As one who uses a light truck and trailer in my day job I have a few thoughts. I work in the ag drainage business so I see allot of off road use in this situation. As far as the hitch is concerned is probably personal preference. With a goose neck type hitch you will find it much easier to maneuver in tight spots. You will also find that a goose neck type hitch handles better both on the road and in mud or wet conditions. Also with this type of hitch you can put more weight on both the trailer and the truck since the hitch is mounted in front of the axle. You will also have better traction in wet conditions with this type of hitch. With our truck we gross about 23,000 lbs when loaded. In my op ion this is to much weight if you are doing allot of hyway driving, not for the truck, but for the safety issue, primarily getting stopped in a decent distance. With a bumper hitch or frame mounted rear hitch you will still be able to use your bed for hauling but will only be able to pull about 75% of the weight that you could with the other type. For the decking we like to use either Red or White Oak. The last trailer that I done I had the boards plained rather than rough sawn. I really like this as the deck is nice and flat and you can easily slide stuff on the surface. The next thing to consider is type of braking system for the trailer. Electric are the most popular. To date I have only found on controller that I like it is quite expensive but is well worth it in tires saved and less trips to the chiropractor to work with the whiplash that most electric brakes are noted for. If you want more info you can respond to me personally. I believe that I also have some sources for trailer building plans. Garrett Martin Willets Lake Apiaries Nappanee, IN USA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::