrdjCW said:

Saw a YouTube video today of some half tons doing 5vers and goose necks. Queue the 1 ton police. BS like the max tow should know tow 7K MAX. I don’t know how people think semis get down the damn road. I’ve never had these issues being pushed into runaway ramps and dived off bridges with a truck loaded near max. Then again I drive a responsible speed. I merge onto the highway when I and the load is ready, I don’t try to get to traffic speed. There’s left lanes for that. You mention that a half ton today has more capacities than their 70’s brethren and its back to “but mah steel!”. Damn old school thoughts that just won’t die.

Because semis have 40-52 thousand rears before you get into planetary type drives, when the load exceeds that rating, we add extra axles (jeeps and boosters) to the combination to move the load safely. The chassis and axles can handle the weight, if they cant, we add more axles to spread the weight out. Tow ratings are an estimated max weight it is not set in stone. It is going to depend on trailer length, axle position, single/tandem/tridem axle group with single tires or duals, axle spread, tire size, axle rating, spring ratings, trailer weight, hitch position, laden/unladen etc. all come into play when ending up with a GCWR. The only thing that matters is if you are overloaded on the truck. Look at the diesels for example, most are claiming 30,000lbs+ "tow rating" but the rear axle allows for around 3,800lbs (minus the weight of the empty truck = around 2,800# total). I would like to see you spec a trailer and a 30,000lb load that does not put you over on your GVWR because you are exceeding the rear axle weight rating. Tow rating is a rough guideline, GVWR is all that really matters and half tons don't have a lot of room. I wouldn't pull a 5th or GN with a half ton unless it was a deck trailer like the OP's or a Camper that was designed for a 1/2 ton. I find wind really effects my half ton when I tow my 20' deck trailer, I wouldn't want to add 12' of 5th wheel camper wall to that.  I have an old 3500 I use offroad and routinely load it up with 7,000lbs of sand, that is exceeding by double, the truck will take it just plan on going easy everywhere not to flip, lose steering, or spill the load. We have snapped one leaf pack doing this, yes they can handle more than their rating, but DO NOT DO IT on public roads. 

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4 minutes ago, L86 All Terrain said:

Because semis have 40-52 thousand rears before you get into planetary type drives, when the load exceeds that rating, we add extra axles (jeeps and boosters) to the combination to move the load safely. The chassis and axles can handle the weight, if they cant, we add more axles to spread the weight out. Tow ratings are an estimated max weight it is not set in stone. It is going to depend on trailer length, axle position, single/tandem/tridem axle group with single tires or duals, axle spread, tire size, axle rating, spring ratings, trailer weight, hitch position, laden/unladen etc. all come into play when ending up with a GCWR. The only thing that matters is if you are overloaded on the truck. Look at the diesels for example, most are claiming 30,000lbs+ "tow rating" but the rear axle allows for around 3,800lbs (minus the weight of the empty truck = around 2,800# total). I would like to see you spec a trailer and a 30,000lb load that does not put you over on your GVWR because you are exceeding the rear axle weight rating. Tow rating is a rough guideline, GVWR is all that really matters and half tons don't have a lot of room. I wouldn't pull a 5th or GN with a half ton unless it was a deck trailer like the OP's or a Camper that was designed for a 1/2 ton. I find wind really effects my half ton when I tow my 20' deck trailer, I wouldn't want to add 12' of 5th wheel camper wall to that.  I have an old 3500 I use offroad and routinely load it up with 7,000lbs of sand, that is exceeding by double, the truck will take it just plan on going easy everywhere not to flip, lose steering, or spill the load. We have snapped one leaf pack doing this, yes they can handle more than their rating, but DO NOT DO IT on public roads. 

 

For me, anyways, all the metrics are preaching to the choir, and there's many more factors and configurations that go into it beside what was mentioned there. The point of the statement is this: You're around 17-20K for a fueled up OTR tractor. Behind it is say an empty dry van trailer, weighing about another 15K. You'll put another 35K on it. So you have a truck that weighs 20K being pushed by 50K. But the argument is always that "the brakes will never make it" or "the trailer will throw it around." The world goes round with smaller vehicles pulling larger loads. Only in the USA do we have this fetish that a truck needs to be yuge to pull any decent load, the rest of the world has been getting on just fine with their Outbacks and Focus wagons with little diesels pulling 4K pounds around. 

 

Slow down, stay the speed limits, have a load that matches the trucks abilities (GRAWR, GFAWR, GCWR, and GVWR), and send it. If you want to exceed any of those points, like speed, then be prepared to upsize. But maybe I'm special. I don't get white knuckle merging, I don't worry about my truck revving in the slow lane,  and I am certainly not concerned with my load swaying because it's properly dialed in with proper equipment. 

 

 

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  For me, anyways, all the metrics are preaching to the choir, and there's many more factors and configurations that go into it beside what was mentioned there. The point of the statement is this: You're around 17-20K for a fueled up OTR tractor. Behind it is say an empty dry van trailer, weighing about another 15K. You'll put another 35K on it. So you have a truck that weighs 20K being pushed by 50K. But the argument is always that "the brakes will never make it" or "the trailer will throw it around." The world goes round with smaller vehicles pulling larger loads. Only in the USA do we have this fetish that a truck needs to be yuge to pull any decent load, the rest of the world has been getting on just fine with their Outbacks and Focus wagons with little diesels pulling 4K pounds around. 

 

Slow down, stay the speed limits, have a load that matches the trucks abilities (GRAWR, GFAWR, GCWR, and GVWR), and send it. If you want to exceed any of those points, like speed, then be prepared to upsize. But maybe I'm special. I don't get white knuckle merging, I don't worry about my truck revving in the slow lane,  and I am certainly not concerned with my load swaying because it's properly dialed in with proper equipment. 

 

 

 

In the 40 years and over 1 million pulling with 3/4 and 1 tons it’s the trailer that’s responsible for stopping its self and its load. My pulling trucks have never sagged more than 1/2 inch with a load. That was for traction. If it did I adjusted. In a couple panic stops I had to hit the shoulder because a semi behind me couldn’t stop in the distance I did. I wouldn’t pull much with a 1/2 ton or bumper pull, I never had a problem with 3/4 or one ton. It’s the lug and wheel options that would deter me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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2 hours ago, heymrdjCW said:

 

The point of the statement is this: You're around 17-20K for a fueled up OTR tractor. Behind it is say an empty dry van trailer, weighing about another 15K. You'll put another 35K on it. So you have a truck that weighs 20K being pushed by 50K. 

 

 

So a 5,500lb half ton should be able to tow 13,750lbs with ease? Try it, see how heavy you are on your rear axle. It's not about the weight of the tractor or the load, it is about the weight put on the tow vehicle chassis. Our loads routinely outweigh the trucks by 5x, but the extra axles allow them to put the EXACT same amount of weight on the suspension of the tractor. I can load a 27ton excavator on a 6 axle combo and be at 60psi on the drives, I can haul a 45 ton excavator on that same trailer with a tridem jeep, 9 axle combo, and only put 60psi on the drives, aside from that, I now have 3 extra axles worth of brakes to make up for the added weight. This is no increase in weight with either load that is put directly on the tractor, just "felt" weight under acceleration and braking. You can't do that with a half ton, unless you buy one of these. 
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=half+ton+5th+wheel+dolly&atb=v83-7__&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.cars.com%2F.a%2F6a00d83451b3c669e2017ee95ebeba970d-pi

 

 


 

Edited by L86 All Terrain
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1 minute ago, L86 All Terrain said:

So a 5,500lb half ton should be able to tow 13,750lbs with ease? Try it, see how heavy you are on your rear axle. It's not about the weight of the tractor or the load, it is about the weight put on the tow vehicle chassis. Our loads routinely outweigh the trucks by 5x, but the extra axles allow them to put the EXACT same amount of weight on the suspension of the tractor. I can load a 27ton excavator on a 6 axle combo and be at 60psi on the drives, I can haul a 45 ton excavator on that same trailer with a tridem jeep, 9 axle combo, and only put 60psi on the drives, aside from that, I now have 3 extra axles worth of brakes to make up for the added weight. You can't do that with a half ton, unless you buy one of these. 
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=half+ton+5th+wheel+dolly&atb=v83-7__&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.cars.com%2F.a%2F6a00d83451b3c669e2017ee95ebeba970d-pi

 

 


 

Did I say it was a linear equation? Is there a manufacturer currently claiming 13.7K? Half tons are not pulling 53' boxes or 45' flats, nor do they involve the math with sliding or spread axles. The trailer is either loaded in a way that a truck can pull it, or it can't. Example: Our work F-150 5.0L  SuperCrew 6.5' with the HDPP. Door tag is 2650#. Factory equipped with LT tires.  Has no problems with 1900 on the pin, about 10.5K trailer+load. Big Tex 14GN trailer. Typically has 2 passengers in it as well. Still goes under GVWR (7850) on the scales. 

 

The point is the brakes should be built for the GVWR of the vehicle. Brakes have only gotten bigger across all models. The F-150 mentioned has 1.25" larger diameter brakes than a 2000 2500 does. I'm all for being smart with weight, but it's time to stop pretending that the half tons of today aren't every bit of the 3/4 tons from 20 years ago. 

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