2003 gmc 2500 4x4....goose neck towing

moloss · July 29, 2005

ok I also posted this in the light duty area since my truck seems to fall in between....my truck 2003 gmc 2500 4x4 with 6.0 and 4.10 gears rated to tow 10200-10700#'s can't quite remember......well that's bumper towing....what about gooose neck towing? I'm looking at a goose neck trailer in the 24-30' foot range to tow my jeep and quads.....the trailer places say that it's much easier on the truck to tow with a goose neck.....does that mean I can tow more? I can't seem to find a trailer towing guide from 2003 to confirm this but I thought most trucks were rated at higher towing limits with a goose neck.....any suggestions? thanks for your time.

cmadz71 · July 29, 2005

Using a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer does not mean you can tow more. According to the specs for my truck (05 2500HD CC SB 4x4 6.0L), I can tow 9800# trailer regardless if it is a bumper pull or gooseneck. The specs do say that you can have a higher trailer kingpin weight with a gooseneck. The truck can take a 3000# kingpin weight with a gooseneck versus a 1500# tongue weight with a bumper trailer. Obviously with the gooseneck directly over the axle, the truck can handle this higher kingpin weight. All the specs are for my truck so they might not apply directly to your truck. You should have your specs listed in the owners manual.

As far as ease of towing, I would select a gooseneck over a bumper trailer anyday. The turning radius is better with a gooseneck. A bumper trailer can encounter sway with out the proper sway control and weight distribution.

I currently own and tow a 20' Haulmark bumper pull enclosed race trailer for kart racing. My next trailer will be a gooseneck because of ease of towing and the area in the gooseneck for storage.

I hope this helped.

moloss · July 29, 2005

yes that does help.....thank you

MillerClemsonHD · July 29, 2005

.....the trailer places say that it's much easier on the truck to tow with a goose neck.....

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the reason for this is bc with a goose neck trailer in theory you are pushing the trailer with as opposed to pulling it. With the ball mounted in the bed just in front of the axle the weight is connected to the truck in front of the wheels used to drive. One of the main reasons it is easier on your truck along with the better distribution of weight and basically moving some of that weight into the bed of the truck.

sonjaab · August 1, 2005

MOLO....Have a 03 GM tow book handy..............

Exactly what truck do you have? A 2500 LD or HD ?

Ex-cab, reg. cab, long box, short box ?????????

Need to know to give ya exact figures................geo

moloss · August 2, 2005

2003 gmc 2500 (not HD) 4x4 SLE 6.0/4.10 extended cab with the 6.5 foot bed, GVWR 8600#, 8 lug rims identical to the HD.........I guess that's enough?

sonjaab · August 5, 2005

OK......Book sez: 10,200 lbs. max. trailer weight for 5th wheel towing.

NOTES: Trailer kingpin weight should be 15 to 25% of total trailer weight

(up to 2500 lbs on 2500 models)

Addition of trailer kingpin weight cannot cause the vehicle weight to exceed rear gross axle weight rating or gross vehicle weight rating.

(These ratings can be found on the certification label on the drivers

door or door frame.)

Funny, Rear tow hitch and eq. bars is also 10,200 on the non HD 2500s.

Hope that helps.....................geo

mmmikkke · August 5, 2005

ok I also posted this in the light duty area since my truck seems to fall in between....my truck 2003 gmc 2500 4x4 with 6.0 and 4.10 gears rated to tow 10200-10700#'s can't quite remember......well that's bumper towing....what about gooose neck towing? I'm looking at a goose neck trailer in the 24-30' foot range to tow my jeep and quads.....the trailer places say that it's much easier on the truck to tow with a goose neck.....does that mean I can tow more? I can't seem to find a trailer towing guide from 2003 to confirm this but I thought most trucks were rated at higher towing limits with a goose neck.....any suggestions? thanks for your time.

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As long as you keep your kingpin weight below 2500 pounds, sounds like the thing I'd be concerned about is keeping that 2500 pounds equal to about 20% of the total trailer weight, so you don't have any handling problems. If the trailer has 2 axles, they would have to handle the rest. If 2500 pounds is 20%, the other 80% would be 10,000 pounds, so 5,000 for each axle. Do you know what the axles are rated at on the trailer?

moloss · August 5, 2005

all have at least two 7000# axles with brakes on both axles, 16in center sections and at least 10in I beams....the trailer I'm leaning towards is a triple axle 30' goose neck that a guy has that is only one 1 1/2 years old with about 2200 miles on it.....it has brakes on all axles and seems to be in real good shape but I have not seen it in person.....my next truck will be a diesel 3500 so even though my truck mayend up being a little over matched right now down the road I won't have to upgrade the trailer......

sonjaab · August 6, 2005

MOL...............I used to haul my 30 ft. boat or 29ft camper with

my 01 6.0 4:10 auto 2500 ld xcab 4x4..................

Plowed lots of snow every winter..................

NEVER a wimper or breakdown !

Good everyday mpg. and priced right.

That $6000 MORE for a oil burner and the repair horrors I see on these GM truck sites scare me !

mmmikkke · August 6, 2005

all have at least two 7000# axles with brakes on both axles, 16in center sections and at least 10in I beams....the trailer I'm leaning towards is a triple axle 30' goose neck that a guy has that is only one 1 1/2 years old with about 2200 miles on it.....it has brakes on all axles and seems to be in real good shape but I have not seen it in person.....my next truck will be a diesel 3500 so even though my truck mayend up being a little over matched right now down the road I won't have to upgrade the trailer......

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Just for kicks I figured out how much you could haul in that tri-axle. If you cut back to 15% king pin weight, which would be a bare minimum, with the tri-axle, your trailer axles could handle 21,000 pounds. 15% of the total trailer weight (axle load plus kingpin load) comes out at about 3700 pounds kingpin weight and 24,700 pounds total trailer weight.

You could haul 4 jeeps, 10 4-wheelers, and 86 cases of salisbury steaks, and that trailer'd never break a sweat. Not so sure about the truck, though. It'd probably break a sweat.

silverado3500 · August 7, 2005

and 86 cases of salisbury steaks,

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Yes, but more importantly, how many cases of Coors can it haul back from Texarkana, TX? and how many of the hot dog planting machines?

99-2door · August 7, 2005

and 86 cases of salisbury steaks,

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Yes, but more importantly, how many cases of Coors can it haul back from Texarkana, TX? and how many of the hot dog planting machines?

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moloss · August 8, 2005

mmmikkke I don't know really what to say.....but WHOW!

Charlie's 2500HD · August 8, 2005

If you have not pulled a tri-axle before, you might not like how it turns corners. Not the corner but what the tires are doing on the rim while turning the corner. Lot of sideways deflection with a tandem axle trailer. Just depends on how short you are turning and how much weight is on the trailer how much it deflects. I would recommend a trailer with a pair of 7K axles or a tandem dually 10k axles. You know it is a short corner when the trailer tire is going backwards while the truck is going forward. But that means that one of the tire sets is actually sliding sideway's (2 with a tri-axle). Can not turn that short with a bumper trailer so you have the advantage of the gooseneck.

Just my 2 cents worth.