fifth wheel/goosneck pros and cons

hello to all,

I have the good fortune to own a new pickup, a Dodge Ram 3500. Luckily, i still have the old Toyota as well so now I am a two pickup household. Here's a pic of the new truck:

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This thing is big and I want to tow a big trailer with it. I need to tow a bobcat skidster and to deliver lumber and firewood. Been shopping for trailers and am considering a goosneck style which would require the installation of a fifth wheel hitch which is in the middle of the bed over the axle. The ladder rack you see in the pic can be partially dissasembled to allow for the use of such a hitch. I already have a regular heavy duty hitch but have heard that the goosneck setup will be easier to tow and will handle a bigger load over the axle. I already know it is more expensive not only for the hitch but the trailer too. How much will this hitch interfere with the convenient use of the bed? Can anyone out there have any experience with this type of setup give me some pros and cons?

Lawrence

Reply to
Lawrence
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Use a hitch similar to a Unigoose and your bed is flat.

--Andy Asberry recommends NewsGuy--

Reply to
Andy Asberry

No personal experience but just a note about hitches. There are some that hide under the bed when you're not using them.

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A bit of info here about sliders:
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Dean

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

Excellent info. Thank you.

Reply to
Lawrence

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First of all, you either get a goose neck hitch or a fifth wheel hitch. They are not the same. There are some hitches that are designed to be both, but unless you have both kinds of trailers, you won't need one of those.

A goose neck hitch is a pin that is set in the bed of the pickup (with the correct bracing and placement). It is not much more than a large ball hitch, but the frame of the truck must be integrated into the installation so that the bed of the truck is not carrying the weight. The weight is distributed to the frame. After installation, you just a ball (or a receptacle for the ball) in the bed of your truck. It very unobtrusive and easy to deal with.

A fifth wheel hitch is another animal all together. The frame of the hitch distributes the load to the frame of the truck and placement is once again critical. The FWH will take up a lot of room in the bed of the truck. Don't think you will be able to throw a sheet of plywood in there with the hitch in place. They can be removable, but they are quite heavy and I have a chain hoist that I lift mine off with. I can get it off by hand, but it is a real pain and very difficult to reinstall by hand.

You probably need a goose neck set up. Much less intrusive and less expensive.

Look at the two kinds at this site:

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Click on the fifth wheel hitch on the left to look at fifth wheel hitches.

Reply to
Robert Allison

Thank you for that info. I had thought that a goosneck referred to the trailer and the fifth wheel referred to the hitch. thanks again for correcting me.

Lawrence

Reply to
Lawrence

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