pinesman wrote:
I have two large gooseneck trailers and a 38' fifth wheel. Whether the fifth wheel pinbox has enough steel and support to safely handle a gooseneck adapter, I don't really know. A lot of people pull with that setup everyday with no problems. However, there is no comparison to the steel framing and support between my goosenecks and my fifthwheel. My choice was to get the B&W companion. I have been saying for years that I am going to convert the goosenecks to a fifthwheel to eliminate changing out the hitch but haven't done it yet.
Gooseneck trailers and 5th wheel campers are two entirely different animals. For example a flatbed gooseneck may be used by a farmer to haul hay bales one day and equipment the next. While hauling hay bales he starts loading at the front and loading toward the back. Those first couple 1000-1500lb bales will load the front quite heavy with thousands of pounds down until the last ones are put on the back to more balance the load. The next day when he loads the equipment it may be at a site where even with ramps with supports they may sink into the ground putting lots of weight on the tail end. I've seen, when it happened that it lifted the dually axle on the truck off the ground. The gooseneck must take high stresses in both directions. Same with a cattle trailer. They are loaded with 1000+lb animals to the front, the dividing gate is swung then the back is loaded.
5th wheel campers NEVER operate under such stresses. Taking a tool box or two out of the the front storage compartment does not stress the hitch. About the biggest shift of weight the camper sees is when the husband and wife decide to stop watching TV in the rear and head for bed at the front. Some folks think hanging the 200lb hitch on the pin box is stressing the trailer or hanging a bike or hitch for another trailer on back is stressing things a bit.
Two entirely different frame designs for the hitches for two entirely different applications. It has nothing to do with the hitch type. I've seen 3 horse trailers where there wasn't the weight shift with the same size frame as my 5th camper for a gooseneck. Some 4 horse trailers with living quarters in the front and the horses over the axles and behind don't have much heavier frames then my 5th wheel with nearly twice the weight rating. Application, application, and application, determines the framing.
