Comparing Gooseneck and 5th Wheel Trailers

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Last Updated on March 8, 2024 by Paul Clayton

Comparing Gooseneck and 5th Wheel Trailers

With the plentitude of two hitch types, it is pretty easy to get confused. You may want to get an RV, so why even bother with what kind of hitch it uses?

In some cases, you would be proper not to care about it. But sometimes, the hitch you use can make a big difference.

Today, we will focus on the gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches in particular. We chose these two types of material because they cause a lot of confusion among people. There are plenty of everyday things between them, which is why the gooseneck vs 5th wheel debate is quite frequent.

These two hitch types are very similar. However, they are different enough for you to consider which one to choose. To help you with that, we will examine each hitch type in depth.

What is a fifth-wheel hitch?

The fifth-wheel hitch consists of a large flat plate shaped like a horseshoe. RVs connect to a fifth-wheel hitch via a downward-facing pin called a kingpin. This kingpin is hooked to the horseshoe-shaped socket and locked in position for a secure connection.

This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to RVSupplyCenterInc

‘Video is not the main content of the page’

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The hitch with the horseshoe socket is attached to the truck bed via metal rails. These rails are directly connected to the pickup truck’s frame for additional strength. This is one reason why fifth-wheel hitches can carry much more load than regular bumper hitches.

In their turn, fifth-wheel RVs have hitch plates carrying the kingpin. The construction of the hitch plates on RVs is similar to pickup truck hitches.

The flat plates of the trailer and the truck hitch are in constant contact. When the trailer is in motion, the plates slide one against another. Because of this, both components need to be adequately lubricated.

While locked in the hitch, the kingpin has some pivot capability to accommodate turns. In addition, fifth-wheel hitches are designed to deliver a smoother ride. This makes towing a recreational vehicle much more accessible.

What is a gooseneck hitch?

In the basics, a gooseneck hitch has a very similar construction to a fifth-wheel hitch. Namely, gooseneck hitches are likewise anchored to the towing vehicle’s bed for increased strength. However, the way a gooseneck hitch couples is entirely different.

This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Trailers For Less, Inc

‘Video is not the main content of the page’

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Gooseneck hitches use a hitch ball for coupling. This makes them look like regular ball mounts, with the difference that they are mounted onto the towing vehicle’s bed rather than the rear bumper.

The hitch ball is connected to the coupler on the RV. Thanks to the ball shape, gooseneck hitches have more freedom of movement.

It would be best if you had the proper RV to tow it to a gooseneck hitch. For example, you won’t be able to use a fifth-wheel trailer with a gooseneck hitch unless you use a fifth-wheel-gooseneck adapter.

What’s similar between these hitches?

While the design features make the fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitch different, some similarities should be noted.

Towing capacity

The first thing that unites gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches is their higher towing capacity.

There is a specific limit to how much weight can be towed from the back of a pickup truck with traditional ball hitches. No matter how powerful the towing vehicle is, the frame’s strength below the rear bumper significantly limits the towing capacity of rear hitches.

Fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches are both designed to address this problem.

First, as mentioned, these hitches are mounted to the much stronger truck bed. In addition, fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches are designed for heavy duty to carry heavy loads. This combo of the stronger attachment point and the durable hitch allows these hitches to support up to 30 thousand pounds of weight.

When adequately mounted, the gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitch as if pressed onto the truck from above. This weight redistribution also allows these hitches to carry much higher loads.

Increased stability

What is also shared between gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches is that they increase the stability of the towing vehicle-RV system and its maneuverability.

This is because both these hitches bring the RV closer to the vehicle. With these hitches, the RV’s front end hangs over the towing vehicle’s rear axle.

Driving a pickup truck with an RV behind certainly requires skill. But it is rather easier with either of these hitches, though they are somewhat different in terms of comfort and maneuverability, which we’ll examine in a bit.

Both occupy the bed truck area

This is the last feature shared between gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches. However, unlike the other two, this standard feature isn’t perfect for RV owners.

The hitch plate needs some free space in the truck bed for installation. The bigger the hitch, the more area it will take up. Besides, the front end of the RV hangs above the towing vehicle cargo bay, which limits the headroom you have in your pickup truck.

In smaller trucks, gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches can occupy most, if not all, of the cargo bay area.

Gooseneck vs 5th wheel – what’s the difference?

Now that we know the similarities between gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches, we must examine their differences.

To clarify these differences, we will examine both hitches individually, pinpointing their advantages and disadvantages compared to the other types.

Let’s begin with fifth-wheel hitches.

Fifth-wheel hitches

Advantages

Come in one piece

The first advantage of fifth-wheel hitches over gooseneck hitches is that they come in one piece. There are little to no additional parts to install a fifth-wheel hitch.

This can make the installation a bit easier. Besides, you won’t have to buy additional items to get your fifth-wheel hitch working.

Adjustable position

The connection location of the fifth-wheel hitches over the rear axle isn’t fixed, which allows you to adjust their position.

This adjustability would allow you to customize your fifth-wheel hitch to your current needs. In addition, pretty much any wheelbase configuration can take fifth-wheel hitches—as long as the vehicle is strong enough for the tasks you’d do with the hitch.

Smoother ride

Fifth-wheel hitches are much more passenger-oriented than gooseneck hitches. The earliest fifth-wheel hitches were inflexible, but modern units have multi-axis tilting. This allows for pretty good maneuverability and comfort for the trailer’s passengers.

In addition, fifth-wheel hitches are more stable and smooth on the road, which increases their comfort. If you upgrade to an air-ride pin box, you can further isolate your vehicle from road shock.

Speaking of passengers, one thing should be mentioned. Whether or not you can transport passengers in a towed trailer will depend on your local laws. While this is generally allowed with fifth-wheel trailers, you should consult your local codes before making any decisions.

Disadvantages

Occupy more room

Fifth-wheel hitches are noticeably heavier and bulkier than gooseneck hitches. Due to this, they occupy much more room in the truck bed.

This won’t be an issue for you if you have a roomy enough truck and if you won’t need its bed storage area. Otherwise, you will have to think about how to redistribute your cargo. Or, you may want to switch to a gooseneck hitch.

More expensive

Fifth-wheel hitches tend to be more expensive than gooseneck hitches. They range from several hundred dollars to $2000-$3000, which is plenty of money for most people.

The higher price is probably due to the more complex build of fifth-wheel hitches, which are centered on a smooth and comfortable ride.

Gooseneck hitches

Advantages

Occupy little room

Gooseneck hitches are much flatter and thus occupy a much smaller bed area. They comprise a relatively thin baseplate with a ball mount connected to the truck bed via brackets. This construction is much more compact than that of fifth-wheel hitches.

This advantage would undoubtedly come in handy in vehicles with limited bed capacity.

Higher towing capacity

Generally speaking, gooseneck hitches tend to have a higher towing capacity. Their trailer capacity commonly goes as high as 30 thousand pounds. A few fifth-wheel hitches can support 30 thousand pounds, but they are more commonly situated around the 24 thousand mark.

Gooseneck hitches are commonly used in industrial applications and tend to have a higher weight capacity. Fifth-wheel hitches are usually used in recreational activities, and a 30-k-pound weight capacity would be overkill for them in most cases.

Can be easily removed or stored

Not only are gooseneck hitches more compact, but they are also easy to remove and store. That’s partly because they use separate brackets for attachment to truck beds, making removing the whole hitch easy.

In addition, many gooseneck hitches allow you to fold the ball mount down.

This is undoubtedly great in terms of convenience. When you don’t need the gooseneck hitch, you can fully use the truck bed storage area without removing the hitch.

With a fifth-wheel hitch, you must remove it to use the bed area to its total capacity.

Greater movement range

As we said, the main difference between gooseneck and trailer hitches is that they use ball mounts to couple with trailers and other vehicles. The ball shape of the mount allows for much broader freedom of movement.

Thanks to this, gooseneck hitches are particularly good for off-road conditions. The mount’s freedom of movement would be able to compensate for the roughness of the terrain. This is one of the reasons why gooseneck hitches are commonly used in agricultural vehicles, for example.

Cheaper price

Gooseneck hitches are much cheaper than fifth-wheel hitches. This is because gooseneck hitches are much simpler and straightforward: they are designed to deliver versatility and durability for industrial applications rather than for comfort.

Disadvantages

It may require additional components

As mentioned several times, gooseneck hitches are connected to the truck bed via brackets. These brackets make disconnecting the hitch easy, but there is one thing that isn’t as good about this design.

The thing is that some models of gooseneck hitches don’t come with those brackets required for installation. Setting up a gooseneck hitch won’t become insanely costly because of this, but the inconvenience of ordering several parts instead of just one is still there.

Rougher ride

Gooseneck hitches aren’t designed to ensure a smooth ride. They are commonly used industrially and in off-road conditions, so they are not required to deliver excellent driving comfort.

The ball mount makes gooseneck hitches more flexible, but it doesn’t have mechanisms to make the ride smoother. As we said above, gooseneck hitches are much more straightforward, which is the main thing that makes them cheaper.

Can’t be used for passenger transport

If your travel trailer has a gooseneck mount, you will most likely be unable to transport passengers. That’s because this is forbidden by law in most US states. If passengers will be in your trailer, a gooseneck trailer will most likely not be the right choice.

What about adapters?

You might have heard a thing or two about hitch adapters. If you don’t know what they are for, let us explain.

Adapters allow you to install gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches without changing your setup.

If you have a fifth-wheel hitch installed in your truck bed, a gooseneck adapter will allow you to install a gooseneck hitch using the fifth-wheel rails. On the other hand, a fifth-wheel adapter can be installed in the ball hole of a gooseneck hitch.

In other words, hitch adapters allow you to use either hitch type without reinstalling them each time, saving you plenty of time.

It would help if you kept some things in mind, though.

First of all, the use of a hitch adapter may void the warranty on your hitch. Before using an adapter, check whether or not there are special conditions in your warranty. But if your warranty has expired, you won’t have to worry about this.

Also, remember that hitch adapters have their weight capacity. This means that you will need to look for the proper adapter very carefully. After all, the system will be as strong as its weakest element.

Which hitch to go for?

Now, we know what the differences, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of both hitch types, are. It is time to understand which would be better for your applications.

It’s pretty straightforward. The only question you need to answer is: Do you need a hitch for recreation or industrial/agricultural applications? If you know the answer to this question, you should be able to choose the right hitch type immediately.

For recreation, the right choice would be a fifth-wheel hitch. First, this is due to the increased driving comfort, especially if passengers are in your travel trailer.

In addition, you most likely won’t find an RV with a gooseneck hitch. RVs are for recreation, as evidenced by their name, so there isn’t a reason to use a gooseneck hitch on them.

The gooseneck hitch could be the right choice for industrial or agricultural use. These hitches tend to have higher towing capacity and are suitable for off-road conditions, as mentioned above.

The budget doesn’t play a role in hitch selection unless you are all right using either of them for your applications. If you need a specific hitch, its price shouldn’t worry you.

But in some cases, different hitches may be interchangeable. If either works, the cheaper option would probably be more attractive.

You will also need to consider what kind of hitches your trailer supports. If it has a gooseneck coupler, you’d need a gooseneck hitch, and vice versa.

In addition, make sure that your vehicle has enough oomph to tow the loads. If your towing car isn’t sturdy enough, it won’t be able to tow your trailer, no matter how strong your hitch is. Remember, the system will be as strong as its weakest link.

Lastly, if you opt for an adapter, ensure you won’t have any problems with its warranty. And make sure that it will support the weight of the trailer.

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