Gooseneck hitch mounting

[SLittle]

A friends gooseneck hitch consists of a steel plate that goes from wheel well to wheel well (try to type that 5 times real fast) and is about 15 to 18 inches deep, the ball and eye hooks are bolted to the plate. It looks like it was bolted to the bed supports but not to the frame itself, am I right thinking this is a bad thing. Looks like all that was touching the frame was one piece of 1/2" tubing on either side to support the weight of the trailer.



The 3 horse trailer loaded has to be at least 7500 lbs I would think. Just looking for some experienced opinions, I don't want to upset her if it's not an issue. Thanks.



Scott

 

[Eric_77]

Without looking at how the 1/2 steel is used I would not have a guess.



My 92 truck has 4" c channel running from frame rail to frame rail that is bolted to hitch and to frame then everything is bolted through the bed. The 96 they welded the platr to the bed then added a plate that everything was welded to with diagnal supports down to the lower frame rails. The 96 bed does not flex like the 92 but if I had known I would have asked them not to weld to the frame rails been that way since I picked up truck and seems fine today.

 

[SLittle]

The 1/2 tubing is just standing on end between the bed and the top of the frame. It just occurred to me that maybe there is a bolt running thru from top to bottom so maybe it is attached to the frame. I'll have to check it out better. Thanks.



Scott

 

[CBratten]

Scott, the method I use installing gooseneck hitch is;measure the width of the frame,outside to outside. Get a piece of six inch channel for that width ,it will slide between the bed and frame. But before you install it,locate the very center and drill a small hole there in the channel. Once you have the channel in place and weild to the top of frame. Then using the hole in the channel

for a pilot to drill up into the bed. Then use a hole saw larger than the gooseneck to make a hole in the bed,but do not cut hole in the channel. Then using another hole saw the same size as the shank on the ball to cut hole in channel. I then install the ball without the locknut,tighten the nut,then weld the nut in place.

then take the ball back out and place the lock washer on the ball

and using a pipe wrinch,tighten the ball in place.

 

[JJW_ND]

You can make it work!

A company in SD was selling a very similer hitch. We used them for a while until switching to the turnover ball hitches.



The kit with the SD hitches included two 10" long 4"x6"x1/4" angle. You would bolt these angles to the frame pushing them tight upward against the underside to the box.



The plate would be position so the ball is 6" infront of the rear axle.





You would bolt the plate (in the pickup box) to the angles using 1" bolts about 4" long. You could weld the nuts to the underside of the angles to make it easier to take on and off. Bolt would pass through the center of the plate and about center of the angles.



This provdes a very stong hitch supprted by the frame with no welding.



jjw

ND

 

[RustyJC]

Another Alternative

Just a suggestion if you'll ever be pulling a 5th wheel. Reese (and probably others) make a gooseneck adapter for their 5th wheel hitch systems. Just install the 5th wheel mounting rails like you were installing a 5th wheel hitch. The gooseneck adapter consists of a steel plate to which the gooseneck ball is mounted - this steel plate has ears (just like the 5th wheel hitch) to drop into the 5th wheel mounting rails where the plate is secured with the same retaining pins used to secure the 5th wheel hitch frame. With this system, it's very simple to swap between the gooseneck and 5th wheel hitches as needed.



Rusty