Brad_bb

I was told in another post that "Properly loaded gooseneck trailer will have about 20% hitch weight compared to 13% tongue weight for a conventional trailer." If that is true, then what are the benefits of a GN trailer?

5.0GN tow

Usually they do, but some are closer to 15%. The big advantage is maneuverability and where it puts the pin weight. It's directly over the wheels or just ahead of them. No WDH needed to transfer weight back to the front axle as some of it naturally does with a GN. There is also a great gain in stability and resistance to sway with a GN. The pin weight percentage varies by where the axles of the trailer are located, smaller GN trailers keep a lower percentage of pin weight, and longer GN have a greater percentage of pin weight as the axles are located further back.

Velosprout

A gooseneck trailer allows for more camper living space without the extension of length, as living space is over or closer to the towing pickup's bed. A work gooseneck trailer for hauling machinery, livestock, or grain, is more easily backed up to a loading dock, livestock loading ramp, or grain auger, and allows much heavier loads than a towable. In the 1970's I was able to do more work with a 3/4 ton pickup and Hillsboro gooseneck farm trailer than with a F600 2 1/2 ton straight truck.

smokeywren

Conventional trailer has the ball about 4 feet behind the center of the rear axle. So it requires a weight-distributing hitch to counter some of the see-saw weight on the rear axle. Without a WD hitch, too much weight is removed from the front axle, and too much weight is added to the rear axle.


Properly-installed gooseneck (and fifth wheel) hitch has the ball or kingpin a couple of inches in FRONT of the center of the rear axle, so almost no see-saw effect, with a tiny bit of hitch weight distributed to the front axle of the tow vehicle.

5.0GN tow

Smoky is correct and mine like most is about 2.5 inches ahead of the rear axle. I just checked my scale slips and it adds about 50 to 100 pounds to the front axle depending on how I am loaded.

Normal 2 horse load is close to 8k and the pin is just under 1000, the empty horse compartment, but loaded tack room is 1060 on the pin. The horses sit essentially on the axles or just behind if in two rear stalls. This puts me at 12 to 15% pin weight. The trailer is very stable and tows nice even in high winds and passing tractor trailers.

If we go up to 3 horses we are around 9k towed and 1200 on the pin. Even at that I am ok payload, but very tight, so all gear when we tow is stored in the tack room. We are over the GCWR with three on board but under on axles and payload.

This is only possible by the fact that my truck has very few options and is a SCAB not a Crew.

Dirttracker18

Good explanation but I would add that the leverage affect of a conventional trailer is negated by moving the pin in front of the axle.

By that I mean by towing from the back of the truck, some 3-5 feet behind the axle, you give the trailer a lot of leverage to move the truck laterally. Think of a long bar to pry with. The long the bar the easier it is to move something. The farther the pin is behind the axle, the more bar you have given the trailer to move the truck around.

Move that pin just in front of the axle and you have not put the bar away and are just working with a stubby wrench.

A goose neck or fifth wheel tows better due to the placement of the hitch and thus lack of leverage that the trailer has to attempt to move the truck. You rarely hear of someone with a 5th or goose complaining of trailer sway.

smokeywren

A goose neck or fifth wheel trailer tows better than a tag trailer with a normal weight-distributing hitch. But with the right hitch, a TT can tow just as good as, and with no more sway than, a 5er.


The expensive ProPride WD hitch is designed to move the weight of the hitch from the back of the truck to about the same point in front of the rear axle as a 5er or goose hitch. Therefore, my TT with my ProPride hitch tows just as good as my 5er with the 5er hitch mounted so the kingpin is 2.5" in front of the rear axle. Zero sway in either case.