Gooseneck hitch

[Hockeygoon]

I am not overly familiar with them.

I bought a 1992 F250 with a gooseneck hitch in the bed. The frame appeared professionally built and had 4 bolts holding it down. After owning it a while I found the the frame was only bolted to the cross members on the factory bed, it was not bolted directly to the frame of the truck. I thought it was joke to try to do that and never used it.

I just bought another factory bed (no rust - same color) to put on the truck. It has a hidden gooseneck hitch mounted to the bed, wide enough to reach the frame rails of the truck, but no bolt holes. Instead of being bolted it is welded to the frame of the bed. Again - is this an acceptable way to mount a gooseneck hitch?

My plan is to drill 4 bolt holes through the frame of the gooseneck hitch and bolt it directly to the truck frame and leave it welded to the factory bed - most likely 1/2 inch bolts.

Issues?

 

[SVcummins]

How ever flatbed I have owned Is . Will barney pass it ? Who cares I dont

 

[GermantownGreen]

I've had two versions and been around others.
I had a 98' Chevy 3/4 with a beam welded across the frame, and hole for a tall ball to screw/unscrew out. Took a big pipe wrench.
New to me, used,04' Chevy 4 Dr, 3/4T, has a underbed beam similar, but with a sleeve ball, without a tall shank. The ball has a pin thru it below the frame. I put antiseize on it, but it's still hard to remove. It going to the wire wheel next time out.
Father in law has same sleeve ball under bed in 78 Chevy.
His other truck 77' had a 1/2 plate bolted in bed with ball welded to plate, so we always had to stack around it.
I have friends with the B/W brand turn over ball out of Kansas, that is the unit to have. It's neat, flush, and nice. Not cheap. Bolts into your frame from multiple pieces of made frames. Has a pull rod in the left fender well,to let ball be turned over by your hand.
Nothing cut, but the hole for the ball. There's a cheaper version, the ball merely flips to the side in a machined socket, but don't remember the name, and it's not as ultimately safe as B/w
If my current truck had not had a ball, I'd went to the b/w, hands down. Sorry for the long read, but it's a good subject. GG

 

[moresmoke]

Just keep in mind that drilling the flanges of a frame is frowned upon. So is welding to the frame. Drilling holes in the side web is usually ok.

My preferred flip over hitch is Drop n Lock.

Note to SV: its one thing to have a ball attached to a flatbed that is bolted to the frame. Its another to bolt to the OEM box. Flatbeds tend to be a bit more stout.

 

[ArleninOr]

As long as you are bolting through the side of the frame. Grade 8 bolts will be fine.

 

[redforlife]

Any ones that I have seen, are plates welded to frame. Whole cut out of the bottom of factory bed, for the ball to come up through. Ball screwed into the plate. Local welder in town has put on hundrefs of these.
The only bolt in gizzmo's I have seen were for the 5th wheel hitches. In my opinion, I would convert 5th wheel trailer to a goose neck ball before I'd screw around with one of those 5th wheel hitches. It just screws up the whole inside of your bed.

 

[Lowbuck1010]

(quoted from post at 20:50:45 10/30/21) As long as you are bolting through the side of the frame. Grade 8 bolts will be fine.

Does the same apply to rear pull? I put a new Curt on my K2500 and it bolted to the side and top. It did, however, use existing holes.

 

[RobCons]

I've seen both types of installations. My dually has a plate welded to the frame and a screw in ball. It also has a rail system in it that bolts to the bed cross members and the frame. I use the rail system pulling a 24 foot trailer hauling tractors and such.

 

[V35B]

I have seen many types of installations over the years. Fifth wheels for travel trailers used to just be held in with strips bolted to the bed. We used to use a 3/8 plate and drill the hole for the shank to go through the plate. We cut the shank length to the plate thickness, welded it on the top, and then did a rosette weld on bottom. The original bed bolts were removed, plate installed with grade 8 bolts going through the frame in original holes. Later on came those Atwood flip over balls, they had a channel welded or bolted to the frame under the bed, and a square hole was cut to expose the business end of it on the bed. They were ok, not great. B&W entered the market with the turnover ball which is great. It also has multiple options for hitches that can be used with it, including a fifth wheel. They bolt to the frame and are the best ones yet IMO. I would not use any of them that were not secured to the frame directly.

 

[showcrop]

I got the B/W flip over. Plates bolt onto the inside of the frame rails through truck factory holes, so the only holes to drill are for the ball itself and for the chain loops that are spring loaded and retract down through the bed.

 

[moresmoke]

(quoted from post at 11:38:46 10/31/21)

(quoted from post at 20:50:45 10/30/21) As long as you are bolting through the side of the frame. Grade 8 bolts will be fine.

Does the same apply to rear pull? I put a new Curt on my K2500 and it bolted to the side and top. It did, however, use existing holes.

Using existing holes in the top or bottom of the frame is fine. The issue is adding holes in the flange that the manufacturer didnt design.