This new axis also means the entire rig will be quieter and smoother while hurtling down the road. Why bother installing a 5th wheel? One major benefit is that it moves your hitch point up higher, and this new axis improves your control over a tall trailer–especially in windy conditions. Heavy-duty Ram truck with a 5th wheel | Stellantis Thus a 5th-wheel trailer has a long tongue but doesn’t swoop down like a gooseneck. It’s essentially a tower installed in your pickup truck bed with a receiver for a trailer hitch’s kingpin. What is the difference between a 5th wheel hitch and a gooseneck?Ī 5th-wheel trailer is an evolution of gooseneck hitch technology. Both Gooseneck and 5th wheel trailer hitches are engineered to better balance the load that is your trailer’s tongue weight. But attaching a trailer hitch ball to the tail of your vehicle is akin to loading hundreds of pounds onto its bumper. It would be a much better idea to load up your pickup bed, even pushing the weight forward to center it between your axles. It would reduce the weight on your front wheels, making braking and cornering more difficult. This much weight behind your rear wheel would stress the rear suspension. If you were loading thousands of pounds into your pickup truck, would you stack it all on the back bumper? I certainly hope not. Finally, it allows tighter turns without jackknifing the trailer. Better weight distribution makes any truck more stable while trailering and may even increase its towing capacity. What is the advantage of a gooseneck hitch?Ī gooseneck hitch–just like a 5th wheel hitch–places the hitch point between your truck’s axles. Finally, it must have loops for the trailer’s safety chains welded into the truck bed. The truck must have a trailer outlet closer to the gooseneck ball, so the wiring doesn’t tangle while the truck’s cornering. When a truck is modified with a gooseneck hitch ball, its trailer wiring must also be modified. Many are installed below the truck bed floor, complete with a hinged trapdoor to turns hide it away when you want a regular pickup bed. For example, gooseneck hitch ball must be affixed to load-bearing cross-members. Gooseneck flatbed | American TrailersĪ gooseneck hitch may look like an unobtrusive trailer hitch ball in the center of a pickup bed, but there’s often more going on. This neck is engineered to curve up over a tailgate and down to bed level, ending with a trailer ball receiver.

A gooseneck trailer is named for its long, goose-like neck. What’s a gooseneck hitch?Ī gooseneck hitch is simply a trailer ball bolted to the center of your pickup truck bed. Here’s the difference between the two and the benefit of these aftermarket hitches. But don’t get a gooseneck trailer hitch mixed up with a 5th wheel.

Upgrading your truck with a gooseneck hitch in the center of its bed is an excellent way to increase its towing capacity and help it better handle those heavy loads. Modern pickup trucks are mean lean towing machines.

Gooseneck trailer