14K Gooseneck Deckover Recommendations

I've been wanting to purchase a deckover GN trailer for a while. It needs to be 14K in order to stay at 26K GCWR with my truck, which is a 2003 Ram 3500 diesel 4x4 with the 6-speed manual. After looking through this fun thread on here (https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/whats-your-towing-rig_topic46651_page1.html) I further confirmed that I'm looking for a 20' + 5' dovetail since I can still get 2 WC/WD/WD-45 size tractors on it at once if needed. Can't imagine hauling anything bigger than maybe a D-19 or 190XT in the near future and I think they'll be light enough as long as they're not all ballasted down.

Around here corn pro has been the big seller for years.Probably not many corn pro dealers in your neck of the woods though.Guess it boils down to what dealers are in your area.Gatormade out of kentucky has gotten more popular around here in recent years also.Here's my setup 97 f-250 7.3 diesel automatic w/4.10 gears.Corn pro 20+4 14k, bought three months after the truck in 97.                                                                            

Be aware, once you meld a pickup to a trailer and have any form or function as a Commercial Truck the rules change. Combination Vehicles become a issue and a target for DOT crowds. HAS to be registered as FARM in MO for exempt status, can show any number of documents as to your own machines onboard but if the license is NOT Farm with Farm Registry the Brown Shirts can put you under a microscope.

Tire weight capacities, brakes functionality, Breakaway brake system functional, Mudflaps and that list gets bigger. How do I know you may ask, been stopped with 24K BL License on a F250SD Diesel well UNDER Weight for truck/trailer and load but they did Check EVERYTHING, had every right to. Then the discussion changed to CDL as to COMBINATION VEHICLE, I do have a Class A so not a problem.

Edited by DMiller - 26 Apr 2020 at 12:22pm

Just let er roll, and let the cards fall where they do, Ive done this for years, if its a long trip do it at night,, never went thru a weight station,, never had a problem at all, they are interested in the big trucks ,,  

I have a Moritz that I am very happy with. Lots of extras are standard. True wiring harness.

Unless your farming anything over I believe 12,000 lbs must have a US DOT number. Not hard to get and if memory serves a one time fee. They were nailing cattle jockies hauling horses into a big auction a few years back. State boy sat 1/2 mile from the driveway

Boss Man wrote: Unless your farming anything over I believe 12,000 lbs must have a US DOT number. Not hard to get and if memory serves a one time fee. They were nailing cattle jockies hauling horses into a big auction a few years back. State boy sat 1/2 mile from the driveway

What has slipped the wrench into the works have been the Hotshot Driver Operations working Under the GVWR Limits, big Wreck in NE US last year of a Non CDL driver in a Ton truck pulling cars on a lightweight trailer killed bikers, a few others in the Central South and many in urban areas used by Landscapers set off a tirade of demands to get them under control. Quite a few states that were wearing blinders have taken them off. DOT Here sees a Half Ton pickup dragging a 36' RV that it is NOT rated for they are pulling them over. Brother In Law's neighbor just went thru that as "Had managed with this truck for five years" and now they fined him for being over capacity on Name Plate Data Tag. His decision was to razor blade the weight tags off the door pillar, License as a RV and try again this year.

DOT is NOT playing ignore or blind anymore.

DMiller wrote: What has slipped the wrench into the works have been the Hotshot Driver Operations working Under the GVWR Limits, big Wreck in NE US last year of a Non CDL driver in a Ton truck pulling cars on a lightweight trailer killed bikers, a few others in the Central South and many in urban areas used by Landscapers set off a tirade of demands to get them under control.

Wjohn, do you have a cdl license, is it a class B if so I don't think you can tow a 14000 gross weight trailer, the most that a towed unit can weight is 10001 GVWR. When I bought my trailer I had to indicate if I wanted it titled 10000 or 14000 and if I went 14000 I would have to have a class A license to legally tow it, with that said I license it for 14000 and I only have a class B. I know this has been talk about before on the forum.  PS I just look on the back of my license and it read the towed unit is less than 10001 GVWR, I  think I'm reading that right. 

Edited by Kenny L. - 28 Apr 2020 at 10:31pm

Kenny L. wrote: Wjohn, do you have a cdl license, is it a class B if so I don't think you can tow a 14000 gross weight trailer, the most that a towed unit can weight is 10001 GVWR. When I bought my trailer I had to indicate if I wanted it titled 10000 or 14000 and if I went 14000 I would have to have a class A license to legally tow it, with that said I license it for 14000 and I only have a class B. I know this has been talk about before on the forum.   PS I just look on the back of my license and it read the towed unit is less than 10001 GVWR, I  think I'm reading that right.

CDL is not based on State limits but Federal, States just pick nd choose what they will address within the rules. A big concern is of your insurer, if and HEAVEN Forbid are in a accident, the State DOT get involved and find you deficient License wise or over capacity for license or outside legal requirements they can refuse to pay claims.   Have seen that as a Commercial Driver where a claim against a Trucking company became a lawsuit as the Insurer dropped them and would not pay damages due to policies violating Requirements. Even if did pay could likely never afford insurance ever again.

Mine is a 14,000, de-rated to 10, mfg attached a secondary ID plate with new weights just under the original. Been that way for 20 years, when trailer has been checked, never had a problem when enforcement looked at the ID plate