OK, I'm in the military and move about every three years. Lets call it 12K just to be fair. I've fit it all in a 24 foot trailer before but it was tight. I'm looking at either a 24 foot bumper pull or a 32 foot gooseneck. The gooseneck would be a little over kill but I'm also wondering if it would pull better than the bumper pull. I've got an 06 2500 CC LB. If I got the bumper pull, I'd definitely get the load distribution bars but is that just a bandaide for a problem that a goosneck trailer would fix. I have little experience in this relm and I want to do it safely and comfortably but I don't want to waist my money on something I don't need. Ok, opinions please.

what is the budget? bumper pulls are cheaper, and your truck will handle it fine without the bars. just get some anti-sway control. more people are looking for bumper pulls, so resale might be easier.

I'm willing to spend in the $5K range to get something nice and reliable. I thought the anti sway and leveling bars were the same thing. I'm also going to get the Firestone Ride-Right bags in the rear.

I dont know, hauling that much weight i would surely be going the gooseneck route. Easier to put in difficult spaces, in my opinion alot easier to pull.
I mean bumper pulls are GREAT for small 2 horse jobs, i love them for that.
Anything over that I'd want the gooseneck, and honestly I would think a gooseneck would sell faster if you ever wanted to get rid of it.
There's lots of options, my first pick would be the gooseneck, over kill or not :)

I grossed 12,000 with my goose and I wouldn't go back to bumper pull. It tracks real nice and with the air bags rides smooth. windy conditions it stays where it is supposed to be also. racingjunk.com has lots to look at and you may find one there. I believe mine is rated for 17.000 gross. Totally different feel than a bumper pull.

Thank You sir for serving our country and protecting this nation.

If you can find a gooseneck in your price range, there should be no question. Pull both with regulatity and the goose is hands down the route to go.

I would go with the goose. They pull so much nicer and are more maneuverable, plus not everyone has a goose neck hitch so being pestered to borrow the trailer slims down a lot. Good luck with your shopping.

I'd like to add that not just anyone with a bumper can steal a gooseneck either. Some places have problems with nice stuf running off. I'd go gooseneck.

Anything over 22' or 10k should really be 5th wheel or gooseneck. I just got a 28' that is about 12-14k, and it's too much for a bumper pull. If you don't get the tongue weight just right, it can be a handful.

Like I said, I'd use the trailer for big loads about once every three years. maybe some small stuff in between. I'd really like to get the gooseneck but it is consistently 3 to 4 k more than a bumper pull. If the main concern is getting the tongue weight right, I think I can take the extra time to do it. Still torn.

Gooseneck/5th wheel definitaley pull much better than a bumper pull. They are way easier to handle while driving long distances. Good luck making a decision and thank you for what you do.

I have a 16ft bumper pull that if I get it not loaded right it is a real bear. I am also in the Military and I found that I fill my trailer with what I want then make the Gov move the rest. That way they just move all the junk for me and I still get some of the money for moving the things that I care. One other thing I would also consider is where are you going to keep it when not using it. I have had problems finding a good location to keep my trailer in between moves. Some people don't like the look of a good trailer in drive way, I like having the extra storage though. Also remember with the price if you move yourself a couple of times then uncle sam will pick up the tab if you do the paper work right. Hope this might help.

5th will pull better but A bumper pull will work fine. I pull a 26ft toyhauler bumper pull 12k plus fully loaded no problems. I do have weight distribution set up.

I pulled enclosed goosenecks (43') from 1978 until about 1996, traveling over 700,000 miles coast to coast. Love'd them and wore two out. I then wanted to regain my truck bed and didn't need as big a trailer so bought a 24' tongue pull triple axle Pace 15,000 lb (3 5,000 lb sprung axles). Love'd it, it handled as well as the gooseneck, never swayed, and I put over 150,000 miles on it. Decided to to lighter and bought a 22 Pace double axle, which I just sold with 4,000 miles on it. HATED IT!. Wandered, didn't balance well, and was a POS to pull as you had to always be on your toes when driving. Not comfortable to pull. Ordered a new 28 Pace triple 6,000 lb torsion axles which I pick up next week. If you are going to tow a pull trailer, make it a triple axle. I talked to a lot of guys who pull pull type stackers and longer trailers and they all agree triple axle solves all of the problems by giving you better balance (not tongue heavy), and they do not seem to sway. But if you don't need your pickup bed, and do a lot of towing all the time, gooseneck is almost foolproof.

I have a 22ft car hauler tandem axle no weight dist. or sway control. I load car till over load just touches sprin pack and have had no problems.

goose for sure

ive got a 40' 2 car open trailer 18,000lbs,bumper pull and it pulls like a dream

In New Mexico with the 28' enclosed fully loaded up, and going 65mph, I hit some uneven pavement while passing a semi-truck and nearly jack-knifed. A good sized lateral force to the trailer set up an occililation that increased in magnitude for about 5 cycles before decreasing in severity. Basically the trailer was heavier than the truck, it had more leverage distance to the axle, and it was pushing 4' aft of the truck's rear axle. Like a giant pry-bar, it forced the rear to and fro and shook our 3500SRW longbed like a rag doll. I had been down that same highway a few times with our 22'er and never experienced anything remotely like that.

It other words, I thought the 28' bumper trailer was fine until it got under the right conditions to shake the truck. Then all hell broke lose. I don't think a gooseneck would have done that as it would have had to push the truck from much further forward.

But we have a camper shell on the truck so a gooseneck or 5th wheel was not an option at the time.

PS - The way I stopped it the occililation was to floor it. I didn't have a lot of options since the trailer was about to go into the sand or hit the semi next to it. As the power kicked in, the occililations dampened.

I am in the same situation... I am about to transfer out to Washington state and I am trying to decide if I want to move my own stuff... It would work out great cause I would get paid for the weight of the entire load... I could stand to get 4 grand out of the move depending how much it would weigh. Up until now I wasn't thinking about going with a goose neck, but now you all have me thinking about going another route.. I have a topper on mine too though....

I would go with the bumper pull for sure if you are going to be using it once every 3 years. it would be hard to justify the extra 4k just to pull that little. plus you go to buy a gooseneck hitch.
Goosenecks pull "better", but get a good trailer and you wont have to worry about it. i have both, and i pull a 24' bumper pull enclosed trailer every day for landscaping. i se nothing to help control the trailer. these trucks are heavy enough to pull the bumper pulls loaded no problem. just put the heavy items in front of the axles. you dont really need air bags if you do the weight distribution hitch. just my 2 cents

So, even though it is obvious that the gooseneck is going to be better, I've decided to stay in my budget and get a bumper pull. Probably a 24'. Now, what do I need to look for in build quality. Remember, this is for seldom use. I'm not running a business with it, but I want it to pull good and not flex too much. i.e. certain size steel frame? space between beams? Floor and walls? What seems to be the trend is the more expensive ones have more curved corners. This would obviously be advantages for aerodynamics but does this offer a structural advantage? More input please!