Zero doubt such a setup could be pulled EASILY with a JT - it would be putting the load right where it belongs instead of way back of the axle. My only "beef" was the idiocy of the install in the original posts and hacked up job and crappy welding and other scary stuff.A 2 door Gladiator (longer bed) would have no problem pulling small lightweight 5th wheel style trailers. I pull attached all over, including through the Rockies. 30+ year old vehicle producing 125-135 horsepower. The Scamp 19 trailer weighs 2500-3000 lbs. The tongue weight is only 400lbs. Gladiator would have no problem. 1989 Dodge Dakota Sport factory convertible. B&W turnover ball and Anderson Ultimate hitch with ball machined down from 2 5/16” to 2“. I do not know if a 4 door Gladiator’s bed is long enough to be worth the expense of adding a 5th wheel style hitch.
Not that I’m aware of, however, if you look at all the towing guides for the past 2 decades they all provide bumper pull and gooseneck/5th wheel weight capacities for 1/2 ton pickups. The Big 3 has been providing gooseneck/5th wheel pulling capacities in their 1/2 ton documents for the past decade. RV manufactures now advertise 1/2 ton pullable 5th wheel trailers. It makes sense because 1) trailers are getting lighter and 2) a newer 1/2 pu can outpull many 10-15 year old 3/4 ton pickups.
Got that right. When I was looking to trade my 95 F250 4x4 I went out shopping for another 3/4 ton truck. I shopped Ford, Ram and Chevy, and all of them asked why I wanted a 3/4 ton, and I explained my car hauler and so on. All 3 dealerships said a 3/4 wasn't necessary and pointed to the specs on their 1/2 ton versions. My Silverado 1/2 ton 4x4 pulled as well as if not better than my Ford had. The ford could haul a heck of a lot more weight in the bed - it could handle over 2,000 pounds in the bed and barely touch the overload springs where my Chevy squatted so bad at much less weight, but trailer towing? I'm finding this JT pulls my trailer almost as well as my Chevy did and gets better mpg on top of it all.
Karl Chevrolet sells tons of fleet vehicles and their lot was loaded with 3/4 ton, they almost lost a sale when my specifics for a truck weren't found on any 1/2 ton they had.
If you don’t need to tow very often I can see the logic in picking up a 1/2 ton truck. If you tow a lot you are beating the piss out of a 1/2 ton.
JT can do gooseneck just fine within the limits. You are probably just equating goosneck with only huge heavy trailers. With your towing experience, you could probably agree that a hitch over.forward of the axle tows better/safer than one located beind the rear axle?
