Mechanos

Well, I found a good deal on a gooseneck trailer this weekend and picked it up.

1995 Starlite
20' deck, lowboy with a short dovetail and fold up ramps
2 - 5200# axles
brakes on both axles
Double 5" channel frame
3" channel crossmembers on 24" centers
8" channel neck
single dropleg jack

Had a B&W turnover ball put in my truck yesterday morning and then went and picked up the trailer. We fiddled with it a bit and got brake lights but that was it (enough to haul it the short distance home). I still need to exercise the rest of the electrical demons, but I believe them to be mostly ground related as the trailer wiring is set up to ground through the ball instead of through the harness plug. I'll be correcting that problem.

The tow home went fine... took a narrow State hiway about 5 miles over the interstate and then it was all interstate the remaining 20 miles. Pulled a little heavier than I though it would but still pulled fine. Even had it up to about 75 on the interstate. Now this is my first experience towing a gooseneck and I did feel a bit stupid trying to put the trailer where I wanted it once I got home. GN's back differently than bumper pulls and I haven't quite gotten that part down yet...

Scotty

I found it to be easier to back a gooseneck or 5th wheel with one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Some practice and it will be simple.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any incidents that may occur.

LRAmberson

Let me recommend the DTR Advertiser Brake Smart for your braking set up it is sweet, you won't be disappointed. Only problem is they are a little long in shipping time due to demand.. Maybe that is not a bad thing for them....

Mechanos

Scotty... yeah, I've used that "bottom of the steering wheel" technique for bumper pulls as well. That's not the problem here though. This is my first GN, but not my first trailer.... I'm just not used the way it "breaks" yet.... which is much different than a bumper pull.

LRAmerbson... like mentioned above, this is not my first trailer so I'll just continue to use my existing brake controller on the 'new' trailer. I have a Tekonsha Prodigy.

Mechanos

I do believe it's also going to take a little massaging to get the trailer to sit correctly behind the truck. Right now it's sitting a bit nose high and coupler is adjusted all the way up as high as it will go. I know in this picture it is sitting empty and with a load, the nose will squat some but I still think it's going to be a little nose high even with a load. I need to pull my Scout up on the trailer and see just how much it's going to squat, but I have a feeling I'm gonig to need to cut the spring hangers off the frame, weld in some 2" sq. tubing, and reweld the spring hangers to the bottom of the 2" tubing. Here's the pic:

Scotty

How lucky can you get? A red used trailer that looks to be well built to match your truck. Good find!

I think you might level off with a Scout on there. It'll be close.

Scotty

crobtex

Nice catch!

Mechanos

Yeah, I was think that too when I pulled up on it. Yeah, it's pretty well built but it's not exactly red anymore.... kind of a pinkish white sorta red. I plan on repainting it red, but that will have to wait for while. I need to do some modifications to it first. I want to cut the side rails off and extend the deck on both sides to 101" The fenders are already stout enough for "drive over" fenders. Once all that's done... it'll get a new coat of red... but I'm thinking that unless I clear coat it, the new red will just oxidize like that as well.... but then again.... it is just a trailer.

tobyw

From looking at your picture and knowing how a g/n distributes load, I don't think the combination of your Scout and 2" blocks will level you out. You may want to consider flipping the springs over the axles on the trailer?

Mechanos

Thought about that too, toby, but I'm not sure on that either. Doing an SOA on the trailer will add about 6" or more to it's ride height.... I think that will be too much. However, depending on where the next notch is on the GN coupler, I might be able to SOA it and then drop the coupler down a notch to level things out. It really is all speculation until I load up the truck and see how it's going to set. I'll formulate my plan from there.

tobyw

Very true... You won't know for sure until you try it. Let us know, I'm interested to see how it turns out for you!!

roadranger

A little nose high on the gooseneck trailer is not bad--as long as you've got an equalized spring suspension on it. This kind of suspension is very forgiving of nose height differences.

If you had the rubber torsion axle UNequalized suspension, a nose high attitude would transfer more weight to the rear axle, possibly overloading the rear tires. This kind of suspension HAS to ride level.

BTW, NICE trailer!

xyzer

Backing a goosneck??!!!! Got mine ...everyone says they are better than a bumper pull.....I'm still learning! I can take 15 minutes getting it backed into a blind hole cursing all the way!...But it will drive right out of it! so there is a feel for it!!!! Still learning!

Eskimo

Mind if I ask what that set you back? I'm trailer shopping now...

Mechanos

I got it for $1500. I personally think it was a very good deal for that price.... that's why I picked it up. I couldn't find anything else used around me like it for under $2500.