Which trailer will tow better?

[Raider47]

Between a 6,000 pound bumper pull and a 10,000 pound gooseneck, both the same overall height and length when hooked up to a heavy duty single rear wheel tow vehicle, which will be a better towing experience?

Specifically, I am narrowing down my search for a full time toy hauler down to the ATC 28’ toy hauler and Sundowner gooseneck toy hauler at about 37’. They are both 8.5 feet wide and similar heights. I would consider adding a weight distribution hitch if I go with the ATC.

I plan on covering a lot of miles the first year and so the towing experience is important to me. It seems like the gooseneck would be more aerodynamic with the blended over the bed configuration and superior load placement over the rear axle, but the bumper pull is significantly lighter.

Thoughts?

[450Donn]

The Sundowner would win hands down. BUT, to safely tow a fifth wheel/gooseneck trailer you absolutely MUST have enough load capacity on your tow vehicle.
Where a pull trailer will load your truck between 12 and 15 percent of its loaded weight on the truck a fiver/goose will place between 18 and 25 percent of its loaded weight directly over the rear axle

[Raider47]

I plan to get the tow vehicle after picking out a trailer to make sure they are compatible but I know that I don’t want a dually. So even with the extra weight, a gooseneck will still tow better? Adding a weight distribution hitch wouldn’t make a comparable stable connection?

[Spdracr39]

Gooseneck because you will be driving a 3/4 ton truck. Besides, wrestling with a W/D hitch and sway bars is a pain in the rear.

[450Donn]

Why? Dually regardless of trailers will be way more stable going down the road. With a gooseneck you could potientially exceed the rear tires load rating when loaded. What is the Sundowners GVWR? Remember the 20% rule. 20% of the loaded trailers weight will be directly on the rear axle. Lacking the loaded weight use the trailers GVWR as a base line.

[Raider47]

I realize that dually trucks are better for towing, but I plan to use the truck as a daily driver when I’m not towing and want the slimmer profile. I’m willing to go with a lighter trailer to stay within single rear wheel comfort limits.

I think a 37’ Sundowner starts 9,000ish empty rated up to 15,000 and about 2,500 over the hitch.

The ATC is also front heavy with 1,000+ over the hitch

[Rhagfo]

Originally Posted by Raider47

I realize that dually trucks are better for towing, but I plan to use the truck as a daily driver when I’m not towing and want the slimmer profile. I’m willing to go with a lighter trailer to stay within single rear wheel comfort limits.

I think a 37’ Sundowner starts 9,000ish empty rated up to 15,000 and about 2,500 over the hitch.

The ATC is also front heavy with 1,000+ over the hitch

Well a Ram 3500 SRW will have a 12,300# GVWR, and may be able to tow the 15,000# GN within numbers.
That said you will be better off with a DRW, and as your only vehicle, you will learn it's size and soon will no different than a SRW.
Through 2018 both Ford and GM 350/3500 SRW only have 11,500# GVWR.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Raider47

Between a 6,000 pound bumper pull and a 10,000 pound gooseneck, both the same overall height and length when hooked up to a heavy duty single rear wheel tow vehicle, which will be a better towing experience?

No difference if you tow the receiver-hitch trailer with a ProPride hitch. If you want the receiver-hitch trailer to tow as good as a gooseneck, then you want the expensive ProPride anti-sway hitch, properly set up per the ProPride instructions. With less-expensive hitches, the ATC will not tow as good as a properly-set-up gooseneck.

Specifically, I am narrowing down my search for a full time toy hauler down to the ATC 28’ toy hauler and Sundowner gooseneck toy hauler at about 37’. They are both 8.5 feet wide and similar heights.

ATC receiver-pull # 8.5x28 is actually 33' long with about 28' long box. And where did you come up with only 6,000 pounds? The GVWR of the ATC is 11,440, so the wet and loaded weight will probably be over 10,000 pounds.

Sundowner gooseneck #2086GM box is actually 36' long, so the gooseneck would have a lot bigger box than the receiver-pull. I.e., more elbow room.

ATC Toy Hauler Models

https://rpmsundowner.com/sundowner/t...er-floorplans/

I would consider adding a weight distribution hitch if I go with the ATC.

Assuming a properly-loaded trailer, the hitch weight of the wet and loaded ATC will be about 1,590 pounds, and the hitch weight of the gooseneck will be about 2,550 pounds. I would not consider towing a receiver-hitch trailer with more than about 500 pounds hitch weight without a good weight-distributing (WD)/anti-sway hitch.

With either trailer, I'd want a "one ton" SRW tow vehicle. F-350 Ford or 3500 GM or Ram. And with the ATC I'd definitely want a ProPride hitch.

I plan on covering a lot of miles the first year and so the towing experience is important to me. It seems like the gooseneck would be more aerodynamic with the blended over the bed configuration and superior load placement over the rear axle, but the bumper pull is significantly lighter.

I don't find the GVWR for the gooseneck, but for the TT it's 11,440. I suspect the GVWR for the Sundowner 2086GM would not much more than the ATC. - maybe 12,000#?

https://rpmsundowner.com/wp-content/...GM_vJA0061.pdf

Before I made the decision, I'd want to know the tow vehicle payload capacity for hitch weight. GVWR minus the wet and loaded curb weight of the tow vehicle ready to tow, including people, hitch and anything else that might be in the truck when towing. Or for newer trucks, the gross payload capacity on the yellow sticker in the driver's door jamb minus the weight of everyone and everything (including the gooseneck hitch, toolbox, etc.) that might be in the truck when towing.

If your payload capacity available for hitch weight is not at least 2,550 pounds, then forget the gooseneck. Surely you can manage weight so the payload capacity available for hitch weight in a one-ton SRW is at least 1,600 pounds of a "bumper pull" tow hauler. If not, then it's time to consider a dually.

[Raider47]

Great info, thanks.
I got the 6,000 pound weight off the ATC website under models and specs. I’m sure it’s an empty weight so probably misleading for comparison but I think the Sundowner is about 9K and change empty so 3-4K is probably the difference.

[Jshopes81]

I tow sundowners quite a bit with a dodge 3500 srw. Theyre around 35 ft overall. The combo is very nice to tow. I dont have one on the job site im on now to get any weights though.

[tuffr2]

I towed a 6,500lb travel trailer plus a 16,000lb 5th wheel with a Ford Dually. The 5th wheel towed a bit easier. I towed a 10,000lb gooseneck horse trailer w/living quarters with a Ram Dually 3500 it towed easier than the 6,500lb. travel trailer.

Now the travel trailer did not have a WD hitch which would improve its affect on the truck.

Now the 10,000lb horse trailer towed a bit easier than the 16,000lb 5th wheel. It had a lower profile and did not catch as much air.

If I had to rate how well each trailer towed it would be:

10 - gooseneck horse trailer
9 - 5th wheel
8.5 - travel trailer

Behind a dually truck they all towed easy. But the gooseneck horse trailer I did not know it was back there.

[lwmcguire]

I towed a Landmark 42 foot , weight at 16k with a F350 srw , 20 inch tires

Legal and safe, very stable

[Raider47]

All great info, thank you all.