When there is no "right" answer- to repair the truck or buy something new (or-- who is towing a gooseneck with a 2020 half ton?)

[woodstock]

So my 2003 diesel one ton needs a major repair. The truck is in wonderful condition and of course tows my 2007 Gore two horse plus tack room gooseneck like its not even there. The repair is costly enough it has me thinking about moving on to a new rig. Only there is a major hitch-- the new three quarter and one ton trucks sit too high for the trailer. My trailer guy says blocking the axels is not an option on the Gore trailers. He suggests that a brand new (2020 specs) half ton will be more than sufficient for my needs and won’t sit too high. I’m dubious that the truck will be enough for my needs-- plus, for the money one has to spend on a 1500, it isn’t much more (if any) to purchase a base 2500. This whole conundrum has me thinking it makes more sense to pony up for the repair on my 2003.

Has anyone gone through this process recently? Did you replace truck and get a new trailer? (And are any gooseneck trailers built before 2010 going to be obsolete due to there being no rigs to tow them at some point?!) Did you get a chassis three-quarter or one ton truck and add a flat bed (to not have to deal with the sides of the bed being too tall for the gooseneck)? Are the new 1500s actually beefy enough to safely (including safe long term for the truck’s engine and suspension) tow a two horse plus tack room gooseneck (GWVR is under 11,000)?

Questions coming from someone who hauls one horse almost daily and two horses at least once a week. And 4x4 is mandatory because we hunt and routinely park in the grass on a hillside.

[awaywego]

In a similar conundrum - both older truck and older gooseneck trailer. I want to replace the truck but the trailer is fine - I am worried that a newer truck will not work with my trailer, which one of the biggest reasons for having a truck to begin with :mad: I don’t have any solutions - can only commiserate. A flat bed is not an option for overall practicality for me. I really do wonder what will happen to the older trailers though so I’m curious what experiences other people can share. I have considered the possibility of selling my truck & trailer as a package because I’m worried about selling the potentially obsolete trailer down the road.

[woodstock]

Thanks for commiserating Awaywego. Hopefully folks will chime in with some excellent advice for us

[Tarlo_Farm]

My Sundowner gooseneck was adjustable to allow for the higher sidewalls of new pickup trucks. The neck itself could be unbolted and telescoped longer.

[woodstock]

@Tarlo Farm

My Sundowner gooseneck was adjustable to allow for the higher sidewalls of new pickup trucks. The neck itself could be unbolted and telescoped longer.

But that then changes the angle your trailer rides and puts more weight on the back trailer axel. You’d likely need to also block the axels of the trailer, if that is a possibility (it is not with my trailer).

[CindyCRNA]

My 2 cents is I would never tow a trailer like that with a half ton. We have an F150 and I call it a bread hauler. It’s great for limbs, mulch and yard stuff but no way is it heavy enough for a gooseneck. Could you do it? Maybe. Is it safe? No!. Get a used 3/4 ton at the least.

[Hinderella]

I did a lot of research before buying my first truck & trailer years ago and concluded that a 1/2 ton just didn’t work for pulling my gooseneck (which is fairly light, and aluminum). While many of the small trucks have “enough” pulling power, they don’t have the overall sturdiness and stopping power that I waned. It might work if you’re only hauling on flat roads and parking in nice wide gravel driveways. But like you, I’m often parking in someone’s hayfield, and I need both power & 4WD to get out without leaving tracks.
We bought a Ram 3500, and my 1996 4 Star does not have enough clearance. I’ve had it out & about, but on yesterday’s turn out of the hayfield I genuinely had 1" of clearance between the bed rails & the GN. The 3500 has leaf springs that make it a bit higher, a 2500 might work for you.
My trailer can be blocked, but it also needs some other minor repairs and I may just bite the bullet and sell it 9while I can) and buy a new trailer.
If you can put a flatbed on your new truck you’re all set. I simply can’t get the hubby to agree to that!

[SecondInCommand]

Check out the specs on an F150 equipped with the max trailer tow and heavy duty payload packages. Gone are the days where ‘half ton’ and ‘three quarter ton’ are adequate to assume the truck’s capabilities - the Venn diagram of a modern, well-equipped F150’s capabilities overlaps considerably with those of many three quarter tons of recent years. There is a lot of engineering creep in modern half tons, if you look for ones that are properly equipped.

Good luck!

[grinanride]

My “old” 2003 Ram 3/4 Cummins diesel was rated at 11700 / my “new” 2019 Ram gasser 1/2 ton is rated for 10700, not too shabby -
you will have to look at all trucks individually - the rear axle ratio makes a huge difference
weigh the trailer and tongue weight, add horses and gear, check the GCWR and see what you get - then you can figure it out for real!
Risa
balancedridetrailers.com
happytrailstrailers.com

[woodstock]

This is why I specified the new 2020 half tons. They are beefer than the earlier models-- in theory the half tons of today are equal capacity (tow capacity AND payload, to say nothing of the various other specs) to the three quarter tons of the early to mid 2000s. This is the reason why I’d love to hear from folks who actually are towing with one of the new half tons.

FWIW- after a talk with the mechanic today, I’m leaning towards ponying up for the repair on my current tow vehicle. Looks like to get the max tow capacity in a half ton I’d have to custom order something (versus purchase on the lot) and I’d be looking at $45 to $50k or beyond- for a half ton. Looks like the only options for chassis only bumps me up into a one ton- and then we’re talking about the same money- plus $4kish to add a flat bed. And this is for fairly base models (no extra creature comforts, but beefed up towing and payload). And, sheesh, the market for late model used trucks is insane right now. $30k plus for a 2017 F150 with over a 100,000 miles? No thank you! Not worth the extra property tax and insurance cost.

[Montanas_Girl]

I think the biggest issue you’re going to have in looking at 2020 half tons for towing a gooseneck is finding one that has a long bed. Not sure how much lower they’re going to be than the 3/4 ton models, either, but I suppose that will vary by make/model. The 2020 Ram 1500 I’m currently driving is tall enough that I have to jump/climb in and out of it (I’m 5’1").

[awaywego]

@Montanas_Girl

I think the biggest issue you’re going to have in looking at 2020 half tons for towing a gooseneck is finding one that has a long bed. Not sure how much lower they’re going to be than the 3/4 ton models, either, but I suppose that will vary by make/model. The 2020 Ram 1500 I’m currently driving is tall enough that I have to jump/climb in and out of it (I’m 5’1").

I haven’t been looking that new but YESSSSSSSSS it is so difficult to find a truck with a long bed. My search has so far been limited to 3/4 ton models and long beds are definitely the minority. I don’t need 4 doors - I need an 8 foot bed!

Also, I will just say again how much I loathe truck shopping as a woman. It seems to range from insulting to patronizing.

[woodstock]

Good point on bed size-- I presently have a long bed and LOVE it! So nice to never worry about jackknifing

Awaywego- so right! Not fun being a woman shopping for a truck-- especially when we know more about all the specs than the car salesmen themselves.

[rockymouse]

So long as your mechanics believe there are no great pending issues in your near future, I tend to think that, since you really like the 2003 you already own, you should keep it. Whatever money you throw at it now is a whole lot cheaper than the cost of a new truck that is not exactly what you want.

[ayrabz]

While I feel my hauling out days are over…I’ll be absorbing and reading most of this thread! I’ve got a 2000 model Gore 2 h GN w dressing room. And my old Bessie, 1999 Ford F250 diesel 7.3. Poor Bessie has been sitting for 3 plus years. so, I will face big $ for getting her road ready again. But I love the combo and hate to let Bessie go. One day, I’ll watch the poor old girl get hauled in to a good diesel place and all fixed up! (right now she’s covered in mold/moss…)

[SBrentnall]

Keep in mind that the new half tons are very different beasts than those of ten years ago. For example, the 2021 F 150 tows 14,000 and can easily pull a gooseneck. It’s available in three bed sizes, including 8’. It also has upgraded brakes and transmission and a payload in excess of 3,000 lbs.

Those are better specs than my 1998 Ram 2500.

[sascha]

@awaywego

In a similar conundrum - both older truck and older gooseneck trailer. I want to replace the truck but the trailer is fine - I am worried that a newer truck will not work with my trailer, which one of the biggest reasons for having a truck to begin with :mad: I don’t have any solutions - can only commiserate. A flat bed is not an option for overall practicality for me. I really do wonder what will happen to the older trailers though so I’m curious what experiences other people can share. I have considered the possibility of selling my truck & trailer as a package because I’m worried about selling the potentially obsolete trailer down the road.

Raise the trailer with heavy duty axles. My trailer was done before I bought it and I love it. Even better, horses LOVE it. I will say that empty it is not a lot of fun to tow, but loaded with even one horse it pulls like a dream.

”‹”‹”‹”‹

[JenEM]

@SBrentnall

Keep in mind that the new half tons are very different beasts than those of ten years ago. For example, the 2021 F 150 tows 14,000 and can easily pull a gooseneck. It’s available in three bed sizes, including 8’. It also has upgraded brakes and transmission and a payload in excess of 3,000 lbs.

Those are better specs than my 1998 Ram 2500.

Finding a long bed though, is nigh on impossible without ordering it.

I just got a 2017 Silverado this spring, which has all the towing bells and whistles, and a tow capacity over 11,000#. You hardly know that my 2h BP is behind it, and tows as well as an early 00s Silverado 2500 I’d used before (and loved) and noticeably better than early 00s model half-ton vehicles I’d owned previously. But I don’t think it would work with a gooseneck, even though it could tow it, because of the bed length.

Trucks seem to be all cab and not much bed now. Which rather seems to defeat the point most of the time. We struggled to find one that didn’t have the full size back seats!

[rothmpp]

What’s the repair on the diesel? Having just done a major repair on my GM 2003 diesel, it turned into a rabbit hole of cascading issues and took almost a month.

Other things to consider with a new truck - how much is your auto insurance going to go up?

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@rothmpp

What’s the repair on the diesel?

Other things to consider with a new truck - how much is your auto insurance going to go up?

Injectors all need replacing. You are so right- insurance and taxes go up with a new truck. I have ultimately decided to pony up for the repair. I had the shop look the truck over closely (“as thought a the mechanic’s family is going to buy the truck” lol) and they thinking everything else looks good. So I decided to go forward with the repair- and pay a bit more for a 7 year warranty on the new injectors. At this point in time, I decided the best decision (I hope!) is repair the truck, keep the trailer I have, and enjoy the low taxes and insurance costs.