# Bought the truck, now what?



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You should be ok with a bumper hitch trailer. IF you buy a gooseneck trailer, you will break your cab's rear windows on a sharp turn. Shortbed trucks are notorious for this.
You should have your mechanic double check your tow package to make sure that you have manual brakes and you should CHECK YOUR BRAKES, YOUR TRUCK TO TRAILER WIRING AND YOUR TIRES AND PRESSURE before every trip. We do. YOUR mechanic isn't selling you the trailer, so you'll get more honesty.
Have your trailer's bearings checked once a year, too.
Otherwise, it's pretty much the same as when we first bought a trailer in 1986.
Congratulations and happy trailering! =D


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## PDGx (Mar 24, 2013)

Have them check why there is a brake controller mounted on the console. If you really have an integrated brake controller - and it is working - you WANT to have it being the brake controller being used. It will give you much smoother braking, and will not cause any jolt to your horses when activated. It is the smoothest trailer braking you can get. Our last two trucks were specifically purchased with the integrated controllers, and we pull everything from a 4 horse trailer to RV to 20k # equipment trailer. 
Their should be no need for an external controller. 
Nice truck !
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## towboater (Aug 19, 2013)

Deleted


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Corporal said:


> IF you buy a gooseneck trailer, you will break your cab's rear windows on a sharp turn. Shortbed trucks are notorious for this.


The OP can absolutely buy a gooseneck if he/she pleases. (Personally, I will NEVER own a bumper pull. Goosenecks are a much better ride for the horses, and safer because they won't start fishtailing on you in a wind.)

I pull a square-nose gooseneck all the time with my husband's GMC Sierra, which has one of the shortest short-boxes on the market (or so we've been told). We did opt to put a *6" extender *on the gooseneck hitch and that's made a HUGE difference. I highly recommend it. 

Yes, I do keep an eye on the back window when I am backing the trailer up. But I've never had an issue, and have backed into some pretty tight spaces. You've just gotta pay attention.

Driving forward? Not a problem. You won't bust your window turning while driving forward. It's the backing up you have to be careful of.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I 100% agree with everything beau159 said.

I always always take a goose neck over a bumper pull. They are just safer all the way around. 

I have never broke out a back window. You just have to half way pay attention to what you are doing.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)




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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

The length of the bed may not stop OP from pulling a gooseneck, but the payload capacity might. For the 2014 F-150, the payload capacity ranges from 1500 to 2090 lbs. This sounds like a lot, but goosenecks put much more of their weight on the truck than bumper pulls (up to 25% is typical). Goosenecks also tend to have a higher empty weight to start with. 

As an example, the lightest gooseneck trailer made by Featherlite is 3300 lbs (300 lbs heavier than my standard steel two horse bumper pull). Add two 1200 lb horses and a couple hundred pounds for tack and other equipment and you're up to 6000 lbs. 25% of that is 1500 lbs, which is the maximum for some configurations of the F-150. Best case you have the truck with the highest payload capacity- you now have nearly 600 lbs of capacity left, but you still have to add in the weight of anything else you have in the truck, including the driver and passengers.


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