[Rio_Grande]

I am getting ready to bight the bullet and lay down some jack on a trailer.

I have used both but it has been about 10 years on the gooseneck. Pull a bummper type every day.

I know the truck handles the weight better with a goose neck. But other than that what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

I am looking at a 20 or 24 foot trailer. 20 is a bumper pull and the 24 is a goose neck.

I often need to get into tight spaces to pickup cars and the like. I have a part time business partner who believes whole heartedly that a bumper type can get into places that a goose neck of the same size cannot. I seem to remember having no problem putting the gooseneck anywhere I wanted to, but it has been a long time.

What do you think?

 

[2293]

Gooseneck for better control. You can put a gooseneck in a tighter place easier than a bumper pull. Gooseneck is better for weight and over all weight distribution of the tow rig.
Only disadvantage of a gooseneck is you loose a lot of space in the truck bed for other "stuff", truck caps, etc.

Just look at a 18 wheeler backing up where they can exceed a 90 degree angle between trailer and cab... then watch a tractor pulling a mobil home when they back up, since they are a type of "bumber hitch".. those guys always try for a pull through.

 

[13337]

For small or light loads, occasional use, ect.
Bumper Pull.
Bumper pull has the flexability to be towed by any vehicle with a hitch ball.

If you are using it every day with a dedicated vehicle,
If you are going to be regularly pulling weights of a vehicle or more,
Fifth Wheel.
Fifth wheel trailers have the weight and flexability advantage, but the disadvantage of being dedicated to the vehicle that has the proper fifth wheel hitch.
If that vehicle is down for ANY reason, the trailer is useless.

Fifth wheel trailers are also heavier to and less fuel efficient if you tow the trailer partly loaded or empty.
Gas is $3 bucks a gallon and going up, so that is a consideration...