Archive for the ‘trailer hitches’ tag
Gooseneck Hitch - A Fifth Wheel Hitch That Isn’t
The venerable Gooseneck hitch has been around for awhile, and you’ve probably seen one if you’ve seen a horse trailer. The gooseneck hitch is a fairly good description of the way the trailer hitch looks. The Gooseneck design takes advantage of the pickup truck’s bed combined with trailers designed to be towed by a pickup: The overhanging part of these trailers can now be hooked to a hitch in the pickup truck bed..
Considered Class V and above trailer hitches, the goosenecks have the ability to haul up to thirty thousand pounds. (Class I & II hitches are good for thirty-five hundred pounds of trailer weight, Class III & IV can pull 10,000 pounds - which are usually weight-distributing hitches. ) Conventional trailer hitches that are attached to a trucks bumper or rear frame always use a hitch ball system. Many gooseneck hitches also use hitch balls, but are never attached to the bumper.
The hitch most people are familiar with is the one with a hitch ball and attached to the truck’s rear bumper, often beefed up by being welded or bolted to the truck’s rear frame. However, gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches both connect to the bed of the truck of a pickup truck, instead of its bumper. The gooseneck hitch makes use of a hitch ball that comes from the hitch frame, which is bolted to the frame of the truck. Then the arched arm of the trailer hitch locks in place on the hitch ball.
2 features of a gooseneck hitch make it popular: Folks favor the added strength in its towing ability and due to the nature of their design, they have the ability to make tighter turns than other hitch and trailer options. The trailer’s tighter turning ability is a huge benefit and is due to the fact that the turning point of the trailer is in the bed of the pickup truck instead of on or near the truck’s bumper.
Gooseneck installation involves removing the truck’s bed so that the frame of the gooseneck can be attached securely to the frame of the truck. The truckbed can be drilled now, so that the hitch ball can fit thru. Finally, the truckbed is re-attached, with the ball hitch poking up by way of the drilled hole in the bed of the truck.
The gooseneck is a great way to haul any trailer made with an overhang to ride over the truck’s bed. And being able to turn much tighter is a great advantage not to be overlooked. The Gooseneck hitch is a great part of a trailer towing system and once installed, will provide you with many years of secure, trouble-free service.
Jim Armstrong has been publishing unique automotive articles for years. Discover more good info about the gooseneck hitch and the Reese Hitch on the website.
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