Goose Neck Hitch

[Itchey_Feet]

Looking @ purchasing a 5th wheel trailer, at this time. Would like to install a gooseneck hitch. Due to the experince out there, what are the pros and cons of this set up? Would like to do this myself as I have the tools and a mechanical background. Trailer set up is 29'-30' range under 14,000 lbs. Have a 3500 cc drw w/flatbed that has an inset gooseneck ball installed. Any and all suggestions appreciated.

[NC_Hauler]

DSteiner51 wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

DSteiner51 wrote:
Looks like we got a 1st. One gooseneck adaptor break to dozens??? of 5th wheels. I'll wait to pass judgement on mine after 12 years so far.

Hey, guess those of you who swear by a GN are right.....Everyone should be able to use a GN to tow their 5er with, whether recommended by the manufacturer or not....what does the manufacturer know anyway, they only designed, engineered and manufactured the thing, what a bunch of idiots. Those with the experience in here know far more than those people know...Guess I'm going to be one of those stupid fools who will use a conventional 5th wheel hitch if that is what the manufacturer recommends I use...even after warranty...7 yrs now like some of the GN folks and no issues with frame, sidewalls or pin box, just as HR recommended.....I acutally made a call instead of asking on this forum because i knew no one on this forum would fix my 5er for me should something happen to it, thus the reason I made a call and didn't ask for anyone's opinion on this subject....seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.....but to some, even that seems to be a really dumb idea.....wonder why?

Wow! What is it about you folks from Ashville NC? A few years back there was another.. (or are you the same?) poster from your same city who got real personal, nasty, with name calling, etc. about weight 200lbs over the rating yet he chipped his truck a much higher percentage then I was overweight at the time. He insisted what he did was fine because he knew more then the engineers but at the same time insisted I was all wrong.

I've just shared my experience which I will not lie to make you feel better. You do it your way and I'll do it mine since I'm the one who pays the bills on mine, not you. I've worked in the engineering business in the past so I'll do my thing. If it bothers you so much.... fine!

Wow, guess you REALLY have me confused with someone else...chipped a truck? Knew more than the Engineers? Wow, thanks for the low opinion you've offered.....Nope, wasn't me, don't condemn all those FROM Asheville NC, I'm not FROM here..., I've only lived here since 93', but never gotten real personal, nasty or resorted to name calling, though that has happened to me more times than I care to count...I'm an Engineer, and have never claimed to know anymore than any other engineer...guess you have me confused with someone else.

Unless you can show me where I've called anyone a name, (other than myself:)). again, you must be thinking of someone else....If I offended you or you've mistaken me for someone else, I will apologize for anything I've said, but never called anyone names, though again, I've been called quite a few on these threads, as well as on PM's I've received from some in here because all I recommend is someone to make a phone call before using a certain hitch or recommend that folks tow within their trucks recommended specs guilty as charged on those two horrendous recommendations)...if that offends anyone, guess I'm guilty of that, but being personal, rude, nasty, resorting to name calling, no...that is normally what happens to me, I'm a little more into the Biblical end of things as in "Do unto others as you would have others do unto to you"....not real popular now a day's, but have tried to live by it for quite a bit of the 63 yrs I've spent on this old earth.:)

[DSteiner51]

NC Hauler wrote:

DSteiner51 wrote:
Looks like we got a 1st. One gooseneck adaptor break to dozens??? of 5th wheels. I'll wait to pass judgement on mine after 12 years so far.

Hey, guess those of you who swear by a GN are right.....Everyone should be able to use a GN to tow their 5er with, whether recommended by the manufacturer or not....what does the manufacturer know anyway, they only designed, engineered and manufactured the thing, what a bunch of idiots. Those with the experience in here know far more than those people know...Guess I'm going to be one of those stupid fools who will use a conventional 5th wheel hitch if that is what the manufacturer recommends I use...even after warranty...7 yrs now like some of the GN folks and no issues with frame, sidewalls or pin box, just as HR recommended.....I acutally made a call instead of asking on this forum because i knew no one on this forum would fix my 5er for me should something happen to it, thus the reason I made a call and didn't ask for anyone's opinion on this subject....seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.....but to some, even that seems to be a really dumb idea.....wonder why?

Wow! What is it about you folks from Ashville NC? A few years back there was another.. (or are you the same?) poster from your same city who got real personal, nasty, with name calling, etc. about weight 200lbs over the rating yet he chipped his truck a much higher percentage then I was overweight at the time. He insisted what he did was fine because he knew more then the engineers but at the same time insisted I was all wrong.

I've just shared my experience which I will not lie to make you feel better. You do it your way and I'll do it mine since I'm the one who pays the bills on mine, not you. I've worked in the engineering business in the past so I'll do my thing. If it bothers you so much.... fine!

[C_Schomer]

I tried one on a flimsy entry level 5er 15 yrs ago and the flexing did a lot of damage to the siding and paneling in the bedroom area but the frame didn't break. It was just too long of a lever on the pin. I have some new thoughts... that 5er had an extended box and I have a LB which doesn't need the extended pin box. I bet it would have been better if I used the adaptor on a short pin box. Since then, the shop foreman at a RV dealer shop told me the ext. pin boxes make the frame flex twice as much as the short pin boxes. I've switched the ext. boxes to the short boxes on my 5ers, since then, and he was right. I watch the frame flex in the mirror and it's about 1/2 with the short pin boxes. Craig

[Dayle1]

Not all fifth wheel frames are created equal and all trailers don't weigh the same. Some older units (possibly Duane's) are built similar to a GN trailer with the main frame rails running directly up and under the bedroom floor. Meaning they are spaced about 6 ft apart with little flex for the cross members. I had one of those light weight units years ago.

Taller fivers require a recessed floor with the main frame rails spaced almost 96 or 102 inches apart. So, there is more flex in the cross members. While the front crossmember is frequently beefy, the rear one is not.

Finally, the latest notched cap designs no longer have a solid front crossmember or the roughly 2 ft spacing between the cross members. Instead the sectional front member attaches to the main frame rails just a few inches ahead of the rear crossmember. This applies much more twisting and bending to the rear crossmember.

My point is that good results on another fiver, especially an older, lighter trailer is no guarantee of good results on another trailer, particularly, a newer, heavier unit.

To the OP, unless your flatbed truck is used extensively to haul GN equipment/farm/ranch trailers and you also plan on using the fiver frequently, there is no real benefit in using a GN adaptor. If the fiver is infrequently used, then store the fiver hitch or just leave it hanging from the trailer king pin. The conventional fifth wheel hitch is easier for hookup and unhooking.

[NC_Hauler]

fj12ryder wrote:
OTOH it's possible, even likely, that the manufacturers recommend against gooseneck adapters purely as a CYA. Personally I feel that the builders realize that they are making a marginal frame in the pin box area and allowing someone to use an adapter creates an unnecessary risk to their marginal frame/pin box area.

Personally I've read of quite a few people that have used gooseneck adapters successfully versus 1, maybe 2, that have had an issue.

I think they create unnecessary stress in the pinbox area, but I don't feel like it's a personal attack if someone wants to use one.

Agree 100% with you.

[fj12ryder]

OTOH it's possible, even likely, that the manufacturers recommend against gooseneck adapters purely as a CYA. Personally I feel that the builders realize that they are making a marginal frame in the pin box area and allowing someone to use an adapter creates an unnecessary risk to their marginal frame/pin box area.

Personally I've read of quite a few people that have used gooseneck adapters successfully versus 1, maybe 2, that have had an issue.

I think they create unnecessary stress in the pinbox area, but I don't feel like it's a personal attack if someone wants to use one.

[NC_Hauler]

dbear wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
Hey, guess those of you who swear by a GN are right.....Everyone should be able to use a GN to tow their 5er with, whether recommended by the manufacturer or not....what does the manufacturer know anyway, they only designed, engineered and manufactured the thing, what a bunch of idiots. Those with the experience in here know far more than those people know...Guess I'm going to be one of those stupid fools who will use a conventional 5th wheel hitch if that is what the manufacturer recommends I use...even after warranty...7 yrs now like some of the GN folks and no issues with frame, sidewalls or pin box, just as HR recommended.....I acutally made a call instead of asking on this forum because i knew no one on this forum would fix my 5er for me should something happen to it, thus the reason I made a call and didn't ask for anyone's opinion on this subject....seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.....but to some, even that seems to be a really dumb idea.....wonder why?

You seem to be turning this into something personal. You make a valid point that if the manufacturer says "no," then by all means, don't do it. However, if the converse happens, as it does in the case of the Reese Goosebox for certain Lippert frames with specific weight limits, then what's your issue? Didn't that same group of designers and engineers, who you believed the in the first case, say it's okay given this set of conditions?

Nothing personal at all....I merely stated for some to make a call to the manufacturer of the 5er to see what THEY say about towing the 5er they manufactured and they provide warranty on with a GN hithc, and still, most of those go as far to say to use a GN anyway because "they've" been doing it for years", don't worry about any thing bad happening because it won't...So even a simple suggestion such as making a call has been deemed useless by most or seems ludicrous at best, thus the reason at this point, it doesn't matter to me anymore. We all know in here, per some that there has NEVER been any structural damage or front wall cracking or de-lamination caused by towing with a GN, it's nothing more than urban legend and stuff people have made up...basically a lie....

Also, and I'll only mention it one more time due to my infinite stupidity, the Reese Goosebox is LIMITED to only 16K...so I couldn't use it with my almost 17,000# 5er, but who knows, that probably doesn't matter either.....And just because Lippert say's it's ok to use the Goosebox because they make most of the frames underneath most 5er's, whether it be good or bad, if they say they'll fix any issue that goes wrong with frame, or sidewall, then that's good enough for me...they have a fine reputation of taking care of their customers..... Me?? I'd still want it in writing as to what they would or wouldn't repair in case of some damage if I tow my 5er with a GN, though my manufacturer recommends not to....I've been on these forums long enough to know that there has been damage caused to some frames and/or pin boxes ...but we all know it certainly wasn't Lipperts quality work in manufacturing the frames for most of our 5er's...

Seeing the quality in vehicles, campers and hitches that I've owned since I've been towing pop-up's, TT's and 5th wheels going back to 1975...."NO", I don't trust much of anything any of them say, but IF I'm told not to tow a 5er with a GN because It will or might void some or all of my warranty...yeah, I'll buy into that one, Especially when the 5er is built and manufactured "up front", so much differently than a Horse Trailer, my years of physics, R&D and Engineering experience will kick in on occasion and "seeing is believing" will affect some of my decisions and beliefs on this very topic..

[dbear]

NC Hauler wrote:
Hey, guess those of you who swear by a GN are right.....Everyone should be able to use a GN to tow their 5er with, whether recommended by the manufacturer or not....what does the manufacturer know anyway, they only designed, engineered and manufactured the thing, what a bunch of idiots. Those with the experience in here know far more than those people know...Guess I'm going to be one of those stupid fools who will use a conventional 5th wheel hitch if that is what the manufacturer recommends I use...even after warranty...7 yrs now like some of the GN folks and no issues with frame, sidewalls or pin box, just as HR recommended.....I acutally made a call instead of asking on this forum because i knew no one on this forum would fix my 5er for me should something happen to it, thus the reason I made a call and didn't ask for anyone's opinion on this subject....seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.....but to some, even that seems to be a really dumb idea.....wonder why?

You seem to be turning this into something personal. You make a valid point that if the manufacturer says "no," then by all means, don't do it. However, if the converse happens, as it does in the case of the Reese Goosebox for certain Lippert frames with specific weight limits, then what's your issue? Didn't that same group of designers and engineers, who you believed the in the first case, say it's okay given this set of conditions?

[NC_Hauler]

DSteiner51 wrote:
Looks like we got a 1st. One gooseneck adaptor break to dozens??? of 5th wheels. I'll wait to pass judgement on mine after 12 years so far.

Hey, guess those of you who swear by a GN are right.....Everyone should be able to use a GN to tow their 5er with, whether recommended by the manufacturer or not....what does the manufacturer know anyway, they only designed, engineered and manufactured the thing, what a bunch of idiots. Those with the experience in here know far more than those people know...Guess I'm going to be one of those stupid fools who will use a conventional 5th wheel hitch if that is what the manufacturer recommends I use...even after warranty...7 yrs now like some of the GN folks and no issues with frame, sidewalls or pin box, just as HR recommended.....I acutally made a call instead of asking on this forum because i knew no one on this forum would fix my 5er for me should something happen to it, thus the reason I made a call and didn't ask for anyone's opinion on this subject....seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.....but to some, even that seems to be a really dumb idea.....wonder why?

[DSteiner51]

Looks like we got a 1st. One gooseneck adaptor break to dozens??? of 5th wheels. I'll wait to pass judgement on mine after 12 years so far.

[New_Vision]

I used to pull with a goose neck adaptor made by Convert-a-Ball. No more, I am proof of what can happen. Pulled for three years with no issues. Then got back from the Black Hills, and realized the hitch was at an angle. The pin box flexed cracking the frame at the back side of the pin box on either side of it. Got lucky, and found a good blacksmith shop to do the repairs. The frames are made with 2 x 4 inch square tubing. They replaced it with solid stock, and braced it back with quarter inch angle iron. This was not a Lippert frame, this was a Leland. We traded the camper off, and now I tow with a fifth wheel hitch. Much easier to hitch and unhitch, better ride, easier to back up and removing the hitch is not a big deal. I will never pull with a goose neck adaptor again. I would not risk damage to your fifth wheel, do not use a goose neck adaptor.

[DSteiner51]

fj12ryder wrote:
My BIL uses a gooseneck adapter to haul his 31' Keystone fifth wheel bunkhouse. In fact he usually pulls a 17' ski boat behind when he goes to Minnesota, he lives in southwest Iowa.

He has had no issues with it that I'm aware of.

To me it looks like it puts a lot of stress on the frame of the fifth wheel, but like I said he has had no issues.

After 10 years with no issues I decided to get bold and added a hitch to my fifth wheel to pull doubles too. No, I don't pull thru mud or snow with doubles but I do get off road with 1000lbs bike and trailer combined. Also pull 18% slope. Just did it two years so I won't give a definite no problem but will wait a couple years and see what happens. (See my hitch pict in above post)

[RandACampin]

Funny...the people doing it report no issues. Those that have never done it say you will have problems.

[NC_Hauler]

alanmikkelsen wrote:
I am always getting a kick out of reading responses on this topic. The original poster asked for experiences. I'm not seeing a lot of that here. I was visiting with a large local RV dealer in Missoula, MT, and he said fully 50% of their 5'vr's go out the door with gooseneck adapters and they didn't appear to think twice about it. I don't have a 5'ver right now, but my next one will receive a gooseneck adapter for the flipover ball I have in my truck.

Glad you get a kick out of reading responses on this topic...RE-READ the OP..."ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS APPRECIATED"...(see below).

Looking @ purchasing a 5th wheel trailer, at this time. Would like to install a gooseneck hitch. Due to the experince out there, what are the pros and cons of this set up? Would like to do this myself as I have the tools and a mechanical background. Trailer set up is 29'-30' range under 14,000 lbs. Have a 3500 cc drw w/flatbed that has an inset gooseneck ball installed. Any and all suggestions appreciated. ..

OK, now, MY suggestion didn't suggest Armageddon was going to happen, nor did I come on like a know it all, as you did or make fun of others....I merely stated a known FACT.....A GN, still today, in the year, 2013, soon to be 2014, if being used to tow a 5er, MIGHT, and I say, just MIGHT cause some of the warranty of a NEW, and again, I said NEW 5th wheel, and the OP gave us the impression, they were buying a NEW 5er, might just VOID some of the 5er's warranty IF something were to happen to the frame or front side wall...

ALL that being said, ALL, and again, I say, ALL I "RECOMMENDED" was for the OP, if they care about a warranty on a brand new 5th wheel, just might want to ask the MANUFACTURER, NOT THE DEALER, but the MANUFACTURER, (whose has last word on any warranty repair work), what THEY say about towing the 5er THEY MANUFACTURED, with a GN...ALL I did was recommend they make ONE phone call and get it straight from the horses mouth....didn't try to scare anyone, didn't make up stuff, didn't claim all kinds of 5er's had broken or cracked frames...just made a very, common sense recommendation that they call the manufacturer of the 5er and see what THEY say, not what I say, not what YOU say, but what the people who manufactured the 5th wheel and who will warranty it.

Doesn't have anything to do with experience, just plain old common sense after paying a pretty good hunk of money on a brand new 5th wheel. I was told years ago when I purchased my 5er new and I had to move up from a 16K hitch to the one I have now, I though about going with a GN,, (yeah, really), and was told my Monaco/Holiday Rambler that "IF" I towed my 5er with a GN, and something DID happen like causing a crack or getting de-lamination in the front side wall, or breaking/cracking the frame around the pin box, that they, Holiday Rambler would not fix it...they DIDN'T recommend a GN hitch, so I didn't buy one..I stayed with a conventional hitch because I really wasn't going to "go out of my way" to take a chance on messing up my brand new 5er.

My recommendation, laughable???? Telling someone to call the MANUFACTURER of the 5er, if you care about warranty, and find out THEIR take on towing the 5er they will do warranty repair work on, if you can tow it with a GN??? REALLY??? Hey, if they say, no problem....go for it...if they say it could void some of the warranty on your unit...hey, your money, your choice....oh, and even with the frame, the manufacturer of the 5er is normally the mediator between frame repair work if issues with the frame occur (while 5er is under warranty).