Recommendation of Gooseneck Versus Bumper Pull Towing for 20 Foot Enclosed Trailer
Question:
Have a 1988 Chevy dually 1 ton crew cab given to me by my brother, in good shape. Want to haul an 18 or 20 foot enclosed trailer with household goods from Ohio to Alaska. What would you recommend I look for in terms of hitch, safety equipment and even a trailer if you have recommendations there? Are there significant safety advantages between tongue and gooseneck trailers? The truck has a receiver hitch on it but no wiring. Also there is a hole in the bed of the truck with an inset steel collar that may have been used to haul a gooseneck at one time. Thanks for your input. I have semi driving and lots of experience with tractor fifth wheels but very little exp. with pickups and smaller trailers. I dont want to make wrong assumptions!
asked by: Dan T
Helpful Expert Reply:
If I had to choose between a fair-sized bumper pull or a gooseneck trailer, I'd choose the gooseneck. Hands down. Every time. With a gooseneck trailer, the pin weight is applied to the vehicle directly over or just in front of the rear axle of the truck which will provide much more stability which is why I'd recommend going that route. On the downside, a gooseneck trailer will cost more than a bumper pull. A bumper pull trailer will probably need a weight distribution set-up if the fully loaded weight of the trailer is greater than half the weight of your truck, but you'll avoid that complication by going with a gooseneck trailer.
It sounds like you might be equipped with the gooseneck hitch already. Does the collar you speak of have an inverted trailer ball sitting in it? You might need to crawl under the truck to see if there's a hitch in place, and if so, see if you can find a manufacturer and model number if you need the gooseneck trailer ball. If there's just the hole in the bed, but no hitch or frame mount rails underneath, let me know and I'll be happy to recommend a gooseneck hitch.
To install the needed 7-way trailer connector in the truck bed, use part # 20023.
A trailer of that size would have electric brakes, so you'd need to install a brake controller. I'd recommend a proportional controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy P2, part # 90885. The P2 is easy to use and easy to set up, which makes it one of our most popular brake controllers. To Install the controller, you'll need our Brake Controller Install Kit, part # ETBC7.
I'll link you to install details plus an install video showing a brake controller being installed.
Products Referenced in This Question
7-Way Pre-Wired Car Connector, 7' Lead
- Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Wiring
- 7 Feet Long
- Universal Fit
- 7 Round - Blade
- Draw-Tite
more information >
Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Electric
- Electric over Hydraulic
- Automatic Leveling
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 4 Axles
- LED Display
- Up to 360 Degrees
- Tekonsha
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat - 10 Gauge Wires
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Installation Kits
- etrailer
more information >
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