I am just wondering if anyone tows a gooseneck with a ½ ton. I have a 01 Ram 1500 5.9 tow package and all that good stuff. I am wanting to get a new trailer and I would prefer that it be a gooseneck.

Let me know what ya think.
Phil

Every grandpa out there with a half ton and a gooseneck or 5th wheel setup and a camper. It'll be fine.

If you are towing a Single rig go for it. There is nothing better than towing with a Gooseneck. If you are thinking doing double rigs on that trailer I would be thinking twice.

Back in the days we used to haul a 30' stock trailer full 3 hrs one way to the stockyards with a 1/2 ton 74 international pickup. We only burned up 1 auto tranny doing this :flipoff2: I used to do short trips with my dads 28' 5th wheel Camper with my '96 Ram 1500. It worked, but it was a bit much for the pickup. I wouldn't do these things anymore.

i tow a 2 horse gooseneck with my tundra....itll do fine....just go slow and make sure you got trailer brakes

wes

Thanks for the info. I have an electric trailer brake controler on the truck, and the camper has electric brakes as well, I would make sure that the gooseneck had them also. They are a must in the hills.
Phil

A buddy of mine tows a 37 ft camper with one of those new Nissans and has been doing almost a year with no problems.. I thought he was crazy (actually still do :laughing: ) but he says it pulls better than the Dodge he had before he got this one..

You need to hook us up. That guy must be smoking some dang good sh*t!:smokin:

I sure hope he didn't mean a Dodge w/ a Cummins... Probably meant a Dakota. :grinpimp:

JP

A buddy of mine tows a 37 ft camper with one of those new Nissans and has been doing almost a year with no problems.. I thought he was crazy (actually still do :laughing: ) but he says it pulls better than the Dodge he had before he got this one..

keep in mind part of the reason a gooseneck tows better is it puts more weight on the tow vehicle.... not something I'm sure you wanna do with a 1/2-ton.

if you go by the numbers...

std. 20% hitch weight for a gooseneck (instead of 10% for a tag trailer).
empty 1-2ton... 1000lbs payload (in actuality, this number is less).
meaning, to stay under your 1000lbs bed weight, you'll only be about to pull a 5000lbs gooseneck (20% of 5000lbs = 1000lbs)... not much of a gooseneck if you ask me.

If you plan on upgrading to a 3/4-ton or more truck soon, go ahead and get a gooseneck. otherwise stick with a tag trailer and you'll have a whole lot more capacity. add a nice weight distributing hitch if you're worried about tow-ability.

-Rob

keep in mind part of the reason a gooseneck tows better is it puts more weight on the tow vehicle.... not something I'm sure you wanna do with a 1/2-ton.

if you go by the numbers...

std. 20% hitch weight for a gooseneck (instead of 10% for a tag trailer).
empty 1-2ton... 1000lbs payload (in actuality, this number is less).
meaning, to stay under your 1000lbs bed weight, you'll only be about to pull a 5000lbs gooseneck (20% of 5000lbs = 1000lbs)... not much of a gooseneck if you ask me.

http://dodgeram.info/2001/towing-charts.html

Looks like 1400-2300 lb payload, depending on his configuration - but still better than the 1k you are using for your calculations... Correct?

Using your 20% figure:
Payload / Can be towed

1400 / 7000
1500 / 7500
1600 / 8000
1700 / 8500
1800 / 9000
1900 / 9500
2000 / 10000
2100 / 10500
2200 / 11000
2300 / 11500

Again, depending on his truck configuration, he should be able to pull it fine.


However, IMHO a gooseneck is generally a lot more weight to haul around, so you kinda lose out on the weight distribution when you have to double the trailer weight in the process... on a lighter duty truck.

You need to hook us up. That guy must be smoking some dang good sh*t!:smokin:

I sure hope he didn't mean a Dodge w/ a Cummins... Probably meant a Dakota. :grinpimp:

JP


After owning a v10 dodge and a titan, I preffer the titan for light duty towing (jeep or small camper). Pulling the tractor, dodge didn't buck or get pushed around like the nissan does. That titan is a strong half ton, but still not up to what a 3/4 or 1 ton was built for. Over all, I like the titan for what it can do and it has impressed me for being a half ton truck.

As for pulling a gooseneck with a half ton? Just stay within the capabilities of your truck and you will be fine. Might want to look into an air bag kit as well, you do not want your suspension to be near full compression while towing and a GN will apply more weight transfer.

You need to hook us up. That guy must be smoking some dang good sh*t!:smokin:

I sure hope he didn't mean a Dodge w/ a Cummins... Probably meant a Dakota. :grinpimp:

JP
He had a 1/2 ton gasser Dodge pickup, not a Diesel :flipoff2:

As long as you watch the pin weight a 1/2 ton won't ave any problems. However, you might have some clearance issues with that lift. http://image54.webshots.com/54/3/85/99/2107385990065546541PKyorH_ph.jpg

I tow a 7000 lbs camper around, with no real problem, and no load levelers. I understand what you are saying about the more weight on the truck. I don’t believe that it would be to much of a problem.

If you figure that the camper (tag trailer) weighs in at 7000lbs that’s 700lbs hitch weight. So this means that if I had a Gooseneck/Jeep weighing in at lets say 7000lbs, that means I would have 1400lbs over top of the rear axle. So I would think it would be ok, might need a set of air bags, but should be well within the trucks payload capacity. The truck also has a set of what appear to be factory helpers.(little rubber bumps on the helpers) They don’t even touch yet with the camper set down on the hitch.

As far as height goes, I know I could run into problems with the wrong trailer, but there is a post on here about it, and it looks like you just have to find the right trailer.

Looks like 1400-2300 lb payload, depending on his configuration - but still better than the 1k you are using for your calculations... Correct?

Well, yes and no. Remember, payload is more than just whats in the bed. You also need to account for the weight of driver and passengers, gear, fuel, etc. Starting out with a 1400lbs payload could easily turn into only 1000lbs of weight left for the hitch.

Granted if he had one of those reg cab models closer to the 2300lbs end of that scale, it could work with a light gooseneck.

-Rob

dude just get the gooseneck. you'll love it. maybe some AIRBAGS TO GO WITH IT