If you’re looking to tow your RV or travel trailer and looking into options, you’re probably wondering about the differences in gooseneck vs 5th wheel hitches.
Gooseneck hitches take up less space in your truck bed and are easier to operate, while 5th wheel hitches are better for RVs because they provide a smoother ride and have a variety of weight capacity options.
There are several other factors to consider when comparing gooseneck vs fifth wheel hitches, which we’ll cover further in this guide.
Gooseneck Vs 5th Wheel: Which Is Better?
When comparing 5th wheel hitch vs gooseneck, it’s not so much about which hitch is better, but instead which hitch style better fits your needs.
Gooseneck hitches are typically better for commercial towing or farming and agricultural use, while fifth wheel hitches are better for recreational use such as towing an RV.
There are pros and cons between fifth wheel hitch vs gooseneck connections, which we’ll explore below.
What Is A Gooseneck Hitch?
A gooseneck hitch is a type of hitch that is mounted in a truck bed that connects to a gooseneck trailer via a hitch ball.
The coupler comes down onto the ball to make a secure connection, resembling a bumper-pull coupler.
The hitch’s main body mounts underneath the trunk bed and is connected to the truck frame using brackets that are bolted on.
Most gooseneck trailer hitches can pull up to 30,000 lbs or more and are popular in agricultural use like towing horse trailers, flatbed equipment haulers, or livestock trailers.
What Is A 5th Wheel Hitch?
A 5th wheel hitch is a type of truck bed hitch that connects to a 5th wheel trailer’s kingpin, similar to a hitch for a semi truck.
A locking bar or set of metal jaws on the 5th wheel hitch lock the kingpin in place, and the hitch has a pivoting head to allow the movement needed while towing an RV or travel trailer.
Fifth wheel hitches have different weight capacities ranging from 15,000 lbs up to 30,000 lbs and are mostly used for towing RVs, travel trailers, and larger campers.
Why Do I Need A Gooseneck Or Fifth Wheel Hitch?
If you are looking to tow something heavy like an RV, travel trailer, equipment trailer, or livestock trailer, your traditional truck hitch won’t cut it.
Although many of today’s trucks have impressive towing capacities averaging around 14,000 pounds when towing from the bumper hitch, that’s not enough to pull a heavy trailer or RV.
Because gooseneck and 5th wheel hitches are mounted below the truck bed in the center of the truck’s payload, it increases your truck’s towing ability up to 30,000 pounds depending on the vehicle and hitch type.
Having a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch simply opens up many more options of what you can tow.
Gooseneck Vs Fifth Wheel: Pros And Cons
Gooseneck Hitch Pros And Cons:
Gooseneck Hitch Pros:
- Simple connection mechanism.
- Best for farming and commercial use.
- Lightweight and easy to operate.
- Takes up less space in truck bed.
- Can be converted to a 5th wheel hitch if needed.
Gooseneck Hitch Cons:
- Drilling holes in truck bed required.
- Less stable / smooth ride.
- Noisier than 5th wheel hitches.
5th Wheel Hitch Pros And Cons:
5th Wheel Hitch Pros:
- Wide variety of weight capacity options.
- Sliding options for trucks with shorter beds.
- Great for towing RVs and recreational trailers.
- More stable and smooth ride versus gooseneck hitches.
- Can be converted to a gooseneck hitch if needed.
5th Wheel Hitch Cons:
- Fifth wheel hitches are more expensive than gooseneck hitches.
- Requires permanent base rails to be installed in the truck bed.
- The hitch is heavy and difficult to move.
Fifth Wheel Hitch Vs Gooseneck: Price Differences
So now that we’ve covered what’s the difference between gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches, you’re probably wondering: how much does it cost for a gooseneck vs 5th wheel?
Gooseneck trailer hitches are slightly less expensive than 5th wheel hitches due to the installation method and hardware costs, but overall they’re pretty close.
- A fifth wheel hitch can cost between $350 and $1200 for the hitch itself, and can run up to $750 to $1700 with installation or labor included.
- A gooseneck hitch can cost between $400 and $800 for the hitch and installation kit, and up to $1600 once you factor in the cost of installation.
Installation Difference Between Gooseneck And Fifth Wheel
When choosing a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch, it’s important to consider the differences in installation, especially if you’re considering doing the install yourself.
How To Install A Gooseneck Hitch
Gooseneck hitch installation requires access to the underside of your truck bed, which usually involves a few steps in preparation before installing the hitch itself, such as removing the spare tire.
After that, you’ll need to measure and drill the hole for the trailer ball, insert the crossarm brackets included in your gooseneck hitch install kit, and then install the gooseneck center section, securing everything with hardware.
After that, you’ll need to attach the side plate brackets and then tighten everything up.
Once all the work is done on the underside of the truck bed, you’ll drill additional holes in your truck bed to install the safety chain anchors.
Last, you’ll install the locking pin mechanism and the operating handle on the underside of the truck bed.
Here’s a video showing a good walkthrough of the gooseneck hitch installation process:
How To Install A 5th Wheel Hitch
Fifth wheel hitch installation requires access to the underside of your truck bed, which usually involves a few steps in preparation before installing the hitch itself, such as removing the spare tire.
Once that’s complete, you’ll position your base rails and drill pilot holes into the truck bed.
After that, you’ll bolt-in the brackets and rails, attach the 5th wheel hitch legs, and position the rails.
After that, there are a few more holes to drill for the additional rails and then all hardware needs to be tightened.
Here’s a video showing a good walkthrough of the gooseneck hitch installation process:
Pulling A Fifth Wheel With A Gooseneck Hitch
You can pull a 5th wheel trailer with a gooseneck hitch as long as you’re within the weight capacity and you’re using a proper adapter.
A 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter plate must be installed on the gooseneck hitch.
Fifth Wheel To Gooseneck Adapter: What Is It?
In order to convert a fifth wheel to a gooseneck, you’ll need a 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter.
These are also called a 5th wheel gooseneck hitch.
This gooseneck adapter is simply a large plate that mounts on the rails your 5th wheel hitch usually sits on, and is secured with locking pins.
5th Wheel To Gooseneck Adapter Pros And Cons
5th Wheel To Gooseneck Adapter Pros:
- Can easily tow both 5th wheel trailers like RVs and travel trailers, as well as gooseneck trailers like equipment haulers and livestock trailers.
- Easy to install on existing 5th wheel hitch rails.
- Gooseneck adapter hitch provides a standard ball hitch for the gooseneck trailer connection.
5th Wheel To Gooseneck Adapter Cons:
- Hitch compatibility can be challenging depending on the 5th wheel hitch model.
- You’ll experience reduced towing weight capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 lbs using a gooseneck adapter versus 30,000 lbs using a gooseneck hitch.
Gooseneck To Fifth Wheel Adapter
In order to convert a gooseneck to 5th wheel hitch, you’ll use a 5th wheel adapter plate.
This is available for specific models of gooseneck trailer hitches.
The plate simply drops into the gooseneck hole and provides a set of 5th wheel hitch rails upon which you can mount your 5th wheel trailer hitch.
How Much Does A Gooseneck Hitch Adapter Cost?
Gooseneck hitch adapters can cost anywhere between $500 and $1,300, with the variance in price based off of weight capability, features, and what specific hitches the adapter will fit on.
Gooseneck Vs 5th Wheel: Frequently Asked Questions
No, a gooseneck trailer hitch is not the same as a fifth wheel hitch.
Gooseneck hitches use a ball to connect to a vertical coupler, are a bit more invasive to install in a truck bed, and are mostly used for agricultural purposes.
Gooseneck hitches have the coupler on the trailer side.
No, a fifth wheel hitch is not the same as a gooseneck hitch.
Fifth wheel hitches use plates to mount to a truck and connect to a trailer’s kingpin by using a set of jaws and pivoting plate, and are typically used when towing RVs or travel trailers.
5th wheel hitches have the coupler on the vehicle side.
Yes, you can pull a 5th wheel trailer or RV with a gooseneck hitch as long as you use an adapter called a 5th wheel adapter plate.
The adapter and hitch must be rated for the weight of the trailer you’ll be towing and installed properly.
Gooseneck Vs 5th Wheel: Wrapping Things Up
Although they’re similar in cost and both require a good bit of effort to install, the applications of 5th wheel hitch vs gooseneck are very different, and which one is better really depends on your personal use.
Fortunately, whichever one you have or choose can easily be converted to the other type using an adapter.
What did you decide on for gooseneck vs fifth wheel, and what are you towing?
Let us know in the comments below.
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