Hitch question

Nwcid · December 29, 2020

I know this is a hotly debated topic.......

I just picked up my first HDT, 2014 Volvo 630. It has a long wheelbase at 265" and I am keeping it tandem.

I currently have the Reece Goosebox on my trailer but I still have the original king pin. My original plan was to install a gooseneck ball behind the commercial hitch. Now I am debating on what to do about a bed and that will decide what I do about a hitch.

I will be taking my truck off the beaten path and not just be a pavement queen. I know you can go direct to the commercial hitch, but with no movement that concerns me a bit.

Am I better off just installing a gooseneck ball behind the hitch or getting a king pin to gooseneck ball adapter and then using an Anderson coupler to allow the range of motion between the truck and trailer?

Chad Heiser · December 29, 2020

There are some who will tell you to just use your OEM king pin in the OEM commercial hitch and you will have no issues. There are others who will tell you to never do that, always install an RV hitch with cushioning and side to side motion. This topic has been hotly debated on this forum and other internet HDT groups. This forum typically comes down on the side of add an RV style hitch.

My personal opinion is it somewhat depends on how you will use your HDT and RV 5th wheel. If you don't tow the trailer very often and you stay on mostly level roads that aren't going to induce much side to side motion in the trailer (think driveway transitions when turning), then you can probably get away with using the commercial hitch on the HDT. If you tow regularly, but still stay on mostly level ground I would lean toward an RV style hitch (but there are some who get away with the commercial hitch with no problems and others who have had major frame issues). If you are going to be going off the beaten path and not sure what the road ahead is going to be like, I would definitely recommend an RV style hitch with side to side motion and preferably one with some type of cushioning built in (think air bags or similar).

Me personally, I would not tow any of the 5th wheels I have owned with a commercial 5th wheel hitch. Just the transition from the highway to the side road where I live would create huge stress on the trailer frame due to how it is layed out. I wouldn't want to take the chance of damaging my trailer with those kinds of twisting forces.

A gooseneck style hitch is an option that allows articulation in all directions and could be used. I would add, though, that using a gooseneck style hitch in a pickup vs. an HDT is a whole different proposition. I have owned and towed many gooseneck style trailers and 5th wheel style trailers. The gooseneck style trailers, almost universally, are built stronger than the 5th wheel style trailers I have owned and stand up to abuse better than 5th wheels. It comes down to a question of physics. A pick up will be more forgiving to any trailer than an HDT will. The pickup will have softer suspension and not transfer as much force to the trailer as an HDT. I personally would not tow an RV 5th wheel converted to gooseneck with an HDT unless I knew that 5th wheel frame was equivalent in construction to a typical OEM gooseneck trailer and even then, I would still want some type of cushioning on the hitch. There are gooseneck hitches out there that incorporate air bags into the design that I would consider. With all that in mind though, in my opinion, it would be easier to just use an RV style 5th wheel hitch with cushioning rather than convert the RV 5th wheel to gooseneck, add cushioning to that system and then add a gooseneck ball to the HDT.

I guess this is a pretty longwinded way of saying I personally wouldn't do what you are asking based on my experience towing with pickup and HDT's and the fact you state you will be going "off the beaten path."

Nwcid · December 29, 2020

Thank you for your lengthy reply.

I tow the trailer a lot and we travel in the woods, not camp ground to camp ground. Good articulation is must which is why I did not even consider direct to commercial.

The Reece Goosebox is an air ride hitch that is approved by Lippert for use on their frames.

The Anderson hitch adapter I am talking about has the "ball" connection in the same location as the king pin. The only difference is that is a "ball" so it articulates like a traditional gooseneck. That is why I was considering this route. Also it requires no modifications to the truck.

Here is the Anderson side, just the part attached to the trailer,

Here is the truck side attachment,

Moresmoke · December 29, 2020

Some of the farmers around here use the adapter you show to pull gooseneck flats. The commercial hitch needs to be blocked or pinned so it does not flop front to back. And it sits higher than a gooseneck ball in a pickup so the trailer is either running uphill, or they need to adjust if switching between tow vehicles.

To use that Anderson adapter you would need to take the Goosebox off correct? If that is the case you are going backwards to mount that directly on the commercial hitch with an adapter.

If I were in you shoes, I would mount a gooseneck ball towards the back of the frame. Especially if you are looking for deck space on the truck. On my HDT the top of the ball is just about level with the top of the frame.

Nwcid · December 30, 2020

21 hours ago, Moresmoke said:

Some of the farmers around here use the adapter you show to pull gooseneck flats. The commercial hitch needs to be blocked or pinned so it does not flop front to back. And it sits higher than a gooseneck ball in a pickup so the trailer is either running uphill, or they need to adjust if switching between tow vehicles.

To use that Anderson adapter you would need to take the Goosebox off correct? If that is the case you are going backwards to mount that directly on the commercial hitch with an adapter.

If I were in you shoes, I would mount a gooseneck ball towards the back of the frame. Especially if you are looking for deck space on the truck. On my HDT the top of the ball is just about level with the top of the frame.

Yes, to use the king pin to ball adapter, I would be removing the Goosebox and putting the king pin box back on and using the Anderson. This would bring the ball height inline with the commercial hitch height.

My plan is to mount a gooseneck ball about 24-36" in from the back of the trailer. I still need to measure the clearance on my trailer and it is stored off site. That will all happen once I get my bed built.

Until then I need a solution for pulling that does not require fabrication work that will have to be undone once the bed is installed. With the 2 items pictured I would be able to sell them when I no longer need them and helpfully get 50% of my money back.

Star Dreamer · December 30, 2020

If you use the 5th wheel pin to gooseneck ball with the commercial hitch, like mentioned previously, you need to lock the pivoting so hitch does not move plus you need to come up with a place to hook up the safety chains that are required when you have a gooseneck ball.

Moresmoke · December 31, 2020

12 hours ago, Nwcid said:

Yes, to use the king pin to ball adapter, I would be removing the Goosebox and putting the king pin box back on and using the Anderson. This would bring the ball height inline with the commercial hitch height.

My plan is to mount a gooseneck ball about 24-36" in from the back of the trailer. I still need to measure the clearance on my trailer and it is stored off site. That will all happen once I get my bed built.

Until then I need a solution for pulling that does not require fabrication work that will have to be undone once the bed is installed. With the 2 items pictured I would be able to sell them when I no longer need them and helpfully get 50% of my money back.

Your future gooseneck ball hitch would be best bolted to the frame and not the bed structure. I would just go ahead and figure out where the ball needs to be and get it over with.