(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Flat bed and gooseneck hitch construction....ideas

S

Sparktrician

Member
I have a '96 Ford F350 that was my original service truck when I started my company. The service body (utiltiy bed) rusted out beyond repair, so I scrapped it. I want to put a flatbed on the truck, to keep it usefull. (Truck has made a lot of money, does not owe me a dime. I want to keep it around)

Anyhooooo......If I build the bed, and "build" the gooseneck hitch into the bed....is that OK? Or should I attach it to the truck frame and build the bed around the hitch?

Thoughts opinions?
 
Everyone I have installed was bolted to the frame. Some wanted the trap door, others wanted a headless bolt screwed in when the ball was out, so it was flush with the floor
 
My 1980 Chev has it all. Goose neck is under the bed welded to the frame. Then I also have 5th wheel rails on the flat bed and a receiver hither with ball and a pindle set up. Having the goose neck hook up under the flat bed gets it so the front of the goose neck does not sit up to high and have the trailer running more or less flat
 
I always attached the gooseneck to the truck frame. You will have to put a lot more effort into attaching the bed if you want it to have the gooseneck attached to it. A lot of comercially made beds have them in tho. If you attach it to the frame I wouldn't weld it. Bolt it instead, less risk to the truck frame and they can crack loose from the twisting.
 
If your building the bed yourself it would be better to have the fifth wheel bolted to the truck frame and just have an access door in the bed of the flatbed. Most commercial built beds have the ball built in but there's a fair amount of engineering involved for strength.

Casey in SD
 
Also, what would you recomend as far as attaching the bed to the truck.....weld it or bolt it????

Obviously bolting it makes for easier removal.

All thoughts, opinions, and experiance is appreciated!
 
If the gooseneck plate is properly welded between the crossmembers on the bed and the bed is properly BOLTED to the truck frame, there is no difference in bolting the plate to the frame. I have built so many trucks beds that I lost count years ago and I have done them both ways and have never had a come back. It's all about workmanship. For my personal truck I prefer a B and W center section bolted into the bed.
a112824.jpg

a112825.jpg
 
Bolt it. Welds can crack from the flexing of the truck frame. Remember that all welds or bolts have to go on the sides of the frame and never the flange.
 
When I built the flatbed for my F450 I started with the goose neck frame that bolts to the sides of the frameand built the bed around it, has a trap door to access the hitch and the frame for the hitch is incorporated into the bed, seems to be the easiest way to build it and it's going on 15 years since I built it with no problems
 
We put ours on the bed on 6 different beds over the years. We made 3 different holes in the bed for the ball and welded the nut underneath.Most times the ball just stays in but we can thread it out if we need to. One of the other holes holds the safety chains.

One hole centered over the axle, another hole 6-8 inches ahead, and the third hole a foot behind center. For heavy loads I use the forward ball, light loads I use the rearest hole and can still place 2 40inch pallets on the bed. On our F550 I actulally have a reciever at the back of the bed also so the whole bed can be used and still pull the gooseneck behind.
 

Large trucks always have stickers on them advising to not weld to the frame, and they usually say not to drill the frame either. So I agree either bolt or weld to a stout well attached bed or better yet as mine are, bolt to pre-existing holes on the frame rails.
 
Sorry to chime in off topic but I recently picked up a 224t baler and
will very soon be getting it field ready. You seem to be the guy to in
touch with about these balers, so just for pre-season inspections
anything I need to look out for? any help is appreciated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
Gooseneck hitch
Replies
10
Views
2K
moresmoke
M
B
F350 Vs Freightliner F70
2
Replies
23
Views
2K
V35B
V
grandpa Love
Gooseneck hitch rant
Replies
19
Views
936
dlbuck
D
F
enclosed service truck pros and cons
Replies
12
Views
496
Ken Macfarlane
K
RedMF40
Cletrac and other auction prices
Replies
4
Views
340
RedMF40
RedMF40
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top