fifth wheel plate or ball any preferences

[muskoka guy]

We have bought the new dodge 3500 dually. I came prepped for a fifth wheel which we plan on buying a gooseneck float to move our 5.5 ton excavator and 8 ton dozer. The kit the dealer showed us is a ball system which I am not familiar with. I have always seen the plate type fifth wheel similar to the big rigs. Anyone have this system or have any comments as to availability of floats with that system or their use. Thanks

 

[lantraxco]

If it has rails, you can switch back and forth, fifth wheel or gooseneck.

 

[Andrew_D]

Some guys prefer the gooseneck style (what you call a ball system) because the pull point is lower in the bed of the truck which can improve the ride and handling.

As lantraxco said, there are many systems out there that can be swapped back and forth.

Andrew

 

[Deeretracks]

I have an Attwood gooseneck hitch plate in my Duramax. The ball folds down when not in use and you end up with a relatively flat bed. It's pretty stout. If had to do it again, I'd go with the B&W Turn over ball. It's a fully bolt in system. I know lots of guys that have them and have no issues. I had to build a frame under my bed to mount the Attwood plate to. Really like the simplicity of the gooseneck compared to a 5th wheel and there is nothing to remove and store when you want to use the bed.

 

[lantraxco]

I had the flip over ball in my Dodge dually, loved it. Only thing I found is if you're not using it regularly you need to pull it out about once a month and clean it, put a dab of fresh grease on it or it gets stuck in it's hole. There's only a one finger purchase to pull it out from above.

 

[still learn'n]

http://www.turnoverball.com/products/gooseneck-hitch/turnoverball-gooseneck-hitch Check them out I have one in my pickup and love it my father is a dealer and install them all the time and no complaints! Jerry

 

[Ronsii]

From what I remember when deciding(years ago) to go with 5th wheel or gooseneck it seem like the gooseneck setups had a bit higher GVW ratings, I really like the flip over ball setups until I got my popup http://popuphitch.com/products/truck/popup-ball/ setup... quick n easy!!! but like lantraxco says you do need to keep em' clean and lubed once in a while or they can become a pain to switch.

 

[450smrider]

I have had the b&w turn a ball over in every truck I have owned, absolutely love the product

 

[bobofthenorth]

I've pulled with both. Currently I have a rollover 2-5/16 ball in the bed. I put a gooseneck extension on our RV so that I could pull it as well. No comparison to hooking up a 5th wheel plate. Particularly on uneven ground, the gooseneck is way better. I guess in theory there is some benefit while towing as well but I can't say I can detect that difference.

 

[Old Doug]

I have a gooseneck ball that sticks above my flat bed. I have always though about a fifthwheel after driveing a truck. I would like to try one on a pickup. There is good and bad points to them both. I know a guy that used a pintle hitch on a gooseneck. He bought fire wood off me. It seemed very strange but it must have worked he lived in Co and drove to me in Mo to get firewood.

 

[old-iron-habit]

Both have there own good points. If unhooking a lot a gooseneck is a lot of cranking up and down. With a fifthwheel you can slide off without lifting the whole load off the ball. A fifthwheel you can pull doubles with in many states. Most often used with a fifthwheel camper and boat behind. A gooseneck you are not allowed the second trailer. Gooseneck usually lowers the pull point as pointed out. Its really up to what you do with it and personal preference.

 

[lantraxco]

The equipment trailer I had, the gooseneck hitch opened up like a reverse fifth wheel hitch, had two jaws that opened and released the ball. Only had to jack it up about an inch after the jack hit the ground.

 

[Old Doug]

I remember a guy that had a gooseneck with the ball on the trailer and a trailer house hitch up side down on his flat bed. The neat part was it had a ramp made on it so if trailer was low or not centered it would go but it was back wards of the way they are used in that it was pulling aginst the latch.

 

[Deeretracks]

Lantraxco,
I thought about getting one of those for my horse trailer but wow, they're pricey.

 

[CRAFT]

As all the guys have said : There ARE Pros & Cons to both ….. Myself I would only have the King-Pin 5th Wheel style ….. The idea of having the fold away ball is nice BUT a Pain in the A** to hook up … especially if its done in a most repetitive way like 4-5 times a day …. The way I see (and have experienced it) is this …. (based on the OP's p/u with a box Not an open Flat-deck)

With the ball set-up getting it just right, unless there is a camera in the box, you better have a good guess or a spotter (you better have dry-box insurance for those over shoots …lol) ….. then there are the safety chains to hook up (Mandatory by Law) …. to get my Sorry A** over the side of the dually fenders ….HMMM ???…..Nope !!! …. especially in the winter or in the dark of night to hook up the chains and do up the coupler or in the winter when the flip over pin was down and now froze in a block of ice ??? ….. anything at all that is on the deck in line with the ball WILL get hit … you are forever cranking up and down on the landing gear to raise and lower the coupler onto and off the ball ….. Uhh !!! ... when that trailer is loaded, and Nose heavy as they are always it'll only take a few times cussing up a storm to make you think WTF did I Buy !!!

The fifth wheel King-pins Hitch's are not perfect either if the Hitch is a stupid RV style, with the sliding bar and NOT Jaws !!! …. just ask me I'll show pics of the damage when the sliding bar never latched/locked 100% ….. even tho it appeared to be latched it worked its way open and crash out it came and almost thru the box floor and screwing up the box side rails too !!! …. I went thru some T & E until I got the last hitch a #24,000 from "Curt" …. it is a double Locking Jaw style almost exactly as the Holland Fifth on our Semi's …. it has a 4-way rubber cushion mounted Head that pivots side to side as well as forward and back as they all do, so hooking up a little ****-eyed is NO Problem… it also is the model that I can slide the pin setting forward or back to add or remove weight off of the steering …. removing the trailer fully loaded as I am all winter (I tow a 20'+5' flip down ramps, 12 ton tandem dually equipment trlr with my #10,000 Bcat, 8'-snowblower, 8' 4-n-1 bucket and a Blizzard 8611 snow blade … all on deck), is a piece of cake, just crank down the legs, take up a bit of the weight, reach over the side of the box pull the lever/latch and pull out …. (ohh and yes and both styles, all have elec cords and saftey breakaway cables to unplug first … lol) …. I store shovels, chains, chinch's, ratchet straps all on the box floor behind the wheel with a 5th wheel tailgate so I don't have to open and close one either ….. so when it comes time to hook up again line it up back in and Click it's auto latched, I carry a combo dry-box and 100gal fuel tank in the front of the box (it's never been crashed into with an over shoot) ….. the King-pin height is the same height as a semi's and is also the same size, so I switch from using the dually Dodge to hooking up onto the Louisville Ford L-8000 it's both an identical configuration ….

So in my world it works the best and simplest for what I do ….. JMHO …. another point of View ….. Cheers !!!

 

[lantraxco]

Lantraxco,
I thought about getting one of those for my horse trailer but wow, they're pricey.

This was the exact setup that was on the front of my Eager Beaver tri-axle, loved it:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Coupler/Auto-Lock/LL2516ST.html

The coupler only is like this: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Coupler/Auto-Lock/SM2516NP.html

You can find them cheaper if you shop around. Good for 25,000 pounds and I can attest to that personally, LOL!

 

[Deeretracks]

That's kinda cool. The ones all the horse trailer places sell come with the whole inner coupler tube.

 

[busy dad]

I used to sell Fontaine Fifth Wheels . They built. Smaller unit 35,000 pull and I think it was 5,000 down .. The Fifth wheel has a higher rating then a gooseneck ball .. Most goosenecks are built far narrower , which can be a plus in some off highway situations . You also don't have to use safety chains with a fifth wheel .. I think it comes down to personal preference ... Binkley ( holland hitch ) make a nice small 25,000 lb rated fifth wheel coupler ..

 

[muskoka guy]

thanks for all the replies. One thing that is good is the truck has two back up cameras. One one the tailgate and one on the back of the cab. This should make it easier to hook up the trailer.

 

[Andrew_D]

thanks for all the replies. One thing that is good is the truck has two back up cameras. One one the tailgate and one on the back of the cab. This should make it easier to hook up the trailer.

Oh, now that is just cheating!!!! You mean you don't have to get in and out of the cab a half dozen times? Where's the fun in that?

Seriously though...good idea!

Andrew