Recommendation for Towing 5th Wheel Trailer with Short Flat Bed Truck

Question:

hi there, id like to install a 5th wheel hitch on my 2014 dodge ram 2500,full cab short flat bed, my bed has a gooseneck recessed into the bed with a cover over it, nothing protruding above the deck, also has 2 hooks for the safety chains, im looking for a hitch on sliders with a 20k lb rating, also any brackets needed to mount the unit, one company, which does service and installs said i needed to do away with my recessed gooseneck, which sounds proposterous to me. from what i can see it looks like the mounting brackets can be installed fore and aft of my gooseneck well and 5th wheel attatch to my brackets with no interference. could you weigh in and make your install recormendation and brand /model recormend. i actually dont have a specific brand in mind , i just mentioned curt because ive seen them on your site

asked by: Richard O

Expert Reply:

The best option to tow a fifth-wheel trailer with your 2014 Ram 2500 that has a short flat bed is going to be with an adapter like the Convert-A-Ball # CAB-C5GX1216. This adapter will allow you to use your existing gooseneck hitch to tow a fifth-wheel trailer by bolting the coupler to the trailer's king pin. This particular model features an offset design that will provide additional clearance for your short-bed truck.

You will just want to make sure that this will work with the recessed gooseneck hitch. From the farthest edge of the adapter to the center of the offset ball coupler, there is a distance of 12-1/2 inches. If you have more than 12-1/2 inches from the center of the ball to the edge of your recessed box, this coupler should work very nicely. It has a towing capacity of 20,000 pounds and an adjustable height from 12 to 16 inches.

I have attached a short video demonstration on this product so you can get a better idea as to how it works.

We do not currently have a sliding fifth-wheel hitch available that will work well with your flatbed truck to give you the needed turning clearance. Installing the rails and brackets for a standard fifth-wheel hitch will also likely interfere with your existing gooseneck.

expert reply by: Chris R