Before the busy hauling season starts, I took my trailer to a hitch place this week to have the gooseneck hitch checked in my truck. I was told that the hitch had been seriously overloaded and was bent, and had not been installed properly. It was directly on the axle, not forward of it.
I had a new B & W hitch installed and bought the adaptor for short beds.
The shop saved my old hitch plate to show me. It WAS bent. They told me that some shops sell cheaper hitches by using a less strong grade of steel
(sorry if that isn't worded well).
I would appreciate others opinions of this..... correct or not?
I have not pulled the trailer yet, has anyone used the short bed adaptor?
Any suggestions?
Posted 2006-03-18 5:34 AM (#39006 - in reply to #39001) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Hot Dispatcher
Posts: 7
Location: Utah
My dad is a welder and has installed hundreds of hitches over the years. He has also fixed other peoples mistakes. He is now a dealer for B & W, They are the best hitches out on the market in his opion for the money. He can not make one of the same quality from scratch for the same amount of money. Hitches can really vary depending on the steel, and the quality of welds. I am willing to bet you will be happy with the B & W if it was installed correctly. He has installed 50+ over the past 2 years with no complaints.
Posted 2006-03-18 7:58 AM (#39012 - in reply to #39001) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by CTR Rider on 2006-03-17 9:32 PM
Before the busy hauling season starts, I took my trailer to a hitch place this week to have the gooseneck hitch checked in my truck. I was told that the hitch had been seriously overloaded and was bent, and had not been installed properly. It was directly on the axle, not forward of it. I had a new B & W hitch installed and bought the adaptor for short beds. The shop saved my old hitch plate to show me. It WAS bent. They told me that some shops sell cheaper hitches by using a less strong grade of steel (sorry if that isn't worded well). I would appreciate others opinions of this..... correct or not? I have not pulled the trailer yet, has anyone used the short bed adaptor? Any suggestions?
Opinions I Have many of...
Since the hitch was bent. It was overloaded. No doubt there.
A bit late, as you already bought an extender...I also like the Pop-up brand or style of hitch extender over B+W's. The B+W places the hitch weight back over the axle whereas the Pop-up maintains the weight forward of the axle while going down the road. The downside of the Pop-up is in sharp turns, the hitch will swing in the truck bed and the hitch weight location changes side to side too.
Posted 2006-03-20 6:45 PM (#39145 - in reply to #39012) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
New User
Posts: 3
I just bought one of those pop-up extenders. I was a little confused by your comment about the downside being that the weight will shift from side to side when making sharp turns. I thought the reason for having them is to enable you to make sharp turns without hitting the cab of the truck.
Posted 2006-03-20 7:27 PM (#39152 - in reply to #39145) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by beeg3 on 2006-03-20 5:45 PM
I just bought one of those pop-up extenders. I was a little confused by your comment about the downside being that the weight will shift from side to side when making sharp turns. I thought the reason for having them is to enable you to make sharp turns without hitting the cab of the truck.
I wrote that in error. I was thinking of the hitch crushing anything that gets caught between the extender and the sides of the bed as it turns around the ball...
Posted 2006-03-20 11:40 PM (#39170 - in reply to #39012) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Originally written by hosspuller on 2006-03-18 5:58 AM
Opinions I Have many of...
Since the hitch was bent. It was overloaded. No doubt there.
A bit late, as you already bought an extender...I also like the Pop-up brand or style of hitch extender over B+W's. The B+W places the hitch weight back over the axle whereas the Pop-up maintains the weight forward of the axle while going down the road. The downside of the Pop-up is in sharp turns, the hitch will swing in the truck bed and the hitch weight location changes side to side too.
How does POP-UP keep the weight ahead of the axle better than a B&W?
Posted 2006-03-21 5:29 AM (#39173 - in reply to #39145) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Elite Veteran
Posts: 634 Location: Tipton, IN
Originally written by beeg3 on 2006-03-20 7:45 PM
I just bought one of those pop-up extenders. I was a little confused by your comment about the downside being that the weight will shift from side to side when making sharp turns. I thought the reason for having them is to enable you to make sharp turns without hitting the cab of the truck.
Technically it does HELP with sharp turns, but you can still hit the cab. I have one on my trailer and speak from experience. You can turn alot sharper, but not quite 90 degrees.
Posted 2006-03-21 6:57 AM (#39177 - in reply to #39170) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by xyzer on 2006-03-20 10:40 PM
How does POP-UP keep the weight ahead of the axle better than a B&W?
They look like they both have the same issue....
The hitch weight will be applied to the truck at the ball. Pop-up keeps the ball at the same place, but moves the trailer back by extending the GN.
B+W moves the ball backward along with the trailer. So the trailer weight is now over the axle or behind instead of the desired 4 inches in front of the axle. The net result is more weight on the rear axle. A problem if the truck is marginal compared to the trailer.
Posted 2006-03-21 7:52 AM (#39184 - in reply to #39001) Subject: RE: gooseneck hitch
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
OK....I understand the concept but if I go to the popup site http://www.popuphitch.com/gn.htm and look at there extender it is the same as a B&W....Is the "coulpler extender" you are refering to made by someone else? .....
gooseneck hitch
