Title: Plainoltrailers.com the Workings of a Gooseneck Trailer
1Plainoltrailers.com the Workings of a Gooseneck
Trailer
- Plainoltrailers.com Proficient tips provider.
Gooseneck trailers and fifth wheel trailers have
many advantages over the other types of trailers.
They are not commonly used by towers though.
These types of trailers are able to shoulder the
weight of the trailer. The trailers are also safe
during towing. -
- Fifth wheel vs. Gooseneck
-
- Fifth wheel trailers have a design that has the
pivot point placed over the rear axle of the
vehicle instead of behind it. A gooseneck trailer
is therefore a fifth wheel type. The difference
between a fifth wheel trailer and a gooseneck
trailer is in their cargo floors. A fifth wheel
cargo floor extends over the frame of the tractor
while the gooseneck cargo floor ends behind the
bumper. The gooseneck is almost similar to other
bumper mount trailers in that their cargo floor
also ends behind the bumper. In a gooseneck
trailer hitch, the trailer kingpin mounts at a
long truss's end instead of under the frame like
a fifth wheel trailer. This is the reason why the
gooseneck can work with the truck bed of a
standard pick up instead of the flatbed required
by the fifth wheel. -
- Fulcrum Effect.
-
- The reasoning behind the configuration of a fifth
wheel it's on the effect the trailers' tongue
weight has on the tractor. The frame of the truck
acts like a seesaw when load is placed on the
rear bumper. This pushes the front wheels up
while the fulcrum is represented by the rear
axle. You eliminate the seesaw effect when you
move the load's contact point over the rear axle
directly. This allows the weight of the trailer,
to be compressed by the springs of the rear axle
instead of the truck nose lifting. More weight
distribution is achieved when more weight is at
the front. This brings about handling that is
safe and predictable. -
2Ground clearance Plainoltrailers.com Qualified
tips provider. The workings of a seesaw are that
when one side has more weight, the other side
goes down. This is very important during heavy
load towing. A trailer only compresses the
springs at the rear axle a few inches when the
load is full. When the heavy load is applied to
the bumper the rise height drop has to be added
due to the fulcrum effect. This could cause hitch
to road contact. This is because a standard Reese
hitch receiver has two to three inches hanging
under the bumper. This causes increase of the
fulcrum effect over bumpy roads. This could be
worse if a trailer that tilts forward has more of
its weight being transferred to the hitch
amplifying the effect more. Low-Speed
Maneuvering Plainoltrailers.com Proficient tips
provider. When you place the trailer's pivot
close to the center of the vehicle parking and
backing are affected. The trailer pivot acts as a
steering axle. When you place the trailer pivot
away from the steering axle of the tow rig it
responds slowly while backing on the steering
inputs. This will mean that you have to back the
tow rig further. You have to also steer it harder
so that you can get the same trailer rotation if
the pivot point is close to the front. Fifth
wheel trailers do this very well, making parking
and backing a simple maneuver. Better than any
bumper-mount trailer.