Gooseneck or Fifth Wheel: Which Hitch Is Right For You?

Imagine pulling two prize-winning thoroughbreds behind your Ford truck. Think a traditional trailer hitch is enough to keep them safe and secure? Think again. From horse trailers and farm equipment to fifth-wheel campers and toy haulers, serious loads require serious towing equipment. That’s why many people turn to gooseneck or fifth wheel hitches for extra stability, as they mount inside a truck bed, over the rear axle.

While both products perform similar functions, they do so in different ways. Learn more about the difference below.

What is a Gooseneck Hitch?

Gooseneck hitches are often found in agricultural settings or on large commercial-style flatbed trailers. They use a ball and coupler connection that installs into the truck. Often, just the ball protrudes from the bed, so they are a minimally invasive installation and leave plenty of space inside the truck bed for tools and supplies — when a trailer is not attached, of course.

There are three different types of Gooseneck Hitches:

Above-Bed Gooseneck Hitches. Because these hitches mount to base rails in the truck bed, they are easy to install and remove. With no invasive cutting, and the ability to maintain full bed access, above-bed gooseneck hitches are a preferable choice for those who don’t tow very often.

Under-Bed Gooseneck Hitches. The most popular style of gooseneck, under-bed hitches are custom-fit to your specific vehicle. They use rails that attach under the pickup bed in order to support the gooseneck head. Depending on the brand of hitch selected, the ball can be removed or lowered when not in use. Most under-bed goosenecks don’t require drilling of the vehicle frame to install, instead bolting on via brackets.

Fold Down Gooseneck Hitches. While fold down goosenecks also use rails under the pickup bed, the hitch ball itself mounts on a plate in the bed. This design requires a much larger hole in the pickup bed for installation versus the under-bed gooseneck. However, when not in use, the ball folds down for full, unrestricted bed access. It also always remains fixed to the pickup truck, preventing loss and theft.

When to Use a Gooseneck Hitch

Since gooseneck hitches can handle heavier loads — and do so consistently — they’re your best bet if you regularly haul industrial or farming equipment, livestock trailers, or a flatbed. Plus, the minimally invasive design ensures you won’t lose valuable real estate out back.

Gahre Scudder, product manager for Husky Towing, says goosenecks are typically rated for up to 30,000 lbs. “However, Husky Towing just released its Gooseneck Anchor Kits to be used with the factory OEM ‘puck style’ system where the ball is rated at 35,000 lbs. (as long as the truck is rated for that amount).”

Husky Towing also has new Gooseneck Underbody kits, which are a complete under-bed gooseneck that is also rated for up to 35,000 lbs., as long as the truck is rated for that amount.

Note: A “puck system” is essentially a towing package pre-installed in the bed of a truck. Holes about the size of hockey pucks are pre-drilled into the bed and protected by covers. Once the covers are removed, a person can simply drop a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch into the holes and lock it into place.

What is a Fifth Wheel Hitch?

Known for providing smoother, quieter, and more stable towing, fifth-wheel hitches are usually found on RV fifth wheels and campers. Unlike goosenecks’ hitch-ball coupler, fifth wheel hitches use a jaw and kingpin connection – similar to what you would see on a large semi-truck.

Usually, a large in-bed hitch attaches to rails that are bolted down to the bed floor (and to the frame of the truck). The trailer then connects via a downward-facing pin (called a kingpin), which is secured via metal jaws or a locking bar on the hitch. A pivoting head on the hitch provides the necessary movement for smooth towing.

“A fifth wheel hitch provides good stability for the trailer, especially tall trailers, but reduces the in-bed utility as the hitch is so large,” says Scudder. “They also tend to be heavier when compared to their gooseneck counterparts.”

Some fifth-wheel hitches also require a pickup’s tailgate to be removed for proper installation. Operation can be tricky, too. “Sometimes with a standard hookup there is interference with the corner of the trailer clearing the bed or the cab when taking a turn,” explain the folks at Draw-Tite. “That’s what happens when you take a combination this long and try and squeeze it around a tight corner.”

Just like Goosenecks, there are different types of fifth wheel hitches.

A 2-way pivot head is the standard option, allowing the trailer to pivot forward and back. The design allows the tow vehicle to start up a slope before the fifth wheel reaches it, preventing extra stress from being added to the hitch.

A 4-way pivot head is the same as the 2-way pivot head but has the added benefit of also moving side to side.

Many fifth wheel hitches use universal rails, meaning they can accommodate any fifth wheel trailer hitch with industry-standard anchoring points. With the universal rail, you likely won’t have to drill any holes in your tow vehicle. However, custom rails will significantly reduce installation time – something to consider if you choose to install the kit by yourself.

Some less expensive fifth-wheel hitches use a slide bar jaw. While safe, this design does not hold the king pin as tightly as possible. Therefore, any movement in the hitch jaws will be felt (and heard) in the cab.

A Double Jaw hitch completely surrounds the king pin, which helps reduce the wear and tear on it. A double jaw will also help cut down on the noise and movement of the kingpin.

A Single Jaw hitch offers one grab jaw to easily connect to a fifth wheel hitch using rails. This is considered the most secure option, as it provides the best jaw-to-pin contact.

Best Brands to Buy

There are multiple companies that make both styles of hitches, including OEM-styles which are uniquely made for a specific truck, explains Scudder. “Some even have adapters, so if your truck has one style, you can still use the other.”

Curt, Husky Towing, Reese, B&W Hitches and PullRite all make fifth wheel and gooseneck style hitches that work either with in-bed rails, below bed frame units, OEM style ‘puck-systems,’ and gooseneck hitches.

Make Your Heavy-Duty Towing Experience Great

Beyond having the correct gooseneck or fifth wheel hitch and installation system, there are a few products that will make your heavy-duty towing experience even better.

A brake controller, either proportional or timed, will allow you to apply power to the trailer brakes, controlled by the brakes of the tow vehicle. In fact, most states require a brake controller if your trailer weighs over 3,000 pounds loaded or is greater than 40% of the tow vehicle’s weight. Check out REDARC’s award-winning Tow Pro Range if you’re looking for an affordable and effective brake controller that won’t clutter your dash.

Gooseneck trailer wiring can make for easy hookup of the trailer wiring to the cab wiring. Brake lights? Check. CURT offers a variety of extension harnesses to make installation simple, safe, and secure.

A transmission cooler will protect your tow vehicle’s automatic transmission from damaging heat that can be caused by heavy duty towing. Stacked Plate transmission coolers, like this one from Derale, are the most efficient for heavy-duty towing.

The Dangers of Towing Without Proper Equipment

We’ve all seen them: over-loaded trailers making their way down the highway. The truck sits low and the tires look so weighted down that they might pop.

If you find yourself in this situation, you probably don’t have enough towing capacity in your tow vehicle for the size or weight of your camper. If you think you might have this problem, check out our blog on selecting the correct tow vehicle for your rig, ‘Can I Tow That? Calculating Your Vehicle’s Towing Capacity.’

Exceeding towing capacity is hard on your vehicle and can pose a safety hazard. If you tow more than your vehicle is designed to tow you can strain your engine and transmission, create excessive wear and tear on brakes, damage your tires or cause a blow out, and even potentially warp your chassis. If any of these things happen you may lose control of the vehicle or trailer and cause an accident.