Why is 5th wheel standard vs Gooseneck?
Been doing a lot of research in my preparation for buying a fifth wheel. One of the things that has surprised me is the use of the 5th wheel over a gooseneck design. Considering the weight and space t...
Forum Discussion
Thermoguy wrote:4x4ord wrote:
As well as some of the reasons already mentioned favouring 5th wheel hitch I think making a hitching error with a ball hitch is more likely than with a 5th wheel coupler.
It seems like you have never hitched a gooseneck. You can't make a mistake. You drop the hitch on the ball and lock it in, you can't forget the jaws or have the jaws only latch part way. They also can't come undone. The ball is on there and the weight of the trailer holds it on. Not saying if you forget to lock it in, a bounce couldn't bounce it off, but just saying easier to hitch than a 5th wheel. I have moved my gooseneck trailer without latching it because it isn't going anywhere.
I have both a gooseneck horse trailer and a 5th wheel camper. I can say that they are different in the way the hitch and haul. I totally agree with everyone that says the frame of the 5th wheel can not withstand the force of the pull direction from the gooseneck hitch. I looked at both hitch types initially but a friend told me they bent their frame with a gooseneck adapter and their trailer is smaller than mine. I went with the B&W companion and can remove it to hitch the gooseneck. I also have a clean bed when the hitch is removed so best of both worlds. The only complaint is the weight of the base of the B&W. But, I can lift it and move it forward to haul the gooseneck or remove it if I won't be hauling the 5th wheel for a while. It's removed all winter. The experience I have, I would not use a gooseneck adapter. Now if someone can just come up with a way I can haul both trailers at the same time, I would be in heaven.
I tow more gooseneck trailers than fifth wheels. You mention the problem with the gooseneck ..... forget to lock the ball. Or intentionally not lock the ball. There is also the possibility of accidentally using a 2 5/15 ball on a 3 inch coupler. I was lazy once and didn’t lock the ball on a gooseneck that I was just going to move a few feet. Turns out I got stuck .... then pulled on the front of my truck and the coupler bounced off the ball. I was fortunate that minimal damage was done.
