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Gooseneck Trailer Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A guided, do-it-yourself pre-purchase inspection checklist for used gooseneck flatbed and equipment trailers from Big Tex, PJ, Load Trail, Diamond C, Sure-Trac, Carry-On and other builders, single or dual wheels. No mechanic needed: each check tells you what to look for and what counts as a fail, from the VIN, ratings and your truck's payload to the neck, coupler, frame, deck, ramps, landing gear, axles, bearings, brakes and tires, plus a short tow test. Not for enclosed, livestock, dump or living-quarters goosenecks, or fifth-wheel trailers.

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$19.00

90 days of access. Inspect and compare up to 12 items of this type.

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What you get

  • No mechanic needed. Most checks need only your eyes, a flashlight and a tire gauge; a few optional deeper checks go further if you have the tools or bring in a mechanic.
  • A guided checklist written for this kind of purchase: every question says what to look for and what counts as a fail. Ready to use the moment you pay.
  • Inspect on your phone: answers save as you go, with photos and notes on any question.
  • Send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee by text or email. They need no account.
  • A report that puts the problems first, with photos, times and location.
  • Inspect and compare up to 12 vehicles, machines or trailers of the same type with one purchase, side by side, before you decide.

Known problems, checked

Comes with a guide to the known problems and red flags to watch for.

How it works

  1. Choose a checklistPick the one that matches what you are buying, and pay by card. No account to set up first.
  2. Add what you are inspectingEnter the item, the asking price and where it is. Add as many as you are considering.
  3. Inspect it, or send itWork through the checklist on your phone, or send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee to do for you.
  4. Read the report and compareSee the problems first, with photos. Put your options side by side and decide.

What it covers 56 questions

  • Records and Ratings8 questions
  • Neck, Coupler and Frame8 questions
  • Truck Bed Hitch2 questions
  • Landing Gear3 questions
  • Deck, Rails and Ramps6 questions
  • Axles, Suspension and Hubs7 questions
  • Brakes and Breakaway6 questions
  • Wheels and Tires8 questions
  • Lights and Wiring3 questions
  • Tow Test4 questions
  • Final Review1 question

A sample of the questions

  • VIN plate and title
  • Neck and gussets
  • Gooseneck hitch in your truck
  • Landing gear jacks
  • Deck boards
  • Axle labels and ratings
  • Brake type and requirement
  • Tire type and load range

This is a sample. The full checklist is yours when you buy.

Before You Start

You don't need a mechanic. Every question needs only your eyes, a flashlight and a few low-cost tools, and each one tells you exactly what to do and what counts as a fail.

Allow about two hours, including a short tow test.

For open gooseneck flatbed and equipment trailers with two or more axles, single or dual wheels: Big Tex, PJ, Load Trail, Diamond C, Sure-Trac, Carry-On, Down 2 Earth and similar. Not for enclosed, livestock, dump or living-quarters goosenecks, fifth-wheel trailers, or trailers with air brakes.

A gooseneck needs a truck with a gooseneck hitch in the bed that can carry about a quarter of the loaded trailer's weight. In the US, a large gooseneck used for work can need a Class A CDL. Check both before you go.

Before you go, ask the seller to:

  • Have the title, registration and any repair records ready.
  • Unload the deck, so you can see every board.
  • Park it on firm, level ground with room to walk all the way around it.
  • Agree a short tow test with your truck, if it has a gooseneck hitch.

Go in daylight. Block the wheels before raising the trailer or adjusting the landing gear. Never get under the trailer or the neck while it is held up only by a jack or the landing gear: use jack stands. Stand to the side when ramps are lowered.

Answer every question as indicated. Skip anything the trailer does not have (answer Not applicable).

Write readings in the note, and add a photo of anything that fails.

Bring (all available at an auto parts store for well under $100 in total):

  • A flashlight
  • A tape measure
  • A tread depth gauge and a tire pressure gauge
  • A basic multimeter, for the breakaway and jack batteries
  • A 7-way trailer plug tester
  • A bottle jack rated for the axle, and a jack stand
  • An infrared thermometer, for the hub check after towing
  • A screwdriver, for tapping rusty frame areas
  • Gloves
Tools for a Deeper Inspection (Optional)

You don't need any of these to use this checklist. For the deeper brake check, or if you bring in a mechanic, these are the tools needed, as well as those in Before You Start:

  • The brake maker's magnet current or resistance chart (for example Dexter's)
  • Tools to remove the hubs and drums, and new grease seals to refit them
Sources and Standards
  • FieldDone pre-purchase inspection protocol for gooseneck trailers (October 2026)
  • Your trailer's own owner's manual and its axle, brake, coupler and landing gear makers' manuals, matched to the VIN and labels
  • NHTSA recall lookup
  • Dexter brakes FAQ
  • Dexter electric-over-hydraulic actuation
  • B&W gooseneck hitches