# Is my truck too small?



## HVermont (Feb 22, 2015)

Hi, I have a 2010 Chevy Silvorado 1500 LT1 with a 6.2L V8 engine. I'm looking for my first horse trailer, and I was wondering if my truck is too small for a gooseneck. I wouldn't get anything bigger then a 2h.


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## HVermont (Feb 22, 2015)

stats for it:

6.2L 403 hp V8 Flex Fuel Vehicle
Power	403 hp @ 5,700 RPM
Torque	417 lb-ft @ 4,300 RPM

Cargo Volume	--
Standard Payload	1,714 lbs
Maximum Payload	1,714 lbs
Standard Towing Capacity	5,500 lbs
Maximum Towing Capacity	10,400 lbs


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Most likely yes it's too small, but you can find out the tow and payload capacities to get a better idea. The most accurate way to find out your specific truck's capacities is to have the dealer look it up by VIN, since they'll have a record of all the options your truck has on it.

ETA I see you found the stats while I was typing 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HVermont (Feb 22, 2015)

So with what my stats say, is it still too small?


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Looks fine for a 2 horse bumper pull
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_*Is the truck 2 or 4 wheel drive?
Regular, extended or crew cab?
Any "specialty" added on like a towing package?
*_
Those can and will make a difference in towing capabilities....

Handling the weight of a_* gooseneck*_ though has to do with how much actual weight _on the truck _it can handle not what it can tow "gross" size.
All those numbers are important....but you don't want to overweight the trucks ability to carry that tongue weight in the bed.....
There is a formula to use and much also depends upon the actual trailer you purchase.

If you wanted to do a *2 horse bumper pull trailer*...._should not be a problem._
Most steel trailers weigh in the area of 3500 pounds.
Add 2 horses about 2600 pounds.
Add in miscellaneous stuff we all have in our trucks and trailers when we go anyplace... another 1000 pounds.
_You should be OK._

As with any trailer towing...
A proper frame hitch rated for at least the amount you are towing and a rated ball that exceeds the weight you will be hauling.
A brake controller to make stopping safer for all.
Common sense and patience will get you where you want to go safely to enjoy your day.

_OK..I just found this..._
_2010 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab - Tech Specs - Truck Trend Page 2
__Based upon what I just read...
That gooseneck...
I think it will really depend upon the exact trailer you intend to buy...yes or no!
:wink:_


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## HVermont (Feb 22, 2015)

Thank you


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I would say yes if you're considering a gooseneck.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

HVermont said:


> stats for it:
> 
> 6.2L 403 hp V8 Flex Fuel Vehicle
> Power	403 hp @ 5,700 RPM
> ...


Keep in mind the 10,400 is including the weight of your truck.
A friend has a flex fuel and it lacks power. It would need to be a SMALL/light
gooseneck and i would only haul 1 horse


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

churumbeque said:


> Keep in mind the 10,400 is including the weight of your truck.


I believe you're thinking of the gross combined weight rating (GCWR), the combined weight of the truck plus anything in it or attached to it. Tow rating is exactly what it sounds like- what it's rated to tow behind it.

That being said, HVermont has listed two tow capacities- a 'standard' tow capacity and a maximum. I suspect this is the range of tow capacities for all trucks of this year/model, not the rating for this specific truck. 5500 lb is probably the towing capacity without a towing package and would be pushing it even for a 2 horse BP with only one horse in it (not to mention that without a towing package you wouldn't be wired for a brake controller!). 10k lb would be plenty for pretty much any 2 horse BP out there.

For goosenecks, though, the payload capacity would be very limiting. You could do it within the spec'd capacity in very specific examples (say, Featherlite's lightest 2-horse gooseneck, only hauling one horse, packed pretty minimally for a day trip, and only you in the cab), but even then it would be too close for comfort for me.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Goosenecks and half tons rarely mix - a half ton truck suspension does not have the weight carry capabilities to safely handle the 20% pin loading that a standard gooseneck has. Even a 5000# loaded 2 horse GN (which is on the conservative side for a weight figure) is going to place 1000# of pin weight on the truck which will virtually overload any 1/2 ton truck with that alone, not taking into consideration the weight of the hitch and anything else whatsoever you have in the bed of the truck, and you also have to take the weight of passengers, fuel and ANYTHING else you carry in the truck against that rear axle weight rating as well. In short, almost any half ton truck pulling a GN horse trailer is going to be overloaded on the rear axle.

You really need a 3/4 ton minimum for 5th wheel / gooseneck trailers. Theres seldom any way to make the numbers work on a half ton, and if you do you're going to be running right on the red line - that's OK if you're hauling a load of dirt home from the landscapers, but I would never recommend it hauling a horse trailer when your truck is all squatted down, headlights pointed into the sky, and rear tires squished and squirming.

You *should* be find for a 2 horse bumper pull, but as mentioned, it really depends on how your truck is equipped. A lot of variables can change your tow ratings dramatically - axle ratios, 2WD/4WD, manual or standard transmission, tow package, etc etc. You'll have to lookup those details based on your trucks build and let us know and we can get some more accurate numbers for you, but none of them are likely to help the case for making a gooseneck work - you're still going to be working with the same rear axle capacity in the end - a half ton is still a half ton.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

PrivatePilot said:


> You really need a 3/4 ton minimum for 5th wheel/gooseneck trailers. Theres seldom any way to make the numbers work on a half ton


PrivatePilot and Verona1016 have been edumecating me on the subject of pulling a gooseneck, and helped me realize I was not seeing the whole picture. So I thought it would be fun to look at some numbers, using my first generation 2002 Tundra and Featherlite's 16' 8413 combo trailer as examples.

My 4wd, V-8, towing package equipped Tundra has a towing capacity of 7,100 pounds and a payload of 1,512 pounds. That payload figure includes the weight of a full tank of gas but not the driver.

A custom fit gooseneck hitch from etrailer.com weighs 122 pounds. I'm probably 250 with riding gear and whatever jackets and cargo I might take on a trail ride.

The trailer weighs 3,500 pounds. Let's say my horse weighs 1,200 pounds. On a long haul I carry water, so add 100 pounds, and maybe 100 pounds for hay and another 50 pounds for tack.

Now my all-up trailer weight is 4,950 pounds. If I put 20% of that on the tongue, that's 990 pounds. Add my carcass and the weight of the hitch and I'm at 1,362 pounds. In this best case scenario, I have 150 pounds to spare, enough for a small passenger or a week's worth of gear.

However, load a second horse and now I'm pulling 6,150 pounds with 1,230 pounds on the hitch. I'm still under the 7,100 pound max tow capability, but I'm already 90 pounds over my max payload, and I can't even haul another saddle for the second horse, let alone somebody to ride it.



PrivatePilot said:


> running right on the red line is OK if you're hauling a load of dirt home from the landscapers, but I would never recommend it hauling a horse trailer when your truck is all squatted down, headlights pointed into the sky, and rear tires squished and squirming.


Many of us who own pickups have at one time or another put so much firewood, gravel, concrete blocks or something in the bed that it was obvious the truck was grossly overloaded. However, to accomplish that we were probably hauling close to twice the allowed payload. I believe in being very conservative with towing weight, partly because a horse can move around and affect the tow vehicle. But I wouldn't worry as much about crowding the payload limit. 

My GVWR for the rear axle is nearly 3,800 pounds. Even assuming the weight distribution of my empty truck is 55/45 front rear, that means I could put almost 1,800 pounds on the 5th wheel hitch without hurting the frame, suspension, or axle, and the tires are rated for 2,400 pounds each, giving me another thousand pound reserve before I have to worry about their load limit. My point is that, at least on my pickup, there's a lot of reserve capacity in the rear of the truck beyond the overall payload limit.

Anyway, you can see PrivatePilot's point. Why buy a 16' gooseneck if you can only haul one horse in it? The original poster thought his payload limit was 1,714 pounds. If so, the towing limit must be at least 9,000 pounds. Check that door sticker! 2010 Chevrolet Silverado Regular, Extended, & Crew Cab - Tech Specs - Truck Trend

In the process of doing this homework I found half ton pickups with payload capacities that went as high as 3,300 pounds. I think that would be adequate for a two-horse gooseneck, as long as you realize you have to account for everything you carry.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Can you share the details on the half tons with the 3300 pound payload capacities?

I'd be interested to crunch the numbers on that.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

It looks like the 3,300 pound payload is available in the new aluminum Ford F-150, 2wd, 141" wheelbase, 5.0 V-8. Probably a single cab long box. With the 3.5 Ecoboost it drops a little to 3,270 pounds. You can go blind looking at Ford's chart:
2015 Ford F-150 | View Payload Specifications | Ford.com

Here's the article that caught my attention:
2015 Ford F-150 Can Tow 12,200 Lbs, Carry An Absurd 3,300 Lbs In Bed


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

There is enough power there, but without a towing package a steel gooseneck with two horses would likely be hard on the suspension and transmission.

I hauled a 2h gneck with my 2007 Silverado 6.0 vortec max 4 wheel disc brakes *HD with towing package* and never had an issue with acceleration, handling or braking. But the important part there is the HD with towing package and I always ensured the brakes on the trailer were properly set.

I don't see how it matters if its 2wd or 4wd except for those difficult situations. The 4WD tends to be heavier, but if there is a tow package it should be covered. Probably unlikely to have a tow package without 4wd these days anyway.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

If you put this question on a truck forum you would get a whole different set of opionions 

I have pulled a shadow 2 horse gooseneck with a v8 f150 loaded with one horse and it was pretty easy. The terrain in my area is mostly flat. That being said...I have also hauled a HEAVIER 2 horse bp with the same truck and it was much easier. 

You will probably get longer life out of your truck and an easier time going with a bumper pull. You can get some nice ones with large dressing rooms for the same price as a small, bare bones GN.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Horsepower isn't the be-all end-all when it comes to towing capacity despite the fact that some people fall into the trap of thinking it is. By that logic a Ferrari with 600 or 800 hp (and hey, massive brakes as well, right?) would be an ideal tow vehicle for a few horses, no? Of course we all know that that's not the case. 

And yes, things like the truck being two wheel drive or four-wheel-drive can and DO make a difference – a four-wheel-drive can easily weigh upwards of 1000 pounds more than the equivalent 2 Wheel drive truck and that can reduce not only the overall towing capacity, but also related axle capacities. 

Gearing also matters. Tow packages? It's an option that you can typically spec on any truck regardless if it has ridiculously tall gearing that would make the truck barely capable of Pulling itself out of a wet paper bag, or short gearing that actually makes it a viable tow vehicle. 

Even things like aftermarket rims or tires can severely affect the functional towing capacity of a truck – take a look at many shiny aftermarket rims and you'll soon discover that many of them are borderline overloaded with the weight of the truck alone sitting on them. 

As this thread has carefully explained several times there's far more that goes into calculating whether a trailer is safe to tow with a specific truck aside from looking at horsepower and the overall towing capacity. 

If we were talking about her utility trailer or even an RV you would find most people are more forgiving with regards to ratings and capacities, but we aren't talking an RV here – we are talking live animals balancing on four little legs weighing thousands of pounds each, all of which are potentially dynamic shifting loads within the trailer. Perspectives must change in this case.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

PrivatePilot said:


> And yes, things like the truck being two wheel drive or four-wheel-drive can and DO make a difference – a four-wheel-drive can easily weigh upwards of 1000 pounds more than the equivalent 2 Wheel drive truck and that can reduce not only the overall towing capacity, but also related axle capacities.


Yeah, and one of the most basic differences is people can't seem to get it through their heads that they need a drop hitch for their tall 4wd trucks. I just watched a guy driving down the highway this morning with nose of the trailer up in the air and the poor horse standing on an incline. For what, to save $30?


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

HVermont said:


> Standard Payload 1,714 lbs
> Maximum Towing Capacity 10,400 lbs


You know, if you really wanted to pull a gooseneck bad enough, you could pull the bed off your truck. :think: If the bed weighs 500 pounds, you just added 500 pounds to your max payload. You might need a little gooseneck landscape trailer to go with your horse trailer, otherwise your truck would be pretty useless without a bed.


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## 1800jsw (Apr 2, 2015)

Ha! I did all the same research. Gave my husband a diesel mechanic a huge headache. Then I bought a V10 dodge dually with the heavy duty transmission and an electric brake, problem solved. Anything can pull the trailer the issue is stopping and stabilizing.


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## 1800jsw (Apr 2, 2015)

I have had some friends laugh that I have too much truck for a steel 2 horse bumper pull trailer but with a live load and the conditions of the roads and grounds we travel to for horse activities I am grateful to have a truck that can handle it well.


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