Goose neck hitch question

[GTOWag]

I have been considering trading in my travel trailer for a fifth wheel trailer and I am considering buying a goose neck hitch instead of a fifth wheel hitch. I can see a lot of advantages to a goose neck vs. a fifth wheel, but can anyone tell me any disadvantages and why it would be better to go with the fifth wheel hitch instead? I notice that a lot of fifth wheel hitches have expensive hitches such as More Ride, Trailer Saver, Air Ride and 5th Airborne that are supposed to reduce or eliminate some of the surging/bucking etc. associated with fifth wheel RVs. Would this also be a problem with goose neck hitches that would not be correctable? Has anyone towed with both hitches who could give nonbiased opinion? Your input would be appreciated.

 

[Okie-Go]

I have pulled with both. I took the gooseneck off the gooseneck and bought a king-pin for the gooseneck trailer. This let me pull two trailers with the fifth wheel hitch. It really makes a difference, I have the easyrider 20k fifth wheel hitch. I would not pull without it. Makes so much difference I bought one for the bumper pull also. No jerlking or bucking. Good investment it you tow frequently like I do.

 

[n7gxz]

I like the 5th-wheel hitch much better. They are easier to couple to, I can look out the back window and get the trailer/hitch lined up and couple. With the gooseneck you are guessing, getting out and checking and the moving and checking, and and... ... I have the B&W turnover ball hitch (gooseneck) which mounts flush under the bed and then the 5th-wheel companion drops into it.



Kevin

 

[roperteacher]

I pull a gooseneck LARGE Living quarters horse trailer. My grandparents used to have a 5th wheel and of course horse trailer so they just had the 5th wheel converted to a gooseneck. Once you get good at lining up the truck you don't have to get out as much! LOLOLOL Plus I can look out the back window pretty easily as well. With the GN you really save lots of room in the bed. Oo.

 

[RustyJC]

So, how are you planning on hitching a 5th wheel trailer to a gooseneck hitch? If you're thinking about using a "gooseneck adapter", try doing some searches on that topic and plan on many hours of reading. 5th wheel trailer frames aren't built for the dynamic loads imposed by a gooseneck hitch arrangement.



If I needed both capabilities, I'd suggest the B&W Turnoverball gooseneck with its companion 5th wheel RV hitch. When neither is installed, you're left with a clean bed floor.



Rusty

 

[Pawpaw]

Hooking up a gooseneck by yourself can be really easy. Just get a telescoping magnetic pickup tool, preferably with a brightly colored handle.



Back up close to the gooseneck and stick the pickup tool to the bed, against the front of the gooseneck ball. Get back in the truck and use your inside rear-view mirror to line up the tool and the gooseneck as you back up. When the tool falls over, the hitch is right over the ball.



You could also buy one of these: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200247924_200247924



Of course, you would only use one of those with a gooseneck. You could give the other one to a friend!





Bob

 

[jelag]

All of my trucks have a goose neck hitch in the bed... . I did this because all my work trailers are heavy and I wanted the safety margin of a hitch rated at 30K lbs and the ability to remove a ball from the bed and use the bed... .



What I personally don't care for is the time it takes to make the connection to the truck... you just can't back into a goose neck unless your really good... . the first shot... I've even put one on my travel trailer... .



My wife and I are now looking for a larger travel trailer and I've decided to use the D&W adapter (I think) that fits my goose neck and makes it a 5th wheel... I've bought it and have tried to buy 3 different used travel trailers... however each seller wanted more than I was willing to pay... another story...



So the long of it... we've had a truck totaled with a goose neck and heavy trailer... . it weighted 20K or so when it was damaged... . trailer and truck were both totaled but the trailer never came loose from the truck... bent the truck frame, and trailer frame but stayed connected so we are sold on the ability to handle the weight...



My move to the 5th wheel on my personal truck with the removable goose neck ball is more money... but allows us to haul the heavy trailers with the new 5th wheel... Hope this makes sense...

 

[LesStallings]

I don't have any problems backing right under the gooseneck the first time.



OH! that's right, I have a regular cab (vs irregular) so I guess it is not a fair comparison. If I ever change over to a quad cab, I'm really sure I will miss the ability to see the pin. Right now I don't need the back seat, so it is not an issue.



From what I've read, adapters are not the way to go. There has been a good amount of discussion about adapters on tow.com.

 

[jsdan]

go with the 5"th wheel hitch. You can see the hitch head from drivers seat for easy alignment. Your jack legs will travel much less unhooking making leveling faster with less wear and tear on landing gears. Gooseneck adapters put much more leverage on trailer framework on can cause problems.

 

[DPhillips]

I read on rv.net forum where some rv manufacturers would void warranty on the frame of the 5er because of the gooseneck connection. as mentioned above something about the stress load associated with the gooseneck connection. check out the rv forums and do more research before making your decision. klenger might have some thought on this as well. check out his rv site and the links he has.

Hope this helps

 

[MMeier]

To help when I hook up my GN, I sprayed a bit of white paint on the bed floor at the back by the tailgate, really helps, especially when it is dark outside.

 

[GTOWag]

Thanks for all your replies

Thank you for all your inputs. It sounds like it is more of a matter of preference than anything else. Here are some pros and cons based on the above replies:



Fifth Wheel pros:

* Easier to hook up

* Variety of shock absorbing hitches are available



Fifth Wheel cons:

* Always have at least mounting brackets left installed in truck bed

* Heavy hitch to remove and reinstall



Goose Neck pros

* Clean bed when not towing using a convertible ball hitch

* No hitch to remove when not towing, just flip the ball over



Goose Neck cons:

* More difficult to hookup

* No optional shock absorbing hitches available

* May cause damage to fifth wheel trailer structure when using a goose neck adapter



Summary: It sounds like the best of both worlds would be to install an under the bed goose neck hitch that has the capabilities of adapting a companion fifth wheel hitch such as a B&W or Fiver or other brands that do the same thing. This way anything could be towed but probably using the fifth wheel companion adapter would be best while towing the RV with the advantage of a totally clean bed when the hitch is removed. This would also provide the capability of towing a horse trailer etc if needed.



Thanks again for your inputs

 

[Cattletrkr]

Goose Neck cons:



* No optional shock absorbing hitches available

Yes there are



I have one that I have used for about two years. It's not perfect, but it greatly reduces how much you feel the trailer. If you need one, PM me. I know a place close to home you can get one.

 

[roperteacher]

I agree, I have seen numerous other shock absorbing hitches and pads for the gooseneck application. .