gooseneck or fifth wheel ?

[BSciosciaJr]

which trailer for hauling a racecar is better fifthwheel or gooseneck does any body have any pros or cons?

 

[Sojourner]

Hands down, a gooseneck, for a number of reasons. As far as I know, there is no advantage to having a fifth wheel hitch for your application, only disadvantages.

 

[R C Cola]

Gooseneck ? ?

Interesting comment turbo dawg !! ... JR I have been running 48 states and stay hooked up a most of the time. I have been considering going to the 5th wheel for the following reason..... When it would be convenient to unhook and rehook the disconect is easy raise it up and drive away. BUT !!! The hook-up is quite differant. Back up close, get out check location, move closer, get out check again, I won;t tell how many times it's embarrasing. Other option have a second person guide you to the spot to get out and lower the goosehead on to the ball (must be right on the money or it does not go down all the way). In other words a REAL PAIN>!!!

I have driven a semi and they use the 5th wheel system for hookup. If the trailer height is correct (where you left it on the unhook), you can line up with your mirrors (with some practice this gets easier) back straight up till you hear the distinct snap of the coupler locking in place. Get out and check that it is secure, hook up the lites etc. and you are done.

FOR THAT REASON I plan to buy a 5th wheel adaptor plate for my Gooseneck trailer and convert it, then I will also be able to switch plates and pull gooseneck if I want to on occasion (RV etc,).

 

[Mac]

Everytime I backup to my trailer using just my mirror and slide that fifthwheel up under the trailer and hear that latch slam shut I know the advantage the fifth wheel has over the gooseneck.

 

[the whale dog]

I agree with both issues The gooseneck can be a pain if you have a cross box or something else in the bed because the ball is low and the other items block your view.

I eliminated this problem with a 5. 00 dollar spot mirror mounted to the top of the hitch on the trailer now i just look in the rearview mirror and back up. the fifthwheel mounts higher and can usually be seen over the box. And with a v gate you don't even have to get out of the truck to drop the gate. as was said earlier you have to crank a gooseneck up over the ball and a fifth wheel you go a couple of turns past ground contact. One other thought is that with a gooseneck you get movement in all directions and with a fifthwheel they only pivot front to back unless you get the really good ones which tilt both ways hope this hels Kevin

 

[Sojourner]

The ability to easily hitch up to a fifth wheel is a matter of perspective IMO. To me, there is little difference in hooking up to a gooseneck ball (if your view is blocked by a tool box or fuel tank) and hooking up to a bumper pull ball, I think it is just a matter of adaptation. Some regard the ability to see and feel the 5er pin mate up to the hitch as a huge advantage that outweights the disadvantages. From my experience the disadvantages of the fifth wheel hitch are:



- it takes up a huge portion right out of the middle of your bedspace when hitched and unhitched;

- if you want to use all of your bed when unhitched, you must unattach your heavy*** fifth wheel hitch, lug it out of the bed, and secure it somewhere then when you're ready to use it again, drag it out and reverse the process; -whereas a gooseneck hitch is always available to use and can be totally out of the way when not being used, when using a hide-a-ball arrangement;

- a gooseneck hitch has a wider range of articulation and is more robust than a fifth wheel hitch (e. g. gooseneck hitches typically rated at 14K to 20K, gooseneck is typically rated at 30K), IMO;

- a gooseneck hitch doesn't have the 'slop' in it that a fifth wheel hitch can, my Reese 16K hitch is rather noisy with the slop in it, and it's nearly new. Because of the slop, I can't accelerate as hard as I can with a (gooseneck or receiver mounted) ball;

- then there's the issue of security, without a lock on the release handle it is an invitation to some malicious jerk to unlatch your fifth when parked (reach over bedrail, 'yank', it's done in three seconds and you'd never know) - you fail to visably notice this, pull out and BANG! - potentially thou$and$ in damage (this happens fairly frequently, I know of a couple of people it has happened to); with a gooseneck, someone would have to climb into the bed to unlatch the hitch exposing themselves to being caught; it is also necessary to lock down a fifth wheel hitch somehow, otherwise it might get stolen out of your bed when not hooked up to the trailer (I have two padlocks on my fifth wheel hitch, one for the coupler mechanism, the other to lock down the hitch to the rail on the bed floor)



JMO but, it really boils down to what what you believe in and what works best for you.

 

[ntillm01]

I like gooseneck hitch set-ups as well, for the reasons already stated. As far as hitching up, I have no problems with the EZ-30 coupler from Renegade. One of the reasons I picked that coupler was because you don't have to be dead-center under it. Just get within a 5-inch diameter "shadow" under it, lower the trailer to touch the ball, a couple of shakes of the side of the truck and it "funnels" it's way home.



I have had others ride with me who were experienced with fifth wheel hitches. Immediately they comment on how smooth the turns, stops and starts are. No groan/clunk/squeak to deal with.

 

[RustyJC]

Admittedly, the gooseneck hitch (probably due to its agricultural/off road roots) has a large following among the pickup crowd. Just to put things in perspective, however, how many gooseneck hitches do you see on Class 8 OTR trucks?



(Frankly, I ain't got no dog in this fight since, with my B&W, I can tow either a gooseneck or 5th wheel trailer. )



Rusty

 

[ntillm01]

Admittedly, the gooseneck hitch (probably due to its agricultural/off road roots) has a large following among the pickup crowd. Just to put things in perspective, however, how many gooseneck hitches do you see on Class 8 OTR trucks?



Rusty

Another perspective... how many OTR rigs have you seen with an extended pin box to reach the turntable?

Many folks argue they have the same 5th wheel setup as an OTR truck, when really most of what I see is more of a mix of a 5th wheel connection with a shorter goose neck. Just my view of things.

 

[JRichard]

Gooseneck?!?!

I dont know what anyone else is doing to hook up to their gooseneck, but i have a 99 3500 reg cab with a cross toolbox on the back. I can hook up to my gooseneck first try every time. All i do is make sure the neck is running up the center of the tailgate with the gate down, and back up until the gate is about 2 inches from the from the drop-leg jack at the front of my gooseneck, then i set the emergency brake and lower it right on to the ball. Simple as that.



Jake

 

[SOOT]

I dont know what anyone else is doing to hook up to their gooseneck, but i have a 99 3500 reg cab with a cross toolbox on the back. I can hook up to my gooseneck first try every time. All i do is make sure the neck is running up the center of the tailgate with the gate down, and back up until the gate is about 2 inches from the from the drop-leg jack at the front of my gooseneck, then i set the emergency brake and lower it right on to the ball. Simple as that.



Jake

- I have to agree with Jake. "If you can't hook up to it, than you shouldn't pull it. " - a friend.