5th wheel hitch vs gooseneck

[dosbeagles]

What is the advantage of using a gooseneck over the king pin and regular 5th wheel hitch.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

You have a flat truck bed if you want.  BUT using a gooseneck adapter on an RV with a standard 5th wheel pin set up puts leverage forces on the RV frame.  

 

[Chad Heiser]

I have towed both 5th wheel and gooseneck trailers.  There is no advantage in my opinion in using a gooseneck adapter on an RV 5th wheel.  In fact, as Jim mentioned above, there are some significant detriments.  I will also add that it is easier to connect a 5th wheel than a gooseneck (in my experience).

If a flat (unobstructed) bed is a strong desire, there are 5th wheel hitches that leave a flat bed when removed.

[Randyretired]

A gooseneck hitch allows side to side movement that some 5th wheel hitches do not.  I have a couple of gooseneck trailers that I changed the neck to a 5th wheel pin so these can be pulled with my HDT.  My PU has a gooseneck so I end up changing back and forth occasionally.  The hitch on the HDT has side to side movement and the hitch type doesn't seem to make any difference whether it is a gooseneck or 5th wheel for driving.  If the arm length of a gooseneck adapter setup doesn't lengthen causing increased leverage I don't think it matters but if that leverage is increased beyond what the trailer is designed for that could be a problem.  I understand the desire for an open bed and a number of years ago I converted our 5th wheel to a gooseneck and put a lot of miles on it including a trip to Alaska.  For what it is worth we never had a problem.

[NDBirdman]

I use a type of modified gooseneck and love it.  I'm referring to the Anderson hitch.  Yup, some folks love them, some hate them.  Puts no additional stress on the camper king-pin.  Hitch assy, on or off in less than 5 minutes and I can load/unload it by myself as it is light.  Rated up to 24k.  If I were to change this out, I would go to a goose-box.  It also adds no additional stress to the RV frame.  In the end, it is all in what you want.  I can have a clean truck bed real quick.

There is no way I would use the goose-neck adapter they sell.  I can see that thing doing some serious damage to the RV frame.

[Ray,IN]

Two things to remember about a gooseneck hitch, it will pop off the ball in a few extreme instances, they require safety chains just like a Travel trailer w/ball hitch.  I converted one trailer to a kin pin hitch, I got so  old and stiff I couldn't crawl into the dually bed to attach the safety chains without a degree of difficulty. A king pin hitch is stronger, thus the safety chain requirement.

[noteven]

Gooseneck/ball coupled semi trailers allow for tremendous articulations off highway for applications like ranchin.  I have a couple scars on the upper rear of my won ton’s box to prove it. 

I would not add a 2 ft lever to the pin box of yer average RV “fiver”- my Carriage toyhauler has a pretty stout frame (for a rv) and even they state “don’t” in the manual. Forum member and manufacturer “Phoenix” posted some interesting data from testing the forces pins and hitches can be subject to. 

A removeable B&W is what I use.

oh and a goose ball is a pain to hitch up vs backing in and crashing into the pin...

[NDBirdman]

1 hour ago, noteven said:

I would not add a 2 ft lever to the pin box of yer average RV “fiver”

Me either!  That's why I went with andersen.  The ball is right up to the kingpin.  No 2 foot leverage, chains not required but optional.

[Friz]

On 11/30/2018 at 1:11 PM, rm.w/aview said:

You prolly know about this but I threw it in anyway... https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Reese/RP94622.html?msclkid=d631d4bcd194185e632188bdadfb599e&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shop - Gooseneck and Fifth Wheel Adapters - RLSA&utm_term=4577266907976619&utm_content=General

I see there are various sizes, but don't know anything of their value or applicability.

Went to the web site. First reaction was crazy expensive. Then paged through the photos which end with a cutaway drawing of the adapter. That explained the cost. This thing pivots on a pin and has a damper/shock absorber to dampen the force transmitted to the camper frame while bouncing along the road. Unique. 

[Friz]

How much does the standard plate assembly in the truck bed weigh?  Exclusive of the attachment assembly on the frame. How long does it take to install? Remove?  Is it a one man job? Or do you just leave it installed? 

Thanks, Friz

[rynosback]

On 11/30/2018 at 1:59 PM, NDBirdman said:

I use a type of modified gooseneck and love it.  I'm referring to the Anderson hitch.  Yup, some folks love them, some hate them.  Puts no additional stress on the camper king-pin.  Hitch assy, on or off in less than 5 minutes and I can load/unload it by myself as it is light.  Rated up to 24k.  If I were to change this out, I would go to a goose-box.  It also adds no additional stress to the RV frame.  In the end, it is all in what you want.  I can have a clean truck bed real quick.

There is no way I would use the goose-neck adapter they sell.  I can see that thing doing some serious damage to the RV frame.

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I would suspect that he is thinking of going this way with our fully giving us the details.  I debated going the Anderson way when I started full timing.  But I went with a B&W hitch.  This is a well built hitch and is HEAVY  DUTY.  I had read mixed things about the Anderson hitch. Some complained about it denting/bending the bed creases.  

[RV_]

I loved the Andersen hitch I used for about a year in a truck that came only with a gooseneck ball. I liked the non clanking solid hitch connection. I especially liked their fifth wheel pin to ball receptacle adapter. It was great. I've owned all RAM, a 1ton diesel dually, two  3/4 ton diesel, and my current 3/4ton long bed Ram with the 2004.5 direct rail injection Cummins 5.9 that only came in the 2004.5/2005/2006/2007. IMHO the best light duty engines ever made for modern diesels. All had the standard Holland type fifth wheel hitches except the one with the ball only.

I believe the Scamp hitch I have now is the best of both worlds. They come standard with a Reese 2" ball hitch. I bought it but had sold my Andersen, and my current truck only had a regular fifth wheel hitch in the bed. I didn't think it would work when the folks selling the Scamp brought it by because they had a much smaller 1500 truck. Since mine had a Reese hitch the rails looked the same, so we unpinned it from their truck, and it pinned right into my old Reese fifth wheel rails perfectly. What are the chances. But I doubted it could turn without the tailgate hitting the hitch on the trailer. Imagine our surprise when it hitched up fine because the trailer had been raised by the factory for taller modern trucks. My Scamp is a 2013 hardly used. Well, I had them and my wife watching both sides as I tried a more than 90° jackknife turn and not only was the rig front fine, it rode perfectly with no close clearances! Amazing. It fit and rode great and on my full size long bed truck!

Now when folks described it to me it made no sense until I had one. Here's pics:

Notice the old Rhino lined rails that were in the truck from the fiver Reese hitch. I have the almost new rails off the other truck when I bought it. Nice design. Mine shown is a 16k Reese ball hitch.

[Don_T]

I used to have the B&W 5th wheel hitch but I can no longer lift it in and out of my truck so. I also had a Roto Flex pin box I didn’t like so I changed the pin box to a Goose Box and bought a B&W gooseneck ball and safety chains. The combination rides much better and there is nothing to taking the ball and chain mounts out of the bed. It also helps that the Goose Box and gooseneck ball combination weigh less than the B&W 5th wheel hitch and Roto Flex pin box.

[rpsinc]

Not experienced in this but have seen some that remove the hitch when unhooking the trailer.  So the hitch comes out of the truck with the trailer(the hitch and trailer are NOT unhooked as typical).  I have never done this but wonder how well or not it accomodates the heavier hitches or situations where the hitch removal is not a possibility.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

I recently purchased a new TV with custom hauler bed. I decided not to go with a fifth wheel hitch on this truck and make use of the goose neck ball and have better excess to the bed area without a large 5er hitch. I replaced my 5er pin box with a new Reece Goose Boox 20,000lb pin box. This pin box not only has shocks but also a air bag within it. The Goose Box is much more sturdy that the factory pin box. Only had a short tow with the new tRuck Goose Box but it tows and rides good and very smooth. With the camera system in the new truck I had very little difficulty hooking up. 

The Reese Goose Box is a nice alternative to some one who wants to have use of their truck bed without having to remove the 5er hitch. Most new truck now come with a puck system to us a turnover ball like mine does.

https://www.towuniverse.com/reese-goose-box-20k-rated-2-5-16-gooseneck-rv-coupler-for-lippert-1621-1716-wing-sets?language=en&currency=USD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw8ear6ey4AIVhLfACh1MLA8DEAQYASABEgIF7_D_BwE

” Happy Trails “

Chiefneon

[RV_]

Hey Chief,

Now that is a nice conversion! I just watched the video in the link you provided and that is a whole other thing from the junk stovepipe extensions some have tried. No leverage to break the trailer front fame and, like the Scamp Reese hitch that uses a ball but is at the same height as the original hitch, has no lever acting against it.

For a new build I would go with your Reese Goosebox.

If someone already has a Reese fiver hitch with rails, the Reese ball hitch will drop right in old rails and pin u[p as shown in my picture.

If my truck (I always buy used and cash) already has a hitch I will use it. But if both are new I really like that gooseneck pin box.