Best Goosebeck Option

[azcummins]

So I'm finally upgrading to a Gooseneck horse trailer (3 horse-anyone got one for sale?) and I'm trying to decide what gooseneck hitch to get. I've seen the hitches that fold down and the ones that you can turn the ball over, but are these still as strong as a ball that doesn't move?



Also, how easy are gooseneck hitches to install? (I don't have access to a torch or welder. )



I'd be interested in you guys' advice.

 

[BCFAST]

Goose balls?

I had good experience with a flip-up... occationally grossing near 30k in a 2500!! My recommendation is that you NOT install it yourself. Because of the frame style on the Ram, the bed has to be removed from the truck, the hitch assembly is bolted into place, a square is cut in the bed floor and the bed re-attached. Have a professional shop do it... . ask around which shop is good, as I found out that the busiest isn't always the best.

 

[Bad340fish]

I have never towed a gooseneck before first of all. But a friend of mine has had two 3500s with two different styles of hitches. His 96 had a fold away style or whatever you want to call it. I had rode with him a few times and it really rocked around(pulling heavy big tractors). His 01 has a different style in it. The plate is under the bed attached to the frame in a VERY beefy way. The Ball is on a Hammer nut. To remove the ball smack the nut with a hammer and it unthreads and has a plug to go in the hole. When its out you would have no idea the truck has a goose hitch. And it rides ALOT better than the fold up one. Maybe he will post on here and tell you the name. I think it ran him around $600 installed. Hope I was of some help

Clark

 

[Tom C]

Mark, It depends on if you want to have a fixed ball in the bed or one that can be removed/hidden so that you can load furniture and what-not with out dodging that goose ball. My last Dodge had a B&W turnover ball style hitch. you could remove or turn the ball over by pulling a lever in the rear wheel well, then get into the bed to manuver the ball, then back to the wheel well to engage the pin. the draw back with this type is having to get in and out of the bed several times. and you don't want to forget to engage the pin on your last trip out of the bed as I have done. nothing happened thankfully but it could have been pretty bad if the trailer pulled the ball up out if the hole. . I have a Cody hitch in my current truck. this hitch has a removable or turn over ball. it does not have a center pin. instead it twists into place with a constant tension keeper pin to keep it from un twisting. all you have to do remove the ball is pull back on the keeper pin, twist the ball and pull up.



the pro's on the solid mount ball is that will not have any play. where the tilt and removable balls usually wiggle in the hole which you can feel that wiggle slightly while driving but no worse than with an under bumper receiver hitch.



Most hitches today will have safety chain hooks. My last truck did not. my current one does. these chain hooks can stow in different ways. the flip/tilt balls usually have the hook under the lid the the ball hides under. while the Cody I have has 'u' bolts through the bed that you pull up to hook the chain onto.



As far as installing. I would have a professinal shop do the job. there are always unforseen things that will need to be addressed. (ie: custom cutting and drilling). I Installed the hitch on my current rig with the help of a machanic friend, his Lift and shop tools that made the job simple. But. the hitch was supposed to be a bolt on deal. Not quite!!. we had to modify some parts so they would fit the truck frame rails more evenly (the Dodge frame is not perfectly square and has some indents to deal with). It took us about 4 hours to install and we did not have to remove the bed to install.



The following sites may help with your search. good luck.





http://www.turnoverball.com/

http://www.codyhitch.com/

http://www.hitchcorner.com/gooseneck.htm

 

[PBrehm]

gooseneck hitch

I would check out the unagoose setup. It looks like it is well built. Check it out at www.unagoose.com . Good luck Pat Brehm.

 

[wyosteve]

I've had a local shop install my hitches for the past 15 yrs. or so. They use a system where the ball is welded to a flat plate with the thread part of the shank below. It just screws in and out as needed. Takes about 2 mins. to install or remove. I'm in Cheyenne if you'd like to see it. Runs about $350 if you need the brake controller. Also includes installing and wiring in a plug in the side of the bed.

 

[JStordahl]

AZCummins: If you want the full use of your truck bed, you might consider the Reese rail kit with removeable goose plate assembly. This is what I had installed on my '96. Just pull 4 pins and lift it out of there. The rails bolt through the bed to frame brackets, and have other attachable options such as the fifth wheel assembly for an RV. The Goose works great. About the heaviest load I've hauled was with a 24 foot flatbed with 11 round bales. Pin weight capacity is 6,250 lbs with 25000 lbs gross. Part number for the Goose is #58079 (Use with #30035 Rail and installation kit. )

 

[Mundgyver]

I have the B&W turnover model and love it. They did not have to remove the bed to put it in. The dealer had a laser device that he set up with the center line of the axle and it put a dot in the bed for where the hole needed to be drilled. No drilling in the frame rails as the holes were already there. No bars in the bed to interfere with any thing. Rated at 25,000 which is alot more than I will ever tow. It simple and works great.

 

[Zeaus]

Best Gooseneck option

I have the B&W hitch in my 3500. I had it installed at the factory in about 45 minutes. The only holes they had to cut was in the bed. One for the hitch and one for the wiring plug. I am very happy with my setup. I use the "inverted fifth wheel" , like a 2 5/16 ball, only with a kingpin. I can drop the ball in at any time, or even the normal fifth wheel hitch. The fifth wheel setup was a bit spendy but the versatility was well worth it for me. Good luck.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

My friends and I make and install our own gooseneck hitches. We believe that they are rated at well over 40,000 lbs towing capacity. It may be overkill but we are the BOMBing web site on the net. They are fairly simple to make and it takes two hours to install one. You will need a torch and a welder to build it but you could have one made.



First: You will need a 6" piece of c channel 1/2" thick. It is about 36 inches long (measure the frame 3" in front of rear dif for the width). Then you will need to build the side plates out of 1/2" plate. I think they are about 5 1/2" square. The side plates are then welded to the c channel on the end making ears pointing down. The side plates will need to be drilled with a 1/2 " drill bit before welding. Then weld a round piece of 1/2 " plate to the top/center of the C channel. You will need to drill a hole that is about 1" for the ball to slip through the center of the round plate.



Second: Remove the six bolts to the rear of the bed and loosen the front two. jack up the bed from the rear about five inches. Be careful not to push the front of the bed into the cab. Then put blocks under bed to support it. Place hitch 3 to 4 inches in front of rear axle and center. Then clamp in place for drilling. I put three holes in the side plate to hold the hitch to frame. Drill holes in a triangle pattern for the most strength. Then install the six 1/2" x 2" grade 5 or better bolts to hold hitch to frame.





Third: Lower the bed back down and drill a pilot hole in the center of 1" hole through the bed. This will center the hitch and bet so you can cut out the 5 1/2 inch hole for the round plate on top of the hitch. Next you will have to get your jigsaw and cut the hole for the plate. This requires lifting the bed back up(section two) once you have the hole in the bed lower it down and reinstall the bolts W/locktite(blue) on the bed. You can now install the ball. After the ball is installed tack weld it on the bottem(nut) to the hitch . This will insure that you can pull it down nice and tight.





This hitch is great for the do it yourselfer. It isn't dot approved but it is much stronger than the stamped steel that you can buy @ camper world. I haul a five horse goosneck with horses weekly and have yet to have any problem. Most of my buddies have been using this hitch for years..... If you need exact plans I can draw them up and mail them out... ... . Good luck



















'

 

[DarrellB]

Removeable Ball

I have a DrawTite removeable ball gooseneck hitch and it has had over 30,000lbs on it and works great. the only thing that is kind of a pain is there is a 8" by 11" plate that sits on top of the bed floor. The hitch it self attaches to the frame and has a magnetic plate that coves up the hole and the lever used to release it. If I remember the hitch was about $450 installed you have to pull the fuel tank down and remove the spare tire.

 

[RustyJC]

We have the B&W turnoverball gooseneck (30,000 lb rating) with companion 5th wheel hitch (18,000 lb rating) in our new truck. I installed it myself over a Friday night and Saturday. The only drilling is the 4" hole in the bed floor and the hole for the 7-pin plug - oh, there are 4 each 1/2" holes for the retracting safety chain U-bolts as well. So far, we've been quite satisfied with its performance towing our 5ver.



(If anyone needs to borrow the hole saws, let me know!)



Rusty

 

[CRamsey]

Gooseneck Hitch

Mark,



I use a "Pop up" hitch and it works fine. I also have a conversion on my 5th wheel to hook up to the gooseneck hitch... Best of both worlds...



http://www.popuphitch.com/



Drill 1 3" hole in the bed, the rest is bolt in. Took 2 of us about 1 1/2 hr to install...

 

[azcummins]

thanks dudes! I've got a lot of good information now so all I have to do is decide which one I want.

 

[BFaoro]

Greg B.

Greg, I did the exact same thing you did The only difference is that I used 12" channel with a 3/4" web. I have pulled from one horse, to a stock trailer crammed with cattle, to Ford backhoes. Never had a problem

 

[zman]

I'm using the Cody hitch. Fairly easy install if you get the "no-drill" kit. Probably took me about 3 hours to put it in. Nice heavy construction and simple operation.



Steve

 

[merryman]

azcummins



I installed the Cody goose neck on my '01 in about 2 hours-----no cutting, no drilling(other than the holes in the bed of the truck. In my case it did just bolt right on, just as the very good instructions indicated. When the ball is dropped into place it snaps in and there is no wiggle at all, when not in use, turn it over for a flat bed. . It is rated at 30K.



Its for sale, as I quit useing the adaptor on my fiver as I learned fivers are not stressed for a goose neck adaptor and can suffer pin box to frame damage--used it just one trip. I will sell mine for $145. (new with the no drill plates was $200. ) + actual shipping cost.



Vaughn