Recommended Solution to Tow 5th Wheel and Gooseneck Trailers with 2020 Ram 3500 Cab and Chassis

Question:

Looking for advice on how to piece together a versatile towing setup for a 2020 RAM 3500 Chassis Cab 60 CA: class V ball hitch, 25k+ GN, and 25k+ fifth wheel removable. The truck is going to have a flatbed dump body on it, and the hoist has a 5 mounting height, so Im thinking that a good idea might be something like a permanent frame-mounted GN hitch that also includes an aftermarket puck system the fifth wheel hitch could attach to by opening a trap door in the flatbed. Perfectly happy to fabricate whatever Im just not super clear on the exact dimensions on these hitches, to 1 know how big the trap door would need to be, 2 what that means in terms of rail spacing for the structure of the flatbed itself, and 3 how much room were looking at needing for that, since I also obviously have to clear the hoist planning on getting a scissor hoist that can reverse-mount so it doesnt take up room over the axle, but if it turns out theres just not enough room, then Id be looking at a telescopic cylinder, or dual cylinders outside the frame rails, or something like that. Got any words of wisdom? Thanks!

asked by: Revin G

Expert Reply:

I think the biggest issue you're going to have with this is the height of the flatbed- which is usually where things get dicey for trucks like this; with cutting things out you might have issues with clearance of the trailer overhang itself or the pin box banging/dragging against the truck bed.

With that said, your best bet may be to go with the gooseneck hitch only and then work on finding a gooseneck to 5th wheel adapter that would allow you to tow your 5th wheel trailer with a gooseneck hitch; the part that immediately jumps to mind is the Ranch Hitch # AM3100, which would work in a recessed gooseneck hitch and provide you with a ton of flexibility since it'll mount to any 5th wheel king pin.

When it comes to an OEM style puck package, there are very distinct hitches that are designed specifically for the packages on different trucks and I'm not sure that you'd be able to re-create one on a cab and chassis so it complicates that part of the equation.

expert reply by: Erik B