gooseneck trailers

moose · Dec 16, 2017

I'm looking to get one, 20-22k, a 14k wont work.

Lots of options, BigTex flatbed 22GN's are nice but it looks like if you want it built tough, there are lots of stiffening and heavy duty options available for it which kind of worries me.

Any opinions on BT or other brands? I'm looking at new cause I'm seeing very few for sale or at auction.

TIA

IronMonster · Dec 16, 2017

Very seldom do you find much of a deal on a used one. Usually if they are much of a discount from new price they are well used.

I think in most cases you get what you pay for.

You do know you will have to have a class A CDL to pull at 22K trailer?

Ramjet12 · Dec 16, 2017

WA State Licensing (DOL) Official Site: Who needs a CDL?

Here is the flow chart for Washington.

CoastRange57 · Dec 16, 2017

BT is good, I owned Featherlites and really like them. 22K on a trailer starts putting you into a area where it might make sense to look at heavier haul rigs depending on your application and use. You can be limited by your tow rig GVW and capabilities.

The trouble with 22K trailers is that building them heavy takes away from the payload you can haul. I see a lot of people that have the bigger goose necks with tandem duals trying to haul payload, and end up going to a much larger rig.

These things can drive you nuts, I used to spend hours looking at different combinations of tow rig, trailer, GVW's, payloads and the costs of all involved to figure out what the best set up was.

Agree with Iron Monster on new trailers versus used. You seldom find a used trailer in good condition, and buying a new trailer is not like buying a vehicle. Trailers are a much better value when it comes to rolling stock assets, because if maintained and used properly they can give you well over 20 years of service. I have a tilt car trailer that is 15 years old, was a daily user for a long time and we still use it twice a week.

I am going to buy a new 14k tilt trailer next year as my last trailer, and will probably get a 14 foot 14K dump trailer to help me finish out my house and shop build in Central Oregon. I can sell it later if I don't use it enough.

IronMonster · Dec 16, 2017

It does become a crapshoot. My new 2017 F450 I had derated to 15,000 GVW (standard configurations are 16,500-19,500) just so I could have a higher GVW trailer and not have to pay for a 50,000 GVW license. I still have to have a class A CDL just to run down the road with an empty car trailer as I am over 26,001 combined with my smallest trailer.

To me it's really stupid. You can hook up a 18k trailer to a 3/4 ton truck with a 8000 GVW and be legal without a CDL, but hook that same trailer to a F450 that has the tires and brakes to handle the load safetly and now you have a huge can of worms to stay legal.

CoastRange57 · Dec 16, 2017

IronMonster said:
To me it's really stupid. You can hook up a 18k trailer to a 3/4 ton truck with a 8000 GVW and be legal without a CDL, but hook that same trailer to a F450 that has the tires and brakes to handle the load safetly and now you have a huge can of worms to stay legal.

And a Class A motor home tandem axle with air brakes, 40 plus foot can be operated by some old geezer with a Class C DL who never drove more than a Honda accord. Watched them trying to maneuver them around the RV parks. Hilarious.

moose · Dec 17, 2017

IronMonster said:
Very seldom do you find much of a deal on a used one. Usually if they are much of a discount from new price they are well used.

I think in most cases you get what you pay for.

You do know you will have to have a class A CDL to pull at 22K trailer?

I'm finding that out.

Always.

Yep.

Grimm · Dec 20, 2017

CoastRange57 said:
And a Class A motor home tandem axle with air brakes, 40 plus foot can be operated by some old geezer with a Class C DL who never drove more than a Honda accord. Watched them trying to maneuver them around the RV parks. Hilarious.

Saw a guy high center his over in Troutdale by Chinook landing. Is it bad that I found it hilarious? He was just sitting there spinning his tires rolling a cloud of smoke off em and not going anywhere.

moose · Dec 21, 2017

IronMonster said:
You can hook up a 18k trailer to a 3/4 ton truck with a 8000 GVW and be legal without a CDL, but hook that same trailer to a F450 that has the tires and brakes to handle the load safetly and now you have a huge can of worms to stay legal.

You can do a 6K + 20k trailer too, be under one pound under the 26001 GCWR limit and be quite legal.

That's a whole 'nother big can o wiggly worms. Do you regulate anything or let it be a free for all?

IronMonster · Dec 21, 2017

If you are going to pull a 20K trailer with a 6K pickup... Well lets just say we cant be friends. It might be legal but it sure as hell isn't right. In all honesty you should not be pulling a 20K trailer with a 3/4 ton, it should be behind at least a one ton truck. To pull it behind a half ton is simply asking to kill yourself or others

CoastRange57 · Dec 21, 2017

IronMonster said:
If you are going to pull a 20K trailer with a 6K pickup... Well lets just say we cant be friends. It might be legal but it sure as hell isn't right. In all honesty you should not be pulling a 20K trailer with a 3/4 ton, it should be behind at least a one ton truck. To pull it behind a half ton is simply asking to kill yourself or others

Agree 100%.

I did a 14K maxed out behind a 3/4 ton pickup. Bad idea, even with brakes on all 4 wheels. Took it down to 12K. Still a bad idea. Did 12k with a dual wheel 4x4 F 350. That is about the safe limit.

I keep my F350 4x4 Powerstroke to about 10K. Just about right and I will have a transmission left.

This is with a solid shank hitch or a coupler hitch. Those hollow ones are only rated to 6K.

Grimm · Dec 21, 2017

This is slightly off topic but it's funny to me how much thought actually has to go into pulling this with that when I'm regularly weighing in at 105k in my work truck but almost never tow anything with my half ton pickup. I take for granted towing heavy stuff with equipment made to do nothing other than tow heavy stuff.

IronMonster · Dec 21, 2017

Grimm said:
This is slightly off topic but it's funny to me how much thought actually has to go into pulling this with that when I'm regularly weighing in at 105k in my work truck but almost never tow anything with my half ton pickup. I take for granted towing heavy stuff with equipment made to do nothing other than tow heavy stuff.

In my opinion the problem is that folks DONT think when they tow stuff. Im not talking about anyone in this thread but most folks simply don't have any clue what effects weight and inertia have, (using the example above, hooking up a trailer that is 20,000 pounds to a truck that weighs 4000 pounds and has LT 6 ply tires and a 6000 GVW)

As you well know, the issue is not having enough rig to PULL the load. The issue is having enough rig to STOP the load.

Grimm · Dec 22, 2017

IronMonster said:
In my opinion the problem is that folks DONT think when they tow stuff. Im not talking about anyone in this thread but most folks simply don't have any clue what effects weight and inertia have, (using the example above, hooking up a trailer that is 20,000 pounds to a truck that weighs 4000 pounds and has LT 6 ply tires and a 6000 GVW)

As you well know, the issue is not having enough rig to PULL the load. The issue is having enough rig to STOP the load.

Absolutely, I see it all the time. Our company sells rock and sand among other things. I can't tell you the number of times someone has come in wanting 6 yards of sand in their f350 with a 10 yard box. After I explain it's 3000 lbs a yard, they don't care. We've had to refuse loading people on multiple occasions based on their willingness to be extremely unsafe. Some of it is surely them being uninformed, but an alarming number or folks just don't care.

moose · Dec 23, 2017

I'm going to weld a ball to the roof of a 1962 VW beetle and pronounce it my tow rig just to irritate you all.

moose · Dec 23, 2017

IronMonster said:
As you well know, the issue is not having enough rig to PULL the load. The issue is having enough rig to STOP the load.

The core issue is nothing to do about equipment or common sense, the issue is taxes. You even said it yourself:

IronMonster said:
My new 2017 F450 I had derated to 15,000 GVW (standard configurations are 16,500-19,500) just so I could have a higher GVW trailer and not have to pay for a 50,000 GVW license.

IronMonster · Dec 23, 2017

moose said:
The core issue is nothing to do about equipment or common sense, the issue is taxes. You even said it yourself:

Nope, The core issue is common sense and equipment, Taxes are a pain but not even a consideration in the big picture. I would be happy to pay for higher tabs if it meant I didn't have to have a class A CDL just to drive my pickup around with a trailer.