Installing a gooseneck hitch on your truck is just about the best way to prepare it for real heavy-duty towing, but having a high capacity kit like this installed on your vehicle will cost you – expect to shell out somewhere around $800 to $2800 on average to have a new gooseneck trailer hitch installed.
The price may vary depending on the size, towing capacity and features of the gooseneck trailer hitch you plan to install. The labor cost of installing a gooseneck hitch will significantly add to the total cost as well.
To get the most out of your money, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research on the different brands of gooseneck hitches available on the market. Of course, shopping around the different workshops around your area can net you a better deal on the labor, as well.
First, let’s take a look at what a gooseneck hitch consists of. This way, you have a better idea of the different parts and features that determines the price of a gooseneck trailer hitch.
Different types of gooseneck hitches may also require different installation procedures – as you might expect, some of them may even require some modifications to the vehicle itself. All these can add up to drive the cost of installing a gooseneck hitch on your truck,
What Is a Gooseneck Hitch?
A gooseneck hitch is a type of hitch that is installed directly over the payload bed of a truck or pickup. Unlike other tow hitch setups that provide a hitching mechanism past the bumper of the vehicle, a gooseneck hitch is designed to distribute the weight of the trailer over the rear axle of the truck. Gooseneck hitches, just like fifth wheel hitches, are made to enable trucks to pull major loads that may exceed the capacity of regular receiver hitches.
In general, gooseneck hitches and fifth wheel hitches are specifically made for heavy duty trucks and pickups. You will not be able to install a gooseneck hitch on a vehicle that does not have a flatbed. Even if your light pickup does come with a trailer bed, it’s likely that you will not find a gooseneck hitch that is suitable for it.
A gooseneck hitch can be costly because just about every gooseneck hitch kit on the market is made for heavy duty towing and little else. A gooseneck trailer setup is more oriented towards experienced tow drivers that need to pull commercial class loads.
A truck with a gooseneck hitch installed is a vehicle that’s meant for serious towing, and as you might expect, putting together a gooseneck hitch setup and a gooseneck trailer can cost quite a bit.
For recreational towing, or for pulling lighter loads, then you may consider other towing setups if your budget is limited. The good thing about gooseneck hitches is that you can still have one and a receiver hitch on the same vehicle.
Cost of Gooseneck Hitch Components and Kits
There are all kinds of gooseneck trailer hitches, and they can vary considerably in price. Just like with most things, the brand of the gooseneck hitch also plays a factor. Of course, gooseneck trailer hitches with more features, better surface finishes, higher towing capacities or all of them at the same time will also be more expensive compared to the simpler kits.
If you’re just looking to control the overall cost of your gooseneck hitch, then an above-bed trailer hitch is a good choice. For less than $300, you can get an above bed gooseneck trailer hitch rated for 25,000 pounds, which already exceeds the Class V range by a good amount. That is if you don’t mind an entire trailer hitch kit taking up valuable space in the middle of your truck bed.
One other advantage for above bed gooseneck trailer hitches: their installation is usually a matter of installing it over the existing bed, so it generally takes less time to install them.
So you also save on labor costs as well. Some above bed gooseneck hitches are also designed for easy installation and removal, so you may not even need to hire an expert to install them. If you are not using the gooseneck hitch often enough, then an above bed gooseneck hitch I a lot easier to remove to get you back full access to your truck bed.
Of course, above bed hitches with additional features will also cost you a bit more compared to the simpler gooseneck ball mounts. Once you get into fold down gooseneck trailer hitches, then you will see quality kits go past the $400 range.
You spend a bit more on a fold down gooseneck trailer hitch, but you also save time in the long run – if you want to reclaim your truck bed space, then you simply fold down your gooseneck tow ball and you’re good to go.
For around $70 dollars more or so, you can get a below the bed gooseneck trailer hitch. A good underbed gooseneck trailer hitch from a reputable brand will run you around $480 or so, and many of them will already include an installation kit.
At first glance, the don’t cost that much compared to an above bed trailer, but they can require the assistance of a mechanic to install them.
Labor Cost to Install a Gooseneck Hitch
Once you have your gooseneck hitch installation kit, then you may have to consider the labor cost of having it installed by a professional as well.
Depending on the type of gooseneck trailer hitch that you want to be installed, the installation time can range from as short as half an hour to two hours. Considering that the typical hourly rate for a ship can range from $80 to $150 an hour, then you may end up spending a considerable amount for labor.
The easiest way to get a consistent price for labor is to request for a quote. You can expect to get a quote for $300 or so for a top-end gooseneck kit, but if you shop around, then you may be able to get a quote for half of that, or even less.