Fifth Wheel Kingpin Adapter On A Gooseneck Trailer

[HBarlow]

A couple of weeks ago in another thread about converting fifthwheel RV kingpins to gooseneck extensions and ball couplers I mentioned that I was going to do the opposite. I had ordered a GN5 gooseneck to fifthwheel adapter from Pop Up Industries owned by Young's Frames in Chanute, KS.

Gooseneck Towing Accessories

Heres my report:

I received the GN5 adapter early last week and promptly went out and installed it. Installation is a breeze. Simply pull the safety pin, back off the large "thumbscrew" that helps secure the gooseneck extension shaft from the gooseneck trailer neck, allow it to drop, and slide the new fifthwheel kingpin in. Installing the new adapter into the goose "neck" was tight so I backed my flatbed up under the neck, placed a scrap section of 2" by 8" lumber under it, and used the trailer jack to lower the adapter base inserted into the neck transferring weight to the back of the truck and pressing the adapter in like a hydraulic press.

I towed the trailer on Friday. Wow, what a huge improvement for only $160!! I can easily see both the kingpin and the fifthwheel hitch from the driver's seat of my quad cab truck looking over the Transfer Flow 70 gallon tank so it was a breeze to simply back the fifthwheel jaws to the kinpin and couple it smoothly in one shot. There is no longer a need for repeatedly stopping, getting out of the truck to eyeball measure the distance and relationship between gooseneck ball recessed in a pocket beneath the bed and the gooseneck coupler and moving the truck again. This also eliminated the need to crank the heavy gooseneck trailer up a foot to clear the flatbed then lower it to the ball.

I wish I had thought about doing this a year and a half ago when I bought the trailer. If any TDR members like myself own both a fifthwheel trailer and a gooseneck working trailer and have a fifthwheel hitch on your truck for your RV trailer I encourage you to do the same.

 

[jelag]

Harvey

When I had the shop and we towed hard and heavy we couldn't find a king pin style hitch with the weight rating of the B&W turnover ball and the gooseneck style hitch on the trailer... we were towing 22K lbs and wanted the extra safety margin...

I agree with you... the kingpin style hitch is the way to go... I had just wished there was something between the ratings on the RV stuff and the ratings on the class 8 truck stuff...

I always hated to back into the gooseneck trailer... as I always needed 2 or 3 tries. . with the kingpin style you just look into the mirror and back up... I changed my 3500 into a flat bed and the trailer is level when its parked and I can just back into the trailer with no changes... .

 

[HBarlow]

Yeah, I agree. One additional advantage I forgot to mention is the necessity of removing the fifthwheel hitch from the truck everytime I want to tow the gooseneck trailer is eliminated.

The Reese 20k hitch probably weighs at least 80 lbs. plus its been greased dozens of times and now the rotating parts inside are coated with grime. I need to drop it in a vat of cleaning solvent and start over.

 

[GAmes]

Harvey, Even though I don't use my gooseneck very often, I think you have sold me on the hitch. Cranking that thing up enough to clear the rear tool box gets to be tiresome.

 

[HBarlow]

I promise you'll love it, Gary. I used my trailer again today to go to the Kubota dealer in Plainview to recover my Kubota. That fifthwheel conversion is one of the best $160 purchases I've ever made.

Cranking the gooseneck up far enough to clear your transporter's fifthwheel tool box would make it far worse than just cranking up far enough to clear my flatbed then lowering it into the recessed pocket.

 

[NIsaacs]

Harvey, is there enough adjustment in the pipe neck to keep the trailer level? I assume there is a big difference in the height of your ball v/s the fifthwheel hitch.



Nick

 

[HBarlow]

Nick,

There are four holes through the adapter Gooseneck Towing Accessories for the securing pin spaced about 2" apart to allow extending or shortening the installed length of the kingpin but there is no adjustment in the neck of my gooseneck.

Yes, there is probably an 18" to 24" height differential between the top of the gooseneck ball located in the pocket recessed under the bed and the top of the fifthwheel but the adapter was designed with that distance in mind. It is that much shorter than the original ball coupler shaft that was in the gooseneck when purchased.

My formerly gooseneck now fifthwheel hydraulic dump trailer rides about 2" or 3" high at the nose when unloaded but when fully loaded the truck settles enough for the trailer to ride level. It was the same when the trailer was still a gooseneck.

I've only hooked up and towed my dump trailer twice since converting it but I am a believer. When the trailer was a gooseneck hooking up and even unhooking was a lot of trouble not to mention that I had to separate the three sections of the Reese fifthwheel and individually lift each heavy section off the truck before I could tow the gooseneck and then lift each section back on the flatbed and reassemble the hitch after I had towed the gooseneck. My only regret is that I didn't convert it a week after I bought it!

 

[AABEN]

Harvey



When I had the shop and we towed hard and heavy we couldn't find a king pin style hitch with the weight rating of the B&W turnover ball and the gooseneck style hitch on the trailer... we were towing 22K lbs and wanted the extra safety margin...



I agree with you... the kingpin style hitch is the way to go... I had just wished there was something between the ratings on the RV stuff and the ratings on the class 8 truck stuff...



I always hated to back into the gooseneck trailer... as I always needed 2 or 3 tries. . with the kingpin style you just look into the mirror and back up... I changed my 3500 into a flat bed and the trailer is level when its parked and I can just back into the trailer with no changes... .

I have a 21. 000 B&W for my fifth wheel. Reese has a 20. 000 22. 000 in ther slect hitchs also a 30. 000 in a flat hitch.

 

[Okie-Go]

I don't know what the excitement is all about. I have had one for several years now. Can pull the gooseneck trailer with the fifth wheel hitch which has air ride. A couple of weeks ago I got hold of a new horse trailer in Indiana. Three horse with 18ft living quarters. Took the coupler out of the gooseneck and slid the king-pin in and tightened it up. Adjusted the air in the hitch and took off.

 

[GAmes]

I don't know what the excitement is all about. I have had one for several years now.

Well, the existance of the product was news to me. I might get one and carry it around for work. I think changing out the gooseneck is easier than moving my 5er hitch whenever I am assigned a gooseneck trailer. Plus, I can write it off as a business expense.