Options For Towing A Fifth Wheel And A Gooseneck Trailer With a 2004 Chevy Silverado Short Bed  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Yes, the Curt Gooseneck Plate, # 16055, will attach to your Reese above-bed rails and give you a gooseneck connection. The plate is rated for 25,000 gross towing weight, but the capacity will be determined by your installation kit and the above-bed rails.

The hitch ball on the gooseneck plate is offset from the center of the plate. If you install the plate on your rails with the hitch ball towards the rear of your truck the measurement from the center of the hole in your rear rail to the center of your hitch ball will be 9 inches.

If you reverse the plate and have the hitch ball closer to the cab of your truck the distance from the center of the hole in your rear rail to the center of your hitch ball will be 13 inches.

So if you measure on your truck from the cab of your truck to the center of the hole in your rear base rail and subtract either the 9 inches or the 13 inches this will let you know the distance from the truck cab to the center of the gooseneck hitch ball.

To determine if the gooseneck plate will work on your 2004 Chevy Silverado short bed with the gooseneck trailer you get, you will need to take the width of your trailer and divide by two. Then, add 4 inches for clearance. Then, take the measurement from the gooseneck hitch ball in the truck to the back of the truck cab and that dimension should be more than the trailer measurement for the gooseneck plate to work.

For example, if your trailer measures 96 inches wide, take half (48 inches), then add 4 inches (52 inches). So if the measurement from the gooseneck hitch ball in the truck to the back of the truck cab is 52 inches or more, you will have enough clearance for the Curt Gooseneck Plate, # 16055 to work.

The Gooseneck to Fifth Wheel Trailer Round Adapter, # KPG5-R25-IP, is a good way to tow your gooseneck trailer with a fifth wheel hitch. This adapter is a 4 inch outer diameter round tube that would slide up into the round tube on your gooseneck trailer and be tightened down with the set screws.

I also have the Redline Gooseneck to Fifth Wheel Trailer Square Adapter, # KPG5-Q25-IP. This adapter is a 4 inch outer diameter square tube. It attaches the same way as the round tube.

On the square versus round question, they are both the same as far as quality and fit. The type you would get will just depend on what style is on your gooseneck trailer. Some trailers use the round tube and some use the square tube.

Towing a gooseneck trailer with a fifth wheel system is the better option than towing a fifth wheel as a gooseneck.

expert reply by: Jeff D

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