I have a 20-k round bulldog gooseneck hitch on my trailer that shows to be rated at 20,000 lbs gross and 6000 lbs max vert.  it has something called a "load bearing pin"...

My questions is, should the hitch tube be showing signs of stress or cracks wear the "load bearing" pin goes through the hitch tube?? 

(hard to explain with no pictures, If you have a pipe with a hole all the way through the center and install a pin in it and the weight is riding on the pin, the actual pipe or tube is deforming and has small cracks wear the pipe sets on the pin.)

You have the newer style Bulldog hitch. Pin goes through the tube, and one bolt to tighten down. Right? If it is mushrooming out and cracking above the pin hole, I would call Bulldog about it and put them on the spot. www.bulldogproducts.net 

I had a trailer that had it, and it is a POS as far as I am concerned. I was told to loosen the bolt and put the hitch on the truck so that the pin bears the weight, and then to tighten the bolt back down. Never would stay tight.

Then why would the manufacturer term it as a "3/4" load bearing pin"?

Mine was originally set as you described (I was originally told to set it like that), and over a month, shimmied it's way down to the pin until the weight was setting on it and it mushroomed. So when I called, I was informed that I was originally told incorrectly and the weight should be on the pin before I tightened the bolt. First time was the trailer manufacturer, and the phone call was to the coupler manufacturer.

I wouldnt think it was NHTSA because the only coupler manufacturer that has done it is Bulldog. Still lots of new trailers out there that are without it. Maybe it is a future requirement and Bulldog is beating everyone else to it?

I couldn't even think of pulling a horse trailer down a road that was rough enough to bounce one 15-16" up and over that inner pipe. That would be one of those roads where you pull your hat down tight and hang on! 

If it's latched down properly I don't see how myself.And are you saying the trailer will come off of the coupler,or,off of the ball? How does one come off of the coupler??

That is why they have chains.They've worked all these years fine,I don't see what a load bearing pin would do that is more.

The hitch was adjusted per bull dogs spec., by the trailer manufacture!  Why do you think they call it a load bearing pin??  And if you take a look at this hitch before you post you would know that this style hitch only has 1 BOLT not 2 like the old style!

With all of the feedback on these trailers, I did not realize that they had a problem,  from what I have seen, the smaller trailers are fine, it is just the larger trailers that they have issues with.

I have a great roping horse, no need for another.

I think the burden to make sure the bolt(s) are kept tight is on you. You did check them, along with your lug nuts, didn't you? Did you look under this trailer before you bought it?

I will agree that the responsibility is on the owner to make sure the bolt is tight, and keep checking to make sure it is tight. But the single bolt system that they have gone to isn't holding. Give me back the double bolts and I have absolutely no problem with the pin. Mine was so tight that it took a 24" crescent and a cheater to get it off. And I am not a little guy either. The bolt wasn't loosening on mine, but would waller in to the inner pipe and allow it to slide down. I had been told by the manufacturer to center the pin. When I called Bulldog, the answer was rest the weight on the pin and then tighten the bolt. Which is what I did and then didn't worry about it. But it did mushroom the pin hole. And my tongue weight loaded was right at 4000#.

OK,now I get your drift.Couldn't picture what was talking about.

Why would you say something like this to someone?  Do you think they purposely bought the trailer knowing it was like that?  I get the impression that maybe your horse is not up to par and you think you can trick someone into buying it just because they bought a trailer with problems. 

Don't let anybody put a homemade 'guilt trip' on you or try to make you out to be a DA because you didn't do everything they think that you should have.People that are honest usually go into most deals thinking that everyone is like they are.I say this because I had a father that was honest to a fault,and there were times that he was screwed over royally because he thought everyone treated him the way that HE treated THEM.

We paid what we considered quiet a bit for a nice Platinum LQ.GOod name,good trailer.We assumed everything was up to par,and no,we didn't get down on the ground and look under it.It was aluminum and had a likewise floor.Nothing wrong with that,but,imagine how we felt when we got the trailer home the next AM and in bright sunlight,without trailers lined up beside it,we were able to sight down the shortwall and saw some hail damage on the skin! Also on the roof,that's when we knew it had hail damage.Now,we didn't ask for a ladder and climb up on top to look at the trailer when we bought it.So,were we stupid for not doing that? No.We thought we were buying a well made trailer.The name spoke that it was,ect.Same with your trailer,good name,been in business a long time.So you have to ask,what happened to them along the way??

Keep pursuing legal avenues in this,the trailer wasn't safely built to begin with and they'll have a huge mess on their hands if they don't make it right.

Thanks for the uplifting thoughts!

Our actual dealer has been GREAT trying to help with everythin.  But when the dealer contacted the manufacture about the problems to being with and called me back I get the feeling that the manufacture is trying to get the dealer out of it.  "Just by the tone of his voice when the dealer called me back"  I could tell that something was up!