5th wheel to gooseneck adapter.......need advice

[Firstgenfanantic]

I currently have a nice gooseneck ball installed in the bed of my 93' Dodge Ram W250. This gooseneck hitch is the "flip-down" style, which makes the bed flush when not in use. (not to be confused with the B&W turnover ball).



My questions is: I really would like to use my gooseneck hitch and buy a smaller size 5th wheel travel trailer (19'-24'). Can I use one of those adapters available on the market and be ok? I've done a little bit of research and found that most 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter company's have a disclaimer: "This product may cause premature king pin wear or damage to the trailer frame" I do understand that these adapters apply a "leverage action" onto the king pin. Could I safely get away with using one? I can honestly see ruling against it on a large/heavy full-size 5th wheeler... ... ... but what about a smaller one like what I'm looking for? (19'-24') Any help, suggestions, advice, product links, etc would be much appreciated.

 

[MMeier]

Sounds like you have the info needed. Why are you asking?

 

[Grizzly]

Normally it's not advisable to use an adapter for a 5th wheel to a goose neck hitch, however with a small 5er as you described I believe you will be fine.



Another way to go is to get a 5th wheel hitch that hooks up to the goose neck ball. My neighbor has one and pulls a 34' 5er very often and has never had a problem.

 

[mberry]

Grizzly,

Can you please elaborate a little bit on that adapter you mention? It's an adapter that connects to the gooseneck ball, then to the 5ver kingpin? Is that correct? Thanks.

 

[CharlesHoward]

Check out the Star Performance Hitch as one example:
Star Performance Hitch || Try One and You'll Own One.

Also any RV parts website with hitches will have standard / less expensive Fiver to Gooseneck adaptors. Manufacturers of these adapters advertise in Trailer Life magazine. They ATTACH to the Trailer Hitch Pin using "collets".

I've towed a 12+K 36' 2005 Fiver with the SPHitch using a gooseneck ball for over 2500 miles without problem so far. My Fiver Hitch is very robust looking as befits a heavier fiver. Smaller and Lighter RVs might have 'lighter' frames too?? Plenty of trailer frames have broken with the usual Fifth Wheel hitch, so of course the robustness of the trailer frame is the biggest issue and older trailers may have better/heavier frames according to long time RVers.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly,



Can you please elaborate a little bit on that adapter you mention? It's an adapter that connects to the gooseneck ball, then to the 5ver kingpin? Is that correct? Thanks.

My neighbor and friend has a B&W 5th wheel hitch that attaches to a goose neck ball. He has the system on his 06 3500 dually Dodge/Cummins long bed, 6 speed G56. Click on link.



B&W Companion Fifth Wheel Hitch on Sale

 

[GAmes]

I once had a 5er that weighed about 9000 that I pulled behind my 92 Dodge D350. I had a gooseneck tube welded to the plate that enclosed the kingpin, reinforced by triangular plates to the flat plate the kingpin was welded to. A few miles after making a panic stop to avoid a moron who had run a red light I looked in the reaview mirror and the front of the 5er looked closer than normal. I pulled into a parking lot and found the 1/8 thick steel plate the kingpin was welded to had torn like paper due to the leverage effect of the tube. The tube was at about a 45 degree angle. I paid tourist prices to a local welder who cut the old plate off and replaced it with a piece of 1/4 inch plate and welded the tube to it. My recommendation is if you decide to use an adapter, you should beef up the kingpin plate, then keep a close watch on it.

 

[CharlesHoward]

Just came back from the local RV show where I examined Fiver kingpin mounts. Positively, I think mine must be 1/4 inch Steel as I know I was able to drill and tap it to accept some bolts.
The smallest/shortest Fivers had very thin (1/8"?) steel kingpin mounts. Even the Trailair airbag king pin steel on the biggest/longest Fivers was thinner than what is on my Kingpin mount. Hopefully my thicker steel will hold up...

 

[obert]

I once had a 5er that weighed about 9000 that I pulled behind my 92 Dodge D350. I had a gooseneck tube welded to the plate that enclosed the kingpin, reinforced by triangular plates to the flat plate the kingpin was welded to. A few miles after making a panic stop to avoid a moron who had run a red light I looked in the reaview mirror and the front of the 5er looked closer than normal. I pulled into a parking lot and found the 1/8 thick steel plate the kingpin was welded to had torn like paper due to the leverage effect of the tube. The tube was at about a 45 degree angle. I paid tourist prices to a local welder who cut the old plate off and replaced it with a piece of 1/4 inch plate and welded the tube to it. My recommendation is if you decide to use an adapter, you should beef up the kingpin plate, then keep a close watch on it.

I made my set up similar to this, but rather than "attach" the tube, I cut the pin out and welded the tube into the pinbox entirely, along with the triangle gussets. The hitch itself seems to be very robust-- many miles on it and no problems, even a few of those panic stops, though I do try to balance the brakes more to the trailer. After reading about the possible frame damage, I try to inspect all that I can see of the frame periodicly, and "so far" no problems. Trailer is a '91 year model and weighs at or just under 7k lbs on the road.

 

[CDonaldson]

I have a 5th wheel that I use a king pin adapter to GN. I spent some time checking out all the different adapters available, decided to go with the Pop UP adapter, it seemed the best constructed of them all.



I have a ton of miles on my 5th wheel since installing the adapter and have had NO problems whatsoever. I really like the way it has performed, both on road and even some off road.



CD

 

[TMRoper1669]

Out here in the Utah you see alot of those goosneck adapters, on all sizes of trailers going down the road, I owned one on a 28' I had and I didn't like it at all I think it pulled rougher then anything I switched to a B&W Companion and it pulled like a dream, I now have a 34' and would go back to a adapter at all.

 

[MMeier]

I owned one on a 28' I had and I didn't like it at all I think it pulled rougher then anything I switched to a B&W Companion and it pulled like a dream, I now have a 34' and would go back to a adapter at all.

. . or wouldn't?

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I have a Cody turn over ball in my '97 and a B&W turn over ball in my '06. I pulled my 32' Travel Supreme with my '97 for five years and with my '06 for two years with a Cody goose neck adapter. I weighed the trailer alone several different times at truck stops averaging 24,000 pounds. I never had one problem using the adapter. I checked the frame work on the trailer every time we moved. In seven years, 58 addresses and many thousands of miles the frame never cracked.



Was it smart to use an adapter? Maybe, maybe not. Would I recommend it to someone else? Probably not, I wouldn't want to be responsible for getting someone else injured. Maybe I just got lucky!? I do believe it has alot to do with the way the unit is being operated-slamming the brakes, terrain, etc...

 

[Firstgenfanantic]

Conclusion

I decided to stomp out my fears of using an adapter and just bought one today online. I talked with a good friend of mine who has been using the exact same adapter on his 32' 5th wheel trailer for several years. He has had zero issues and loves the adapter. I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinions in general... ... ... . yes, some folks have had negetive experiences with these adapters. On the other hand, there have been some good stories. I feel that my application (size, weight, road conditions, etc) will work well with one of these units. Thanks for all the comments and info!

 

[CPittman]

We welded the GN ball adapter onto the pin box AND welded a "kicker" - 2" square tube from the bottom of the adapter back to the pin box frame to help with those "Oh *****" brake applications.



See my Reader's Rigs gallery for a pic.



Remember, once you weld something on like I did - you'll be keeping your 5er forever because you've now hosed the resale value (like mine ever had any... ).

 

[steved]

I guess my question is, why not just buy a replacement pin box and custom make a hitch? Instead of adapters, just fab up a hitch... the hitches are replaceable.