Thoughts about trailers?
I am ready to pull the trigger on a gooseneck sitting in my dealers lot but am having second thoughts. I like the idea of getting a tonneau cover for the back of the truck for secure storage when traveling and then pulling a tag trailer instead. I’m leaning both ways because they both have different possibilities.
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While a gooseneck pulls a little bit better, I have pulled two and three axle tags for hundreds of thousands of miles. I usually had enough cargo in the truck bed that a gooseneck was not a good option.
As long as you balance the load right and keep good tires, not the ST trailer shit, on them, no problems. If you are buying one, get the upgraded tires, you will be glad. With poor quality tires, you need to limit the speed or they will cause the trailer to sway.
A low profile tilt deck is the handiest to load, but looses some versatility for using for other than hauling a rig. Good drive over fenders are a must if you go that way.
A deck over sits higher, so the load center is higher, but you have no fenders to worry with, a full width deck, and can load it with a forklift for hauling other things.
If you go that way, make sure to get good ramps that set level with the deck. Mine don't, and they suck.
Spring assist is good, again, mine don't and they suck.
Whichever you choose, if you want it to last, don't get the minimum rating to haul your rig, the axles, bearings, brakes, tires, springs, etc will all wear out or fail much sooner than if you have spare capacity. Just don't end up with one so heavy it overloads the towing capacity of your truck.
Don't get a trailer with a gvw rating that when combined with the rating on your tow rig puts it over 26000#, or you will need a CDL to be legal.
My tow rig currently is a srw F-350, with a gvw of 11,000#. My two axle is 14,000#, so it is fine, but my three axle is 18,000, so it requires a CDL.
If you plan on towing in California, the rules change and any trailer over 10,000# needs a CDL, regardless of what you tow it with.
Hopefully this helps a bit.