Gooseneck Conversions on 5th Wheel?

T

tr4petty

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Aug 27, 2007
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OK, this has probably been discussed before but I'd like to know if anyone has actually had a problem with putting a gooseneck attachment on their 5th Wheel camper. I keep reading about this subject and I see a lot of people warning against it due to increased stress on the trailer's hitch pin area but I've yet to see any posts by someone who has actually experienced a problem. I've talked to 3 different people now who have the conversion done and tow their 5th Wheel with a GN and they are very happy with it. I really like the idea of just having a turnover ball in my bed and nothing else. I don't like the idea of having a huge, heavy, 5th Wheel hitch in my bed to have to remove/install constantly. I use my truck for lots of things and the big 5th Wheel hitch would have to come out every time we got home from camping.
 
I have the flip over ball so bought resse conversion kit it conects to the fifth wheel and uses lockup bolts to hold it secure so once it's on the trailer it just like a regular goose neck have pulled lots of loads in the 25k + range with no problems. if ever to do it again i would just go with the fifth wheel in the truck don't like the side roll you get with a ball
 
Might want to look at the Insurance side. If the trialer Mfg says 'no' then you could run into liability issues. For instance...... the trailer snaps from the strain and hits something like your truck, a person, the road. Just make sure you are covered.
 
I towed new campers for awhile. One of my backhauls was a huge fifth wheel that had a GN adapter on it previously. The added leverage on the hitch had caused it to flex enough to crack the fiberglass sides of the camper.
 
Petty, if I understand you correctly, you said you don't like the idea of removing the hitch all the time? ......How often do you pull or plan on pulling the fith-wheel? How much does it weigh? Will you trade often?
I know the 5th wheels are a PIA to remove and they ruin your bed space. 06 Diesel mentioned the B&W. As with most 5th wheels the B&W is removable but it only leaves a bed-flat hitch hole that's a GN as well. You might try leaving the hitch locked to the trailer, not the truck. Backing under the 5th wheel hitch can be tricky but you won't need much adjustment if you square it up first. .......I really hate moving those dam things too.
 
Thanks for the comments guys. It'll be my first RV and I'd like to get it right. So far, I've talked to a lot of guys with 5vers and posted questions on a few sites. It seems that 98% of the guys with GN conversions on their 5vers are happy with them. It's that 2% that worries me. I may just have to spring for the B&W Companion 5th Wheel hitch. At least it comes apart in two pieces so each piece may be a bit more easily handled when loading/unloading. It's quite expensive, but probably less expensive than repairing damages and paying damages to another party if something happened! I'll admit that I'm a novice regarding RVs and towing but after talking to many people about this, it seems like there would be a big market for a 5ver RV that is made with a Gooseneck hitch from the factory. A lot of people here in the country have GN hitches in their trucks to pull haywagons, horse trailers, etc. Why doesn't some savvy RV manufacturer make a 5ver that will hook up to their GN hitches? Sure seems like a big seller to me.
Well, I'm not a big hurry, so I'm going to ponder the situation a while longer.
Another thing I've been told is that I'll need a brake controller. I don't even know what that is. I thought you just plugged the RV into the rear bumper plug and it gave power to the RV's lights AND brakes! I've got a lot to learn!
Thanks again guys!
 
You need RV net or something. I'd rent something and pay the dammages.......THEN go get a new fiver.
 
I have had 2 different fifth wheel campers that had been converted to goose neck type hitches. I was happy with one but not the other. My first fifth wheel was a large 28 foot with a very solid neck and handled the gooseneck adapter very well. I couln't tell it was not a regular fifth wheel. My second camper was a 26 foot model that was supposed to be a lighter version of camper. The neck on the second trailer was not as substantial and it did not like the gooseneck adapter from my old camper. You could feel the neck of the camper flexing as you were towing on rough roads. It would sort of push and pull my truck so to speak. I used it that way for about a year and have recently sold it. The adapter attached to the kingpin of the trailer and had extended the trailer down to couple with the gooseneck. This seemed to add leverage to the neck of the trailer and made it feel like it was flexing. I will go with the B&W turnover ball and fifth wheel adapter for my next trailer. Just my 2cents. Jeremy.
 
A 5th wheel isn't any stronger than a Gooseneck. The fulcrum or piviot point is higher on a 5th which is better for the camper. FYI...The B&W 5th wheel is rated @ 18K and the B&W ball is rated @ 30K.
 
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