What is Gooseneck Towing?

There is a vast array of towing types and hookup setups which all have their own pros and cons. Some are pretty common and well known while others are more enigmatic. Most people may not have heard of gooseneck towing but in this article we will take a look at what it is, how it’s done and how it can be useful.

What Is Gooseneck Towing?

It probably sounds like a quirky rural tow truck company name but gooseneck is actually a specific type of towing. It is designed for towing weights that would otherwise be unsafe to haul given normal methods.

The gooseneck towing setup bases its theory on one particular principle of mechanics – the center of gravity of a body. Once you lock a gooseneck hitch in position the weight will remain balanced regardless of the terrain. Because of this it is seen as one of the safest methods of towing available.

What Are the Advantages of Using Gooseneck Towing?

The first and most obvious advantage of the gooseneck towing method is that it is compatible with any towing unit you might have on your heavy duty truck. Secondly the most important advantage is that it provides exceptional balance while taking up less space than other popular towing setups.

A real advantage of the gooseneck towing method is that its centralized location in terms of hauling adds a great deal of stability. This makes it very safe to use especially for tricky loads such as a crane operator or equipment hauler truck might experience.

When it comes to towing capacity a gooseneck setup can allow your truck to safely tow up to 30,000 lbs as long as it has the required power. The whole setup takes up very little space in your truck bed and is surprisingly easy to install.

Are There Any Cons to Gooseneck Towing?

The saying suggests that nothing is perfect but gooseneck towing isn’t far off from being so. It is a superior method of towing and any cons might be almost nit picky rather than substantive.

There are however some cons that may or may not matter to you as a truck owner. To use gooseneck towing you have to commit to a major change to your truck's bed. In order to place the receiver hitch in the bed of your truck some holes will need to be cut in the floor of the truck bed.

This can be a noisy method of towing due to the proximity of the heavy duty hitch to the back of your truck's cabs. Additionally tall trailers can struggle with stability using this method.

What Does a Gooseneck Setup Look Like?

Gooseneck setups look like a conventional ball hitch with a few main differences. Firstly both hitch and coupler are larger than a ball mount setup. The gooseneck ball hitch is fitted in the truck bed rather than off the bumper of the truck. The ball part of the setup then slots into the hole in the truck bed.

The trailer's tongue looks like a vertical section of pipe hanging under the trailer's front end. This is lowered over the ball and will lock into place when you back the truck up under the trailer tongue. You do also connect safety chains and trailer wiring as well before you are ready to start towing.

How Much Does Gooseneck Towing Cost?

This is an important factor when it comes to gooseneck towing as to be able to use this method you will have to make some lasting changes to your truck. Depending on your truck and the setup you choose a gooseneck conversion can run between $800 - $2800.

Obviously this is a big decision to make as it is hard to reverse the changes that you would be implementing. If you will frequently be taking on heavy challenging loads and you need that extra security the cost may be worth it.

Conclusion

Gooseneck towing is a specific type of hauling which makes use of the stability of your truck bed to not only increase your towing capacity but also potentially give you a more stable base. However, it does require some level of modification to your truck bed.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Tow Ratings as the source. We appreciate your support!