5th Wheel and Gooseneck Hitch Advice

[BudMan5]

I will be towing trailers for an RV maker. I need to add a 5th wheel hitch which can be adapted for goosemeck towing also. It needs to be rated at least 15K.

Any suggestions, guidance or advice?

[Foxx]

B&W Turnover ball. Gooseneck hitch when you need it, flat bed when you dont. They have a drop- in attachment to tow a fifth wheel, and it's rated for 30K.

http://www.turnoverball.com

[88beast]

i second that heard nothing bad about it ever

[Hook'em Horns!]

Yes, many miles of usage with the b&w 30k turnover. Resonably priced, fits exactly, good product.

[Ag__Teacher]

You can also get a gooseneck plate that will pin into the fifth wheel rails of all the major fifth wheel brands. This would be a less expensive option compared to the B & W.

[NickKent]

People have said it. If you also have a need for a totally useful pickup bed when not towing then the B&W is a good option. I think other manufacturers are offering a similar type of clear bed hitch, but it might be gooseneck only. I think the B&W is pretty pricey but I like it. If you are going to be towing alot for income than I would look into getting an air ride hitch or something that will treat the truck and trailer nicely and smoothen out the ride as much as possible.

[pball]

if you are going with one of the transport companies, there are a couple of places here in elkhart, in that outfit trucks. But i must tell you, I own my own transport company, make sure you know what you are being paid, what fees these places add(or subtract i should say) from your mileage. feel free to pm me if you have any questions, i can at least tell you what i have heard about soe companies.

[bigblue]

I have the standard 5th wheel rails to tow a 5th wheel with the standard Reese 18k hitch. I bought "The Goose" made by Reese that fits right into those same rails with pins. I can tow both goosenecks and 5th wheels with this setup.

I have a 5th Wheel RV and I borrow the neighbor's 20' gooseneck horse trailer. Can tow both.

[SmokeyWren]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BudMan5</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Any suggestions, guidance or advice? </div></div>

Assuming your tow vehicle is a long bed, then you have two major choices.

B&W Turnover Ball with companion 5er hitch. Cost for the parts about $935.

Reese/Drawtite 16k Select Series 5er hitch with bedrail kit and gooseneck adapter will cost about $758 for the parts. DO NOT buy the cheaper 15k Reese or Drawtite, because they are two-way tilt. The 16k is 4-way tilt, which you will be thankful for if you even once have to hook up a 5er on rough ground. The gooseneck adapter is rated about 25k, so you can tow more weight on a gooseneck than on a 5er.

The advantage of the B&W is when the hitch is removed, there's nothing left in the bed but a small hole.

When you remove the Reese/Drawtite 5er hitch or gooseneck adapter, the bedrails are still in the bed unless you take about a half hour to remove the bedrails. But folks make too big a deal about the bedrails left in the bed. Mine have been in there for over 8 years, with no problem unless I haul pea gravel or course sand without throwing a tarp over the bedrails. Even then it's not much of a problem, but requires me to remove the bedrails to get rid of all the extra gravel or sand that gets lost inside the bedrails. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif[/img]

So I guess it depends on how much the $177 difference in the cost of the parts means to you.

[BudMan5]

Took everyone's advice and decided to go with the B&W Companion and its being installed Thursday.

Many thanks for the input!