Hi all, I just got a lovely new-to-me Trail-et 2 horse gooseneck (2001 model). It doesn’t have the empty weight listed on the plaque with the VIN and GVWR, so I took it to the local gravel place to weigh it. It’s 4400# empty, which is more than I was anticipating. I’m a bit worried because the GVWR is only 7000#. That means I can only put 2600# in the trailer without exceeding the GVWR. That sounds OK until I begin to think about the giant drafty horse my boyfriend wants so badly. My little mare is ~1000#, and I’m estimating his future draft cross to be anywhere from ~1400-1600#. That puts us at 2400-2600# of horse flesh in the trailer, right at the 7000# GVWR, with no room for tack or other supplies (which will probably be a lot since we’re both eventers!).
We are well within the limitations of the tow vehicle (newer F250), which has a tow capacity of 12,000#, GCVWR of around 16,000#, GVWR of 10,000#, and curb weight of around 6500#. If I’ve done all the math right, the vehicle is fully capable of towing this trailer loaded. My only concern is overloading the trailer.
I did notice in the paperwork I got with the trailer that it’s built on 2 3500# axels, which conveniently add up to 7000#. It only seems logical to me that the total amount of weight the trailer can safely carry is the capacity of the axels combined with the tongue weight, since those are what’s actually bearing the weight of the trailer. Is the tongue weight of the trailer included in the GVWR? Or am I just making excuses in my head that I’m able to carry another 1000# in my trailer?
