Gooseneck Builders
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 688
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From: Maineville, Ohio
Originally Posted by HOdiesel
My truck has a 1 inch thick plate that extends to the rails. It's a good-ole boy hitch, western style. I bought a goose neck equipment trailer for it and I needed chain loops added to the mount. The trailer dealer intaller drove it into their garage and came out later to the showroom to get a guy saying 'you got to look at this...'. He came back to tell me he could not drill it to mount the hold downs. It was way to heavy and thick for him. Soooo he welded it to the 1 inch edge of the plate.......
The size of the plate is 1x12x about 4 feet. Held in place with 4 1" bolts.
If you want I can take some pictures and post them if you want....
Hodiesel
The size of the plate is 1x12x about 4 feet. Held in place with 4 1" bolts.
If you want I can take some pictures and post them if you want....
Hodiesel
Thats a custom leveling kit right there....
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 95
From: KENTUCKY
We fixed one like I previously described and welded a piece of 1/2 X 3 bar flatways to the bottom of the ball with the nut welded to the bottom of the plate.
Screw in the ball and whack the bar a few times with a big hammer to use it.
To get the ball out of the way, whack it the other direction and unscrew it.
On a real long haul, whack it occassionally, just to be sure.
This works real slick and will be stouter than any of those convertible ones.
Screw in the ball and whack the bar a few times with a big hammer to use it.
To get the ball out of the way, whack it the other direction and unscrew it.
On a real long haul, whack it occassionally, just to be sure.
This works real slick and will be stouter than any of those convertible ones.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 95
From: KENTUCKY
As to the bolts, I am not saying the grade 5's aren't better; but I have yet to have a grade 8 snap in two on anything, including many gooseneck plates on numerous trucks I have set up over the years.
One thing I recommend against is trusting a welded on hitch without bolts as a back-up.
The weld will eventually vibrate and crack between the hitch and truck-frame, un-noticed until the trailer jerks the bed off the truck.
Bolts can be examined occassionally, and tightened or replaced if necessary.
One thing I recommend against is trusting a welded on hitch without bolts as a back-up.
The weld will eventually vibrate and crack between the hitch and truck-frame, un-noticed until the trailer jerks the bed off the truck.
Bolts can be examined occassionally, and tightened or replaced if necessary.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Place with no quail:(
Originally Posted by bwarren86
tractor supply sells the gooseneck plate ready to install
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 682
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From: PA
I saw one last night at TSC, but the plate looked like only 1/2" thick or so. Is this thick enough?
Do you just drill through the plate and through the frame?
I have seen many pictures where angle iron is used on the outside of the frame. I would like to keep the bed on my truck
Do you just drill through the plate and through the frame?
I have seen many pictures where angle iron is used on the outside of the frame. I would like to keep the bed on my truck
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 95
From: KENTUCKY
The thickness would be according to how heavy the trailer might be.
The usual method of mounting a generic plate in a factory sheet-metal bed is to locate the ball ahead of the axle, 4" ahead of center is about the norm; then, drill through plate, bed, and truck-frame.
There is usually a gap between the bed and frame.
Fill this gap with washers on the bolts or a spacer that you make for the purpose.
Tighten the bolts and you are done.
It has been so many years since I have owned a truck with a factory bed that I may have forgotten a detail or two.
The usual method of mounting a generic plate in a factory sheet-metal bed is to locate the ball ahead of the axle, 4" ahead of center is about the norm; then, drill through plate, bed, and truck-frame.
There is usually a gap between the bed and frame.
Fill this gap with washers on the bolts or a spacer that you make for the purpose.
Tighten the bolts and you are done.
It has been so many years since I have owned a truck with a factory bed that I may have forgotten a detail or two.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 95
From: KENTUCKY
By all means, if you are capable of making your own, then go for it.
You can build it bull-stout from the get-go and never worry about it again.
One other very important detail: Be sure and use a 30,000 pound HI-RISE ball with about a two or three inch rise.
Many ***** are barely off the plate, causing the trailer hitch to dig a groove in the plate from articulating on un-even terrain.
A hi-rise ball will keep everything from binding.
I have used 30,000 pound hi-rise ***** exclusively on all my trucks for more years than I can remember.
One of these will wear out several trucks and still be good as new.
You can build it bull-stout from the get-go and never worry about it again.
One other very important detail: Be sure and use a 30,000 pound HI-RISE ball with about a two or three inch rise.
Many ***** are barely off the plate, causing the trailer hitch to dig a groove in the plate from articulating on un-even terrain.
A hi-rise ball will keep everything from binding.
I have used 30,000 pound hi-rise ***** exclusively on all my trucks for more years than I can remember.
One of these will wear out several trucks and still be good as new.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 38
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From: South TX
Today at work a guy with an f650 came in w/o a bed. When we were loading him up I saw his homebuilt goosneck hitch. It was a piece of 1/4" plate about a foot wide welded to the frame rails. The welds looked good but that plate was way to light. It looked bent as well. Talk about scary. So if your in south tx and you see a blue f650 crew cab pulling a trailer just move out of the way!
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