A gooseneck hitch is a piece of cylindrical metal with a formed ball on top for attachment to a gooseneck trailer. It is normally installed at the rear end of a pickup truck or within the bed of the truck. A trailer can then latch onto the ball for hauling and towing.
A fifth-wheel hitch differs from the gooseneck since it uses a hinged plate assembly with a pin to lock the corresponding trailer to it, as opposed to a gooseneck attachment that uses a coupler to surround and grab onto the installed ball. Due to its heavier duty attachment within the truck bed only, fifth-wheel hitches tend to ride sturdier and with less sway down the road.
A gooseneck hitch tends to be less expensive than the fifth-wheel hitch, though it functions better with lighter towing loads. The fifth-wheel hitch is geared toward heavier towing loads and longer distances.
