FAY

Why does the RV trailer industry stick with 5th wheel hitches when heavier duty trailer manufacturers have gone to goose neck hitches? I have a Una-Goose removeable ball in my truck bed and I will never go back to using a bulky fifth wheel setup. The problem is that I will have to modify the king pin bolt in boxed frame on a RV trailer to hold a trailer sleeve to take a connector to fit over a 2 and 5/16" goose neck ball. Why do trailer manufacturers not have a standard they all use regarding hitches?

bkrukow

Dont hold me to this but as near as I can tell its mostly due to the fact that the RV style fifth wheel is more stable on the road. It handles side winds and such better due to the fact that it dont rock side to side much if at all. The Goosneck has more articulation for off road but may sacrafice some overall stability because of it. I agree with ya on not wanting a big bulky fifth wheel hich in my truck so if I ever trade the current bumper mount camper for a fifth wheel it will be converted to a goosneck before I ever bring it home. I am actualy planing on converting this bumper mount to a goosneck before next spring due to the extreem toung wt. It was suposed to be around 1200# but I balive it to be way above and beond that. I dont feel safe with all the toys loaded in it going down the road. It feels like a bit much for the factory receiver.

CarcajouCummins

The fifth wheel hitch is actually the stronger hitch. It does not require the extra reinforcement that a GN requires on a trailer. For this same reason, a fifth wheel camper converted to a GN can end up with frame problems resulting from the stress of the GN hitch. The GN applies leverage on the frame of the camper that it was never intended to have.

RustyJC

Ummmm.....right!! That's why all the Class 8 rigs out on the Interstate are using gooseneck hitches, I guess.

Rusty

RATTLINRAM

Below is a picture of Dieseldude4x4's gooseneck trailer and he was showing me something one day while talking about this same issue.



He grabbed the right front corner of that GN and started pushing down and pulling up on it with his hand. I a few seconds, he had that trailer twisting like crazy,,, the right front corner down,,, the rear left corner came up. I'm not talking an inch,,,,, but a bunch and this trailer was even ordered with wider beams under it if I remember him telling me right. Important to note is that this trailer is suppose to do this.
Now invision what would happen if you try to build a framed house on this trailer with interior walls, cupboards, doors that open,,,, and oh yeah,,,,, let's make a couple of the side walls in sections that will slide in and out.

How long do you think the house would stay together?

How long would a trailer frame that was NOT built to flex like a GN stay welded together?

I don't have the technical knowledge to answer these questions, but somehow in the back of my head, a little voice is telling me "It aint a good idea"

Just my $.02

Mcmopar

Why do all tractor trailers have a 5th wheel?

RustyJC

Because a 5th wheel hitch provides 2 separate systems to handle its primary functions.

1. The load plate provides a large surface area to carry the pin load.

2. The kingpin is positively locked in the hitch jaws to transmit fore, aft and side forces. That's why safety chains are not required with 5th wheel hitches.

The gooseneck must carry pin loads and transmit fore, aft and side forces through the gooseneck ball alone.

Rusty

XLR8R

I built my GN from rectangular steel tubing so it would be lightweight, yet extremely strong. There's over 100# of welding rod in it and it is very stiff - I hate watching the load in the mirror doing the hula back there!

FAY

Thank-you fellows for the input regarding your attained knowledge on the subject. Yes, I understand that the 5th wheel hitch has a much broader tongue weight carrying base than the 2 and 5/16 inch ball hitch; therefore, the anchored locked in king pin's side to side leverage with the broad base can transmit the curb weight of the towing vehicle for holding the trailer upright in a strong sidewind gust or on pronounced unlevel ground. Yes, it could also possibly help keep a tailer structure somewhat more ridgid.

I have talked with RV dealers in Alberta, and they know nothing about anyone manufacturing or using goose neck hitches with RV trailers. Do any of you know about a fairly large RV trailer being towed with a goose neck hitch? I contacted Una-Goose and they said they make a king pin adaptor shaft for pulling a goose neck trailer with a fifth wheel hitch in a truck, but they know of nobody that makes a RV trailer bolt in box frame with a connector sleeve for taking a ball connector shaft. I do not know if it is illegal to fabricate a bolt in box frame with a gusseted connector sleeve to hold a connector shaft for fitting onto a 2 and 5/16 inch ball.

I had a tri-axle flat deck fifth wheel trailer in the 1970s that I pulled behind two gutless Ford gasoline guzzlers, and I always found the fifth wheel hitch in any truck bed a real pain in the backside whenever I wanted to haul something in the box. There also was a 100 imperial gallon gasoline tank in the front of the box. The Una-Goose hitch in my Dodge bed is the strongest goose neck hitch on the market and the most convenient to remove and store under the back seat, while leaving the bed totally free for hauling.

RustyJC

Many of us who need both gooseneck and 5th wheel towing capabilities are quite pleased with the B&W Turnoverball gooseneck with its Companion 5th Wheel RV hitch accessory. It tows each type of trailer as it was designed to be towed and provides a clean bed when required.

Rusty

P.J

Reese Signature Series offers a 30K lb. GN plate that goes right into the same pucks as the 5th Wheel hitch. I believe it is about $280.00.

I can tell you, when I get my dump trailer, it will be converted TO a kingpin.

Unless you are hauling horses over some off road surfaces, the 5th wheel is much more stable. Mine has a 4 degree side to side pivot, nice and comfortable going over slight dips in the road.

Most modern hitches (or at least the higher end one's) offer a model that comes completely out of the bed, leaving a flat bed for hauling whatever you want. One man cah have mine out in under 2 minutes flat, no tools. 125 lbs.
Heres mine:

CarcajouCummins

I can understand the desire to have a bare pickup bed instead of having to deal with a fiver hitch, but I want to again point out the stress that will be put on the frame of the trailer. The extra 15 inch drop to hook to the ball as opposed to the fiver hitch will and does add alot of leverage to the frame and pin box of the camper. It is not designed to handle this type of leverage.

That said, they are available.
http://www.mrtruck.net/popuprv.htm

P.J

BTW, I meant "converted" from a Gooseneck to 5'er. (not the other way around)

Just to clear that up.

I don't condone the fabrication of a bumper pull conversion to GN or 5'er or any other conversions unless you are a "checked out" welder/fabricator.

From what I read over on the RV forum, ALL camper manufacturers will void your warranty in relation to frame issues if they find out you are using an adapter.

P.J

Talk about whacky, take a look at that "Gooseneck Shortbed Solution". (Bottom of page on link above)

That thing looks like it effectively reduces the tow rating by about HALF!

T398

For whatever it's worth when I purchased my fifth wheel new last year I asked the dealer about installing a goose neck adapter on our new trailer his response was "we have a waiver that if your willing to sign we will install it for you" So I read over the waiver it basically said that it woud void the entire warranty of the RV structure if the conversion was installed due to additional stress caused by the lowering of the pull point and giving the tow vehicle additional leverage on the RV. My answer was easy because I had not signed on the dotted line yet, Throw in the B&W companion and you got a deal (I already had the B&W hitch). For good measure I had the salesman take me in there shop and show me a damaged RV from the goose neck conversion, sure enough they had two in there shop that the manufactor had denied there warranty claim because the both had a colbert 5'er to gooseneck adapters on them. Both units had fiberglass exteriors with extensive cracking starting from the corner where the the overshot starts.

T398