Well I plan on hauling a gn to vegas and back in August, and am seriously contemplating getting a weld-in custom one from TxDiesel007 just because I know it will be a very strong, stout unit. I plan on using it as a pull-point when pulling people out of mud also and because of this I'm leaning ALOT towards a custom one since the production ones don't look like they'd handle sideload very well. The one thing on my mind in getting a weld-in unit is that it would be ****-near impossible to ever go to a 5thwheel if need be. I doubt I'll ever have to pull one, but I don't like being locked in, so to speak. If anyone can shed some light on this, it would be great, thanks

 

I like B&W www.turnoverball.com.

 

I have the Reese 5th wheel rails installed. You can get a gooseneck that is rated up to I think 25/30k and a fifth wheel hitch up to about 18/20k. I like it because it was cheaper than the B&W, which is a very nice setup too, and a buddy and I split the cost of the trailer and hitch.

 

B&W = no warrenty issues! Look into warrenty issues if you use a weld to frame system! You will break somthing else before you break or bend a B&W!

 

Dodge

has no warranty issues for a gooseneck hitch, Believe me i know.. at home my dad and I have done at least 10-15 since the new style third gens game out. Two just out of the dealership. Goes without saying, you will also bend or break anything else before my dads welds.. Yes I do have a fold away gooseneck hitch as well, we can install that one too.. and it is a brand unknown but i do know it was kinda pricey.. we have put in two of those on chevies and, i have no complaints about those either..

Tx

 

TxDiesel, I would have no doubts about the quality of your hitches. I have a guy here locally that custom builds fertilizer trucks for a living that makes hitches also that I know you could pull the truck in half before the hitch would budge. But the problem with these is the liability issue if ever in an accident while pulling. If an insurance investigator notices this homemade hitch and questions it, the burden of proof falls back to you to prove that it did not contribute to the accident. Not right, but real world. With a commercial hitch your also paying for there testing, research and reputation to keep you safe legally.

 

My question was more along the lines of has anyone ever used a production gooseneck hitch as a recovery point offroad.

 

The B&W has a 28,000 pound rating, doesn't matter which direction you pull on em from that number doesn't change. If somebody is that stuck your gonna need a crane anyway. As the tow vehicle the gooseneck makes a pretty good point but if your on the sorry end it is not a good hookup point. When your getting pulled you need a hitch point as low as possible so that tension is pulling you up out of the muck, on the gooseneck the tension is pushing you down into it.

 

Hmmm, that's strange. Mine was rated 30K gooseneck, 18K 5th wheel when I bought and installed it in late 2001.

Rusty

 

My bad, had the wrong number in my head while the fingers were moving. You know thinkin and typin is two differant things trying to be done at onec and that don't always work.

 

Just for the record

My dad makes the hitches, he is the welder by profession, Im just the assistant.. but i can weld as well (minimal skills) I will post a pic of my pintle receiver.. that has some of his welds.. John Rdz can attest to those..

John, No harm done nor intended.. i sent u a pm... And thanks for the compliments.. Ill make sure remember u guys..

Tx

 

Pull point = $30 Warn hitch clevis in rear receiver.

 

Hey Tex, no offense intended in that blurb. I know there are welders out there that can do alot better job than these commercial companies, I hate showing this old boy stuff that's been welded cause he laughs at most of it. He had a riot with my Ranch Hand bumper I was so proud of. I personally would trust his hitch more than I do the commercial ones, but that liability thing is a killer if the issue ever comes up.

 

I doubt I'll be at the receiving end since I don't really wheel anymore, but get calls at all hours of the night from friends in distress. NJ, I have 2 of those shackle-receiver hitches, one for front and one for rear, but that's not what I was asking. I figure if I have traction, a gooseneck hitch would provide the most downforce on my vehicle as well as the most "up n' out" for the receiving vehicle.

 

What kind of liability could you get into with a goose neck hitch? It either stays together or it breaks. Not broken, no liability. You are not redesigning the wheel here, just the steel necessary to hold a ball. Rather simple, can't live your life too paranoid. No way a hitch that does not break can contribute to an accident. In most cases I would feel more comfortable and secure with a hitch that is not made a light and cheap as possible as commercial hitches are.