I have an 89 f250 diesel 4x4 5 speed long bed. I want a gooseneck hitch, can i build my own plate and just bolt it to the bed rather than the frame? somebody please help i would rather find out before it's too late all suggestions, comments, and advice is welcome THANKS

 

NO! The hitch MUST securely attatch to the FRAME. Furthermore, the hitch must be of sufficient material (strength) to both support the trailer 'toungue weight', which can be quite high on a gooseneck, and pull the trailer's total weight.

Please don't take this offensively, but you are not displaying a very good understanding of the stresses involved in coupling a gooseneck trailer to your truck and would probably not end up building a hitch that will be sufficiently strong and of good design to be safe for the intended use. I would suggest that you purchase a ready-made hitch from a reputable hitch manufacturer made specifically for your truck. There are several manufacturers to choose from. Reese, www.reeseprod.com, is one of the most popular hitch makers. B&W is another good one. Check out www.etrailer.com too for a few goooseneck hitch choices for your truck.

Again, please don't take offense at the above comment, I mean it in only the most constructive way and said it for the sake of safety; yours', your equipment and cargo, and everyone else on the road with you.

Happy hitching

 

like socal said, we're talking some huge stress with alot of leverage. it would be a huge risk to build one yourself without practical knowledge of gooseneck hitches.

 

I agree with you to a certain extent. I understand the stresses that will be involved between the trailer and hitch. But I was figuring, if the plate covered a good area of the bed and was bolted down in lets say 8 spots on the plate, then the stress will be distributed along the bed. I have put many of gooseneck ***** in the frame of a flat bed, but never have i messed with a truck that has a factory bed on it. The plate i had planned to build would be of 1/2" plate steel 3ftX4Ft piece of steel using 3/4" bolts

 

ALSO, by making the plate out of 1/2" steel, it would have to pull 8 bolts through the framerails on the bed and also pull the ball through the 1/2" plate before it would come loose RIGHT? i am open for suggestions, so don't take nothin offensive

 

1/2" plate is a move in the right direction.... Up that to 3/4" or 1" plate about 8"+ wide, and stretch it from frame rail to frame rail underneath the bed, bolting it in 3 or more places on each framerail with 1/2" or larger grade 8 bolts and you will be well on your way to the makings of a descent hitch, depending on how heavy your trailer is.

 

I want to avoid taking the bed off of the truck. I want to bolt the plate to the bed itself and run the bolts through the formed frame rail that is on the bottom of the bed. and i was wrong on the 1/2" plate, i have 3/4" plate that i planned on using and the total plate would be 3foot wide ( between inner fenders) and 4 foot long

 

I'm thinkin' that to fit a 3' by 4' by 3/4" plate under the bed, you're going to have to raise the bed off the frame anyways. You also may have to put 3/4" risers under the remaining bed mounting points due to the channels that run under the bed that rest on top of the frame. The plate will be on top of the frame the way you are describing it so you may as well go the whole 9 yards and bolt it to the frame... If you want to bolt it through the bed too, more power to ya. Understand that the frame of a flatbed is usually made of some pretty stout steel members. Your pickup bed is made of nothing but spot welded sheetmetal and it's not very thick sheetmetal either. Check out your local junkyard for trucks wrecked in the rear or t-boned and you'll see how flimsy these truck's bodies are made.

 

no no, i planned on bolting it ON TOP of the bed floor i figured it would have to pull the bed off or pull 3/4" holes through the bed in 8 different places

 

At this point, I'm just going to say do what you want and hope it works and no one gets hurt...

 

Bad Idea, the bed is nothing but sheet metal including the cross rails that are tack welded to the bottom of it. The bolts will pull right through. The ONLY way to mount the hitch is directly to the frame rails.
What's the problem with taking the bed off? Done it a few times by myself, not that big a deal.
This is not the place to save a buck or cut corners.

 

i think i get what you are sayin. are you planning on covering the Plate metal frame rail to frame rail on top of the bed? i would say put the platyou have 4 ft wide and 3 ft long. take the bolts out that hold the bed on and upgrade to a stronger bolt and drill you holes in the plate (where the bed bolts went) and mount it though the plate to the bed and into the frame. i think this is what you are trying to say. am i right?




If You Ain't Good In The Saddle Lord She Won't Be Satisfied

 

I think your on the right track, but all the posts above are a little confusing. IF you are planning on bolting your 3/4" plate THROUGH the bed TO the frame rails then I think you've got a good setup. I'd suggest removing to 4 carrage bolts in the center of the bed (near the well wells and use those holes).

IF your talking about the little rails that are tack welded to the bed to give the bed "some strength" then forget it, the bolts will eventually pull out, or the whole bed could come off. Besides Even if you were to put enough bolts through the bed so your bolts didn't come off the entire bed is only held in place with a few little carrage bolts. If your pulling a big trailer the trailer could rip the whole bed off.

 

You can actually buy a plate with the ball welded on for around $100 or so, it is around 3' by 4' and is intended to be bolted to the top of the box. It spreads the pressure out across two support ribs, and bolts direct to the frame, through the box. This is a manufactured piece, not a hombuilt part. Check with you local farm store, or maybe Northern Tool has some, I'm not sure, used to see them all the time at Tractor Supply Company.

 

I have used those plates in the past. They are ok if you make sure to put in solid (metal) bushings in between the bed and frame and run the bolts through the bushings into the frame. I have also built my own and bolted to the frame under the bed. Either way, YOU assume full liability. Even though I tend to overbuild, I chose to have a professional shop install the last one just because of the liability issue. What you (or I) "homemake" might be as good or better than than professionally installed but if you were to have an accident, the hitch could come into question. I have seen it happen before. Just my 2 cents.