checkster

Whats the difference?

Also, my truck is lifted 4" do you think i could still hook up or would the trailer be dragging the ground in back? Looking at toyhaulers and not sure yet if im gone bumper pull or 5th wheel?

1-2-3

A 5th wheel camper with a lift can be a bad combination. You loose bed clearence. Stay away from adapting a 5th wheel hitch to gooseneck. Puts too much stress on the camper frame. It leaves you in a bad situation when the camper frame peices start breaking apart.

With a lift, your really better off looking at a bumper pull rv.

rich

gn uses a ball and 5th wheel is a pin depends on type of trailer

Busboy

If you go 5th wheel camper (5ver) you can always use a goose neck trailer with a pin adapter that will fit the 5ver hitch. If you go with a bumper pull camper you will probably have to mess with an equalizer hitch for your camper and for the trailer. As already mentioned it's not wise to convert the 5ver to a goose neck.

Bonshawman

Fifth wheels are often used on travel RV trailers, as they provide a platform of support for the entire trailer.

Goosenecks only have the descending shaft to the the truck ball column connection, (usually 2 5/16), so they provide the same turning radius (positioned over the rear tow vehicle axle) as a fifth wheel, but allow a lot of flexibility for rough terrain towing (which is why so many cattle haulers are goosenecks).

Issues with either 5th or goose can be the coupler clearance area (side of the pickup bed, tailgate issues, height, etc), or the inability to lower the mount (like one can with an adjustable bumper pull), to level out (raise) the rear of the trailer. With your lift this may be an issue, depending also on the placement location of the trailer axles.

I have a 45' equipment trailer I pull with my FL70 with a fifth wheel, I pull my 25' equipment and 44' enclosed toy hauler on either the FL or the Dodge with a gooseneck, and I pull my 26' Airstream on a WD rear receiver, with the Chevy, the Dodge or the FL - so I have experience with all three with a variety of vehicles.

Some also feel that because of the locking king-pin fifth wheel set up (no safety chains required) they are more secure than a gooseneck.

Jeff in TD

As noted above, I would not use one of those adapters that attach to the pin box of a 5th wheel trailer to attach to a goose neck.

The issue you will likely have with a lifted truck and 5th wheel or goose neck is that you may not be able to set the trailer to ride level and still have adequate clearance above the bedrails of the truck.

Newer trailers have a bit higher overhang height, to match the higher bedrails of later 4x4 trucks.

Also, the 5th wheel can be lifted. The most comon way is by welding new spring seats to the tops of the axle tubes, and relocating the axle from above the spring pack to below the spring pack.

Depending on the trailer, that might give you enough.

With my Patio Hauler, I did the axle relocate just for my stock truck. I go in to very uneven places, and wanted plenty of clearance. The result works fine, and I have more clearance between the bed and overhang of the trailer than I need, but I don't have 4" more than I need...

My guess would be that you will either need to lower the truck, or go pull trailer (lifted trucks sometimes aren't that stable with big pull trailers either).

About all you can do is measure any trailer you are looking at carefully. Figure pin weight might swat the truck an inch or two, and you will want about 8" clearance above the bed rails with the trailer riding level. Relocating the axle will raise the trailer the axle diameter, plus the spring pack and spring perch height.

If you do go 5th wheel, get a hitch that pivots 4 ways and has a broad range of vertical and fore/aft adjustability. I really like my B&W turn-over ball with the Companion hitch.

ellerman

Go with the 5th wheel, you'll be much happier in the end. In Toybox trailers the front bedroom is usually a lot bigger than a tag trailer with a front bedroom. They also tow a lot better and are easier to get into tight places. You shouldn't have a problem with a lift because you can flip the axles to have enough clearance. Where I live lifted trucks and long 5th wheel toyboxes are quite common. Eric

carl48

start by taking the lift kit off and sell it for scrap, next set the clearance between the trailer and bed of truck ,next measure from frame to ground on back and front of trailer adjust the height of the shackles to where the measurements are the same if you can not get it you can lower the rear shackle one bolt hole to get even weight on the axels, weigh each axel at a truck stop to check

Busboy

I missed the bit about the truck having a 4 inch lift. As suggested above "take it off" it will cost you in fuel. My truck is standard height 4X4 and my 5ver is high off the ground, I had to move the 5ver pin all the way up as far as it would go and the hitch all the way down and it's only just level with 5 1/2 inch clearance bed to 5ver. I believe 50 inches is kind of the standard height to the hitch and although newer trailers are made higher to accommodate the taller trucks I think yours would be 4 inches too high.