Hitch types

[Kingram]

I'd like the opinion of some of you experts on this. I'd appreciate any advice.



Currently I have a tag along 26' travel trailer and a tag along 16' car trailer (7k gross). I immediately need a larger flat bed to replace the car trailer. The local trailer manufacturer (Dalton Ent. ) can make me a 24' with either a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch for the same price.



At some point within a few years, we'll most likely trade the camper for a 5th wheel. My question is:



1) Should I get the flatbed made with a 5th wheel hitch and get that type of hitch for my truck? Then I'd be ready for the camper and discourage people always wanting to borrow the trailer. But, that doesn't seem very neighborly(sp)... .



or



2) Get the flatbed with the gooseneck and buy the Reese 5th wheel rails with the gooseneck adapter. Then I'd have the base hitch for the camper already.



or



3) Get the flatbed with the gooseneck and just cut the bed for the traditional gooseneck hitch and worry about the camper 5th wheel later (my least favorite option)



or



4) another option I haven't listed here.



Are the gooseneck hitches better for rough terrain than the 5th wheel? What would be the advantages of one over the other for the flatbed?





Again, thanks to anyone that can give me some advice. I know it takes your time and I certainly appreciate it.



Chris

 

[klenger]

Do they make flat bed trailers with a 5th wheel hitch? I've never seen one, but I'm not really into flat beds.

 

[SA Law]

its been a while since posted, and im no expert on towing, but from what ive heard 5th wheels are best left for 5th wheel trailers, as goosenecks give u more options when it comes to turning. i personally have a gooseneck on mine because of that, not to mention it has a higher tow rating. . hope it helps...

 

[Kingram]

Thanks and 1 more ?

Yes Ken, the local manufacturer told me he'd put a 5th wheel hitch on the trailer if I wanted one. I'm like you though, I've never seen one.



Thanks for the advice Brian. I think I agree with you.



So, with that decided, what would be the best truck hitch I can easily convert from gooseneck to 5th wheel? Or, should I consider seperate hitches?



Thanks as always for your time,



Chris

 

[rickhans]

Given the fact that there are virtually no used, and probably new, 5th wheel flat beds on the market, you would probably have a very difficult time selling the trailer when you decide you need something different and could very well be stuck with a trailer worth little or nothing if you can't re-sell it.



Having owned a lot of enclosed and open utility trailers, I know that I would never consider a 5th wheel for a utility since I have a goose neck hitch and have no plans to haul an RV trailer. Also, from what I have seen, 5th wheel hitches take up a lot of space in the bed, where as I only have a ball sticking up and I can invert it when not towing.

 

[RustyJC]

If you want to use both a gooseneck and a 5ver hitch in your truck, take a look at http://www.turnoverball.com and look at their companion 5th wheel hitch.



Be advised, however, that installing the 5th wheel hitch per B&W's instructions and as shown on their website (i. e. , sitting flat on the bed) resulted in severe fore and aft surging of our 13,500 lb GVWR 5ver under some braking and/or acceleration conditions! The bed floor is just not strong enough to resist any rocking of the 5th wheel hitch which results from the "spring" in the gooseneck adapter to which the 5th wheel hitch attaches. I was able to eliminate this surging by laying 2 pieces of 3"x3" angle iron on the bed floor running from the toolbox in front to the tailgate in the rear, then setting the companion 5th wheel hitch's feet on the flat portions of this angle iron before bolting it to the adapter post. This spreads out the rocking forces over a much larger area of the bed, and the 1/4" thick angle iron adds substantial stiffness as opposed to the "beer can thickness" of the bed floor.



Rusty

 

[Okie-Go]

I like the idea of the rails in the bed and you put the hitch in that you want. My rails stay in the bed and have never bothered me with hauling mowers, trash or anything else. I have a Reese 20K for the 5er and Gooseneck is 30K (I think). I have seen others but I am very satisfied with mine.

 

[klenger]

Rusty:



I assume that this is the fix for the problem you posted a few weeks back. I never heard the outcome of that, now I know. Sounds like a lot of work to fix a poorly designed product.



Has anyone ever had experience with the gooseneck type hitch that mounts to the 5th wheel hitch rails? I figure that if I ever need to rent or borrow a gooseneck for a short time, that would be the easiest way to do it.

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by klenger

Sounds like a lot of work to fix a poorly designed product.

Ken,



I guess I wouldn't be that severe in my analysis of the hitch system. Conceptually, the system has a lot going for it (ease in switching from a gooseneck to a 5th wheel hitch, a clean, smooth bed floor when neither is in use, the 5th wheel hitch itself is a beefy, double-pivot unit with hydraulic dampening, etc. ).



To me, the only problems were the flawed design assumptions that (1. ) the hollow square adapter post would be absolutely rigid and/or (2. ) the bed floor could absorb the forces imposed by the "foot" design of the hitch. It really wasn't that much work to cut and paint a couple of 6'3" long pieces of angle iron, and since they don't bolt to the bed floor, the basic advantages of this hitch design haven't been compromised.



I will grant you, though - it does get old having to fix other people's problems before you can get something to work the way it should!



Rusty

 

[Okie-Go]

Ken, that is the set-up I have. Maybe you may want to use my trailer some day. Both hitches fit in the rails, just different holes in the rails for each hitch.

 

[Barry]

I got tired of wrestling the 5th wheel hitch in and out of my truck when I wanted to use my 40' Take 3 auto transport. It was set up for a goose neck ball. Soooooo... ... . I just loosened the 2 big adjustment bolts and dropped the "ball" hitch out of the neck and had my local welding shop make a plate with a kingpin on one side and then welded that to a pipe of identical size to slide right back into the pipe on the neck of my car hauler. Now I just use my 20K Reese for all the units. I kept the "ball" hitch pipe for when I sell the car transport. If you are going to pursue something of this nature, my advice would be to use a "rocker" 5th wheel hitch and not a stationary type unit. mi dos pesos...

 

[Eric_77]

reverse king pin 5th wheel

Well most likely the guy building the trailer for you is talking about what is called a reverse king pin fifth wheel. That is what I have and you have the King Pin installed in the truck bed like a gooseneck and the horseshoe 5th wheel plate is attached to the trailer. This makes a smooth installation in the bed like a invertable gooseneck ball but with the advatanges of less side-to-side sway like a fifth wheel. The trailer I have has an adjustment/replaceable hitch that can either be goose neck hitch or reverse king pin by pulling 6 bolts.

 

[Kingram]

Turnover ball

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I've learned a great deal. Given my expected use and the comments here, I've decided to get a conventional gooseneck trailer and hitch. I'll worry with the 5er later when that time comes. I see the issues with the 5er add-on for the B&W.



So, where is the best place/price to get the B&W turnover ball?



Again, I really appreciate everyone's time here. You've all helped me in someway.



Chris

 

[Big John]

Chris, I do not wish to cloud your choice, but I have used a 5th wheel pin on all my trailers for years with no problem. I used the ball hitches for 20 years on my goosenecks before going to the 5th wheel pins and hitches. I prefer the 5th wheel hitches for ease of hookup and overall safety. They seem to pull smoother and have plenty of side-to-side movement for all but the roughest terrain. The hitch in the bed of the truck has not been a problem because I pull so frequently that I leave it in all the time.



You are also right about the borrowing of the trailer, but most of my friends have gone to the 5th wheel hitches so I have lost that advantage!



Good luck. You will be happy with the ball hitch, but have the added cost of going to the 5th wheel later.



Big John

 

[RustyJC]

Re: Turnover ball

Originally posted by Kingram

So, where is the best place/price to get the B&W turnover ball?

Chris,



I ordered mine directly from B&W. I don't remember the final price right now, but they give you a discount from the published list prices if you order the gooseneck and 5th wheel hitch at the same time. It arrived in about 2 days!



If you go this route, let me know and I'll give you some tips that aren't in the instructions that can save you some problems down the road! One of those "been there - done that" things - no reason you should have to go down some of the same blind alleys that I did.



Rusty

 

[Pull'nOld Iron]

hitch location

Most instructions indicate to center teh hide-a-ball type hitch over the rear axle.



I've found it better to place it about 3" in front of the rear axle to center the load on all the suspension of truck. This places more of the load on the front. Not much but enough to make a difference and level the truck out when loaded.



I installed my own on my other truck, ferd, but on this pulling machine I let the hitch dealer put it in. Just getting lazy I guess. The install isn't too bad as long as you have a buddy help you with centering everything up.



Hope this helps.



Now with this hitch and a load you can get more smile per mile!