Know before you tow

Yes and no.

Yes, because you get to use more available capacity over conventional towing.

No, because you don't have a lot of capacity anyway.

For instance, we will take my truck so you can see how this will benefit to go with a GN trailer.

My GMC 3500HD has a capacity rating of 3808 lbs. My conventional towing receiver hitch can carry 1500 lbs max. So that is more than double.

Here is the "but"...GN trailers weigh more and you need a heavier hitch. My small GN trailer (24') is 1050 lbs hitch weight empty. Depending on your specific trucks capacity, this would absorb most of it before loading. GN are usually pretty close to being able to carry the axle rating due to how much weight is transferred to the truck. For instance, my trailers are rated at 16000 lbs. My smaller one is 4600 lbs empty. 1050 lbs is already on the truck via pin weight. So 16000-4600=11400 lbs. Now I can take up around 3808 lbs of pin weight.... 11400+3808=15208 lbs is technically what I can haul if the load is positioned correctly or I have enough deck space to shift weight.

Some examples. This is the other GN trailer I have which is a 28' lowboy.

Empty



Max capacity without a lot of room to shift weight.



This is max capacity too, but look how the truck isn't squatting as much due to load position.






Now this is where you come in and why this matters. Let's just say you have a 4x4 CM, which is pretty common on here. Most people have a capacity rating of ~1300 lbs

GN hitch 150 lbs
trailer 4500
Most GN hitch trailers are 20+% of the trailer weight. Mine is 23%.

Lets use 20%. 4500x20%=900 lbs

900 lbs plus 150 lbs hitch=1050 lbs.

Now load a couple lighter horses in the trailer. We will just say these are lean horses 1000 lbs x 2.

6500x 20%=1300 lbs. Add the hitch weight, passengers, and any other gear you will be over the trucks capacity.


Hope this helps. You would be better off with a bumper pull trailer.

 

Only downside to a 5th wheel/GN hitch is winter driving is if you lose traction on the rear axle and start sliding. You will still get leverage feeling and when it starts....damn. This usually only happens with empty gooseneck trailers and it feels like a jackhammer under your seat. Usually only happens on crappy concrete patches.