What type of hitch to buy: Gooseneck or Fifthwheel?

[R.E. Miller]

For those that pull with your first gens, what type of hitch do you use? I bumper pull up to 10K, but in the next few years, I might need to tow a little more, and would rather do it in style. I have low-side tool boxes, and would like to keep them, especially after seeing a ford 350 go by today with full toolboxes and a gooseneck. Anyway, what brand should I choose, and what type? Thanks for the insight,

Russell

 

[dstager]

what kind of hitch

HItch?, here is an idea, Our 92 D250 Ext cab has been pulling a 30' Holiday Rambler for over 60K, over 80K+ on the trailer. Two trucks with a Pull-Rite hitch, its an upside down fifthwheel hitch, 90degree turning right and left. They have bolt on heavy weights that I think go 15K and more, ours is a 10K. It gives us a topper, the whole box to fill, carry a small freezer for fish and keep the tools safe, It allows us a low profile trailer to haul, which gets better mileage than a high profile fifthwheel. We have been on every major highway in the country, most two lane mountain passes east and west. all North and south including south of Shaniko to Fossil in Northern Oregon. Never have we had a white knuckle experience from the trailer wanting to misbehave this includes rain, ice and snow. yes I do get a little nervous in snow, the ice was a surprise.

We put Hydraulic Disc brakes on the trailer this summer, 12. 5K around the US. It is the only way to go. Never will I presume to tell anyone what to use, test the ideas, research the stuff and then have fun. cheers to all of you out there who help us. OLD CPO in WA. If you want more info, will help where I can. .

 

[cguthrie]

What type of trailer are you gonna be pulling with your pickup?



Chris

 

[rgourley]

Gooseneck Ball

If you want to keep your truck bed clear of a BIG cumbersome 5th wheel set up. Install a gooseneck hitch on fifthwheel and flip over ball setup in bed of truck. Clean easy do it yourself project. Camper world sells this. I pull cattle with this on stock trailer and 30 ft travel trailer on weekends. Grrreat setup.

 

[R.E. Miller]

Thanks for the input guys!

What I am looking at towing, most of you will laugh at. I know that I could get away with it by receiver hitch towing, but I have had too many pucker-ups with heavy weight towing like that. I want to be able to hook up to what I want to tow, and cruise on down the road I might be purchasing a tandem axle dump trailer, and just assume to go with the gooseneck set-up from the get go. Also, I might buy or have a deckover gooseneck/fifthwheel built to haul a pulling truck in the next couple years :-laf Anyhow, I just don't understand the differences between "Gooseneck", and "Fifthwheel" other then the first of the two can haul more weight... right? Any brand prefrences?



Thanks again,

Russell

P. S. Happy Easter

 

[J DeMaio]

Russell:



What are you going to build for a pulling truck? A first genner cummins power? I'd go ahead with the gooseneck setup. You can turn so much sharper than with a bumper pull. The load over the axle rather than pulling down on the back of the truck. That's what everyone's going to anymore. The gooseneck has the 2 5/16" ball where the fifth wheel is like what a semi has. I don't see any advantages to a fifth wheel my self. Much heavier than a gooseneck, takes up the whole bed. I don't see that many of them.



Hope this helps!



John

 

[Mgrant]

I agree with the gooseneck. I use my gooseneck horse trailer up in the high country on many steep, winding mountain roads that will twist the truck and trailer back and forth, independantly of each other. A fith wheel just can't that kind of twisting and binding where a gooseneck will rotate freely back and forth on the ball. But these roads I travel on often say "Not for trailer towing, automobile use, or vehicles with automatic transmissions" I'm sure the Cummins grins under the hood when I pass those signs

 

[rlyons]

I guess I'm strange but I have the Holiday Rambler inverted gooseneck hitch that I use for my camper that was just described and I also have a fithwheel hitch and a reese load leveling hitch with load leveler bars. That way I can hook up to most anything except a standard ball type gooseneck which I have had no use for so far. I do prefer the inverted Holiday Ramber setup the best though due to the fact that it swivels front and back and side to side for a much smoother ride and it does have full travel for a 90 degree turn also. It is a very strong setup but the trailer must be set up for it also. It is basically a fith wheel pin in the bed and the fith wheel plate is attached to the trailer. Just depends on what you are going to tow and personal preference I guess.

 

[R.E. Miller]

I guess the regular gooseneck set-up sounds the best for my needs. I like the fact that the truck and trailer can move independantly. Thanks for the pointers guys.



JDeMaio, I am talking about building a tractor pull truck, and I am trying to have my pick-up ready to go before I even get close to getting the puller ready to rock and roll. It looks that I'll be at least three years out, I like to plan ahead, or just dream At any rate, being a first genner, both the tow rig and puller will be first gens However, VE pump lover or not, the engine under the hood will not look as did the one the truck came with. By the time I am done with it, I will most likely have to run in the open class. I might just turn one of my first gens into the puller if they will keep allowing dual wheels in the pick-up competition. Yeah, great ideas, have the skills, lack the funds, just keep aiming to the future.



Thanks guys,

One of these days I'll post a picture of my truck on here, it does look good for a 92'



Russell

 

[bflood]

I like the gooseneck. Simpler, easier to maintain, and more effective than a 5th wheel which takes up a lot of space and is difficult to remove when not needed. My hitch ball folds down when not in use and its easy to remove the two safety chain eye bolts if I want to. I've pulled with a tag trailer and I really prefer the "tongue" weight over the rear axle for stability and braking.



Just remember to swing wide on the turns. It doesn't trail like a tag-a-long, it cuts the corners.

 

[PPeters]

Check this out for a gooseneck setup. I installed in mine, works great.



http://www.unagoose.com/



Pat

 

[sparks57]

I like goosenecks. My horsetrailer is one. I just can't see myself loosing all that bed space to a huge fifth wheel hitch. I'm sure it all comes down to a little research and personal opinion.

 

[R.E. Miller]

I like the unigoose set-up! I think that is where I'll be going when I get everthing straightend out here.

Thanks for the heads-up,

Russell