5th wheel hitch

joe_dejesus wrote:
I understand and agree.. maybe we are all not on the same page.

I am looking to put andersen 5th wheel adapter on my current gooseneck hitch thats on my truck, to pull a 5th wheel RV.


this is what was stated "Joe, why don't you forget about that goose neck adapter and get you a 5th wheel hitch."

Joe, here's an image of the B&W Companion and how it hooks up. You can clearly see that the hitch point is not far below the bed rails.

http://kirbyshitch.com/gooseneck_hitches

Here's a short video of the basic Andersen Ultimate installation onto an existing GN ball. Note where the hitch point is; again, it's raised near the level of the bed rails.

https://youtu.be/JEhC9iY9-J8

This last pic is of a GN adapter. It attaches to the pin box, enclosing the king pin, then hitches directly to the GN ball. You have now moved the hitch point to the bottom of the bed, about 12-18" below the "normal" hitch point. This becomes a lever acting on the frame of the FW, twisting the front frame members where they were designed (we hope) for more lateral stresses, mostly fore and aft.

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Andersen/AM3100.html

Hope this gives you some idea of the types of hitches available. Given the so-so quality of most FW frames, why stress them any more than necessary by using a GN adapter when there are excellent alternatives?

Lyle

gkainz wrote:

Another (slight) con on the Andersen over the standard 5th wheel, you have to raise your trailer higher to hitch and unhitch on the Andersen.

This one is hardly worth a mention, at least in my case. My property is on a bit of a slope and where I camp is rarely completely level, so the jacks are going to get a workout regardless. An extra couple of inches to lift/drop on the ball is no biggie relative to all the other jacking, imo.

I can't tell anybody enough how much I like the way the Andersen works. It's simple, solid and totally smooth towing. I'd use one even if it wasn't so much easier to take in and out of the truck compared to a standard hitch. It simply works better.

I definely need my trucks bed empty for stuff. Having to deal with loading /unloading a really heavy 5th wheel hitch onto the bed was a issue for me.

lucky for me I get weekly pratice sessions backing up to a ball, then having to lower trailer into ball.. LOL... So no biggie for me, LOL

gkainz wrote:
Got it! And I understand your questions about that now. Here's my advice - just me, but based on being a happy Andersen Ultimate (the lightweight one) user ... go with the Andersen. I am VERY happy with it.

For further info, my old truck had the standard 5th wheel rail mount hitch. When I traded to a newer truck, it already had the gooseneck ball in the bed. I took a chance on the Andersen and love everything about it. It's just slightly harder to hook up (for me) than the 5er (I can't quite judge how far back I am when trying to get EXACTLY (my obsessive compulsive behavior) centered fore and aft over the ball before lowering, so I get out and check a couple of times while hooking up. I may rig up some tattle tail wire or flag or something to tell me when I'm backed up far enough.

Another (slight) con on the Andersen over the standard 5th wheel, you have to raise your trailer higher to hitch and unhitch on the Andersen.

For me, having a completely flat truck bed when not towing was the deal clincher. That's why I switched to Andersen.

Greg

Got it! And I understand your questions about that now. Here's my advice - just me, but based on being a happy Andersen Ultimate (the lightweight one) user ... go with the Andersen. I am VERY happy with it.

For further info, my old truck had the standard 5th wheel rail mount hitch. When I traded to a newer truck, it already had the gooseneck ball in the bed. I took a chance on the Andersen and love everything about it. It's just slightly harder to hook up (for me) than the 5er (I can't quite judge how far back I am when trying to get EXACTLY (my obsessive compulsive behavior) centered fore and aft over the ball before lowering, so I get out and check a couple of times while hooking up. I may rig up some tattle tail wire or flag or something to tell me when I'm backed up far enough.

Another (slight) con on the Andersen over the standard 5th wheel, you have to raise your trailer higher to hitch and unhitch on the Andersen.

For me, having a completely flat truck bed when not towing was the deal clincher. That's why I switched to Andersen.

Greg

joe_dejesus wrote:
I understand and agree.. maybe we are all not on the same page.

I am looking to put andersen 5th wheel adapter on my current gooseneck hitch thats on my truck, to pull a 5th wheel RV.


this is what was stated "Joe, why don't you forget about that goose neck adapter and get you a 5th wheel hitch."

gkainz wrote:
You need to remember the difference between a gooseneck
adapter (the single pipe extension that connects the 5th wheel king pin to the gooseneck ball) is different than the B&W or Andersen setups. They are not the traditional gooseneck adapter. Yes, they do connect to the gooseneck ball, but the Andersen (and I assume the B&W) raise the attachment point up to the king pin. The torque forces are not multiplied on the pin box by an extended lever like the gooseneck adapter.

joe_dejesus wrote:
so if i buy a 5th wheel hitch that utilizes my gooseneck hitch installed, it will be LESS stressfull than utilizing an andersen hitch utilizing my same gooseneck hitch point?

both have same attachment point (gooseneck) to me it seems the andersen is spreading the load more utilizing a larger footprint.

handsome51 wrote:
With the goose neck adapter you are putting your 5th wheel in a strain that it was not built to handle. Some people don't have a problem and then some do have a problem with welds cracking on the 5th wheel. With a regular 5th wheel hitch your 5th wheel is not in that kind of strain. But you are still locked together solid . You just don't have as much stain on the frame of the 5th wheel. But your 5th wheel and truck are still in a stain due to mechanically locket together going down the road. With a air hitch the 5th wheel and truck are not locked together so they are not in a strain from each other. They float independently of each other. When one goes over a bump the other one does not feel it. With a goose neck or regular 5th wheel hitch they feel each other. I hope I have explained it to where you understand what I am trying to say. All I can say is if you buy a air hitch. After you have made a couple of trips, you will say that is the best decision you had made. Was to buy the air hitch.

I understand and agree.. maybe we are all not on the same page.

I am looking to put andersen 5th wheel adapter on my current gooseneck hitch thats on my truck, to pull a 5th wheel RV.


this is what was stated "Joe, why don't you forget about that goose neck adapter and get you a 5th wheel hitch."

gkainz wrote:
You need to remember the difference between a gooseneck
adapter (the single pipe extension that connects the 5th wheel king pin to the gooseneck ball) is different than the B&W or Andersen setups. They are not the traditional gooseneck adapter. Yes, they do connect to the gooseneck ball, but the Andersen (and I assume the B&W) raise the attachment point up to the king pin. The torque forces are not multiplied on the pin box by an extended lever like the gooseneck adapter.

joe_dejesus wrote:
so if i buy a 5th wheel hitch that utilizes my gooseneck hitch installed, it will be LESS stressfull than utilizing an andersen hitch utilizing my same gooseneck hitch point?

both have same attachment point (gooseneck) to me it seems the andersen is spreading the load more utilizing a larger footprint.

handsome51 wrote:
With the goose neck adapter you are putting your 5th wheel in a strain that it was not built to handle. Some people don't have a problem and then some do have a problem with welds cracking on the 5th wheel. With a regular 5th wheel hitch your 5th wheel is not in that kind of strain. But you are still locked together solid . You just don't have as much stain on the frame of the 5th wheel. But your 5th wheel and truck are still in a stain due to mechanically locket together going down the road. With a air hitch the 5th wheel and truck are not locked together so they are not in a strain from each other. They float independently of each other. When one goes over a bump the other one does not feel it. With a goose neck or regular 5th wheel hitch they feel each other. I hope I have explained it to where you understand what I am trying to say. All I can say is if you buy a air hitch. After you have made a couple of trips, you will say that is the best decision you had made. Was to buy the air hitch.

You need to remember the difference between a gooseneck adapter (the single pipe extension that connects the 5th wheel king pin to the gooseneck ball) is different than the B&W or Andersen setups. They are not the traditional gooseneck adapter. Yes, they do connect to the gooseneck ball, but the Andersen (and I assume the B&W) raise the attachment point up to the king pin. The torque forces are not multiplied on the pin box by an extended lever like the gooseneck adapter.

joe_dejesus wrote:
so if i buy a 5th wheel hitch that utilizes my gooseneck hitch installed, it will be LESS stressfull than utilizing an andersen hitch utilizing my same gooseneck hitch point?

both have same attachment point (gooseneck) to me it seems the andersen is spreading the load more utilizing a larger footprint.

handsome51 wrote:
With the goose neck adapter you are putting your 5th wheel in a strain that it was not built to handle. Some people don't have a problem and then some do have a problem with welds cracking on the 5th wheel. With a regular 5th wheel hitch your 5th wheel is not in that kind of strain. But you are still locked together solid . You just don't have as much stain on the frame of the 5th wheel. But your 5th wheel and truck are still in a stain due to mechanically locket together going down the road. With a air hitch the 5th wheel and truck are not locked together so they are not in a strain from each other. They float independently of each other. When one goes over a bump the other one does not feel it. With a goose neck or regular 5th wheel hitch they feel each other. I hope I have explained it to where you understand what I am trying to say. All I can say is if you buy a air hitch. After you have made a couple of trips, you will say that is the best decision you had made. Was to buy the air hitch.

I think handsome51 is referring to the type of gooseneck adapter that permanently attaches to the 5th wheel pinbox that extends the hitch point straight down to the gooseneck ball. that type of adapter does put additional torsional stress on the pinbox that it was not designed for.

A traditional 5th wheel hitch that attaches to your truck via the gooseneck ball socket, or an Anderson hitch that connects to your truck via the gooseneck adapter is not the same issue or problem as the gooseneck adapter for a traditional pinbox.

so if i buy a 5th wheel hitch that utilizes my gooseneck hitch installed, it will be LESS stressfull than utilizing an andersen hitch utilizing my same gooseneck hitch point?

both have same attachment point (gooseneck) to me it seems the andersen is spreading the load more utilizing a larger footprint.

handsome51 wrote:
With the goose neck adapter you are putting your 5th wheel in a strain that it was not built to handle. Some people don't have a problem and then some do have a problem with welds cracking on the 5th wheel. With a regular 5th wheel hitch your 5th wheel is not in that kind of strain. But you are still locked together solid . You just don't have as much stain on the frame of the 5th wheel. But your 5th wheel and truck are still in a stain due to mechanically locket together going down the road. With a air hitch the 5th wheel and truck are not locked together so they are not in a strain from each other. They float independently of each other. When one goes over a bump the other one does not feel it. With a goose neck or regular 5th wheel hitch they feel each other. I hope I have explained it to where you understand what I am trying to say. All I can say is if you buy a air hitch. After you have made a couple of trips, you will say that is the best decision you had made. Was to buy the air hitch.

With the goose neck adapter you are putting your 5th wheel in a strain that it was not built to handle. Some people don't have a problem and then some do have a problem with welds cracking on the 5th wheel. With a regular 5th wheel hitch your 5th wheel is not in that kind of strain. But you are still locked together solid . You just don't have as much stain on the frame of the 5th wheel. But your 5th wheel and truck are still in a stain due to mechanically locket together going down the road. With a air hitch the 5th wheel and truck are not locked together so they are not in a strain from each other. They float independently of each other. When one goes over a bump the other one does not feel it. With a goose neck or regular 5th wheel hitch they feel each other. I hope I have explained it to where you understand what I am trying to say. All I can say is if you buy a air hitch. After you have made a couple of trips, you will say that is the best decision you had made. Was to buy the air hitch.

Please elaborate on doing myself and truck a favor?
Every weekend I tow my bumper pull style boat trailer (36 foot boat @ 14k)? Maybe I am over seeing something but I would think bumper pull that weight is harder on truck.

handsome51 wrote:
Joe, why don't you forget about that goose neck adapter and get you a 5th wheel hitch. You will be doing your truck, RV and you a big favor. Even if you don't want to spend the money for a good air hitch, a regular 5th wheel hitch is better on the 5th wheel then using a goose neck adapter.