5th wheel hitch vs gooseneck

[hex0rz]

Been looking at hitches for a 5th wheel and wondering what benefit there is of converting the king pin to a goose setup. My thoughts are infinite articulation. Dunno what kind of articulation you get in a king pin setup? As well the other point would be that if you had a gooseneck setup, then obviously spending money on a king pin hitch is not worth it. But heck, seems like most king pin hitches are about $400. This adapter is about that: http://www.reese-hitches.com/products/Fifth_Wheel_to_Gooseneck_Coupler_Adapter,C5G I do have future plans to tow a gooseneck trailer, so would it be worth my time to get a goose setup and then get the adaptor and tow a 5th with it?

[ABennin]

I have a 5th wheel and gooseneck hitchs and I like the 5th wheel better. I have a trailer that has been converted from gooseneck hitch to 5th wheel. Once the landing gear hits the ground and the weight is off with a 1/2" of clearance, I can drive away. Less jacking under load. Articulation has never been a problem, I have a standard reese hitch that I bought off CL for $150. It was steal, the guy towed a trailer up here from AZ and sold it. The hitch was like new. 5th wheel is easier to hook up IMO. Back up and wait for it to lock. Easier to see than gooseneck ball. On a sidenote I like the teflon plate for the king pin, elimantes the grease mess and having a plug in the box is really handy.

[Mopar1973Man]

Personally from what I read on the RV forum it not suggested to convert either a fifth wheel or goose neck back and forth. I know they sell adapters for it but there is some issues with stress on the adapters and the trailer as well. It seem that most RV's are typically 5th wheel where most ultility trailers are goose neck.As for me personally I tried to avoid either set up. I don't want to have a ball in the bed nor a fifth wheel plate to deal with. Not to mention the lost of storage space in the bed. Where most fifth wheel and goose neck set up either you remove the tailgate or replace with a notch tailgate.

[flagmanruss]

I've had both in my old Chevy 1 ton gasser. In my opinion, I like the gooseneck better because it lets the truck & trailer follow their own terrain where as the 5th wheel transmits the stresses across the hitch to find some compromise. The 5er is fine on improved surfaces. I will point out that on a steep hill with a sharp turn at the top, I cleaned the tied downs out of my rear stake pockets in the bed with some damage... when the trailers actual gooseneck frame closed the more than 12" gap. RVs are built closer to the body assuming the more restrictive 5th wheel movements. To convert to a gooseneck is unwise unless you have a flatbed.

[ABennin]

I agree on the adapters 100%. When I said converted this is what I have.

[hex0rz]

Well, I suppose I'm stuck doing a king pin setup for a 5th wheel. Is doing a notched tailgate mandatory when doing a 5th wheel? I did not think it was?Now, what about conversion boxes? I see they sell the boxes to convert the 5th to a goose instead of using the adapter? Would this be of any benefit?I do want to be able to take it into the mountains with me for camping... Most of the roads in the forest are managed, but when you get off the beaten path a bit, there is a little more roughage.I want to try and steer clear of rear hitch trailers as I'm trying to capitalize on the space we'll have for a living area.

[flagmanruss]

I didn't / don't have a notched tailgate with an 8 foot bed. Hooking up either is a 2 step process. Get the trailer's coupling inside the bed & lined up. Put up the gate & finish backing under. I can drop the gate when coupled... usually it clears the spare tire, sometimes it just barely rubs. I installed an extension harness into the bed side for the trailer plug.

[AH64ID]

Converting a 5th wheel to a gooseneck is common, but not recommended by any of the RV manufacturers that I am aware of. The gooseneck is a more rugged design, and if you look at the applications the only reason an RV is a 5th wheel is the ease of hookup for RVers. The gooseneck outperforms in all modes except hookup.

[Wild and Free]

You have got to be carefull when you convert a 5er camper to a gooseneck as you have to take into acount the unlimited side to side flex you do not get with a 5er plate if driving on uneven roads you can make box to camper contact very easily.Like posted above there are few camper MFG that would recommend the gooseneck conversion do to the extra forces it puts on the front structure of the RV.I would never pull a bumper trailer over a gooseneck or 5er, much more stable and easier on the pickup rides nicer and can pull a lot more a lot easier.I like the B&W gooseneck hitches, the ball flips over and ther is nothing in the bed to get in the way flush and flat with bed floor when stowed away, I also had a layover ball in my 02 that was nice too but wasn't rated for as much weight as the B&W in my 05. Plus the B&W Companion 5th wheel plate just clips over the gooseneck ball for easy install and removal.

[dripley]

I just drop the gate and back under the trailer and into the hitch. no need to close tailgate until you are ready to leave. The notched tailgate will allow you to hook up without dropping the tailgate.

[mr.mindless]

I just drop the gate and back under the trailer and into the hitch. no need to close tailgate until you are ready to leave. The notched tailgate will allow you to hook up without dropping the tailgate.

This. Notched gates aren't low enough for goose hookup. I hate bumper pull by comparison to anything in the bed.

[Mopar1973Man]

I hate bumper pull by comparison to anything in the bed.

Something a bumper pull can do... No sacrificing the bed space for 5th wheels or a goose neck. But for heavy haul like you do Mr. Mindless yes gooseneck or 5th wheel is the better option being the weight is all on the axle not the bumper. But even CajFlynn tend to show off some serious load on a bumper pull.

[dripley]

This. Notched gates aren't low enough for goose hookup. I hate bumper pull by comparison to anything in the bed.

I should have added I have a 5th wheel and not a goose neck.

[Wild and Free]

Something a bumper pull can do... [ATTACH=CONFIG]5320[/ATTACH] No sacrificing the bed space for 5th wheels or a goose neck. But for heavy haul like you do Mr. Mindless yes gooseneck or 5th wheel is the better option being the weight is all on the axle not the bumper. But even CajFlynn tend to show off some serious load on a bumper pull.

LOL................... I pull a trailer about the same size with bigger loads of woods than that behind my Honda 300 4 wheeler. When the load gets too big my wife has to sit on the front rack for more traction. Pulling it is easy, stopping it is a bit more tricky though when it gets that heavy. Wife and I would get lots of fire wood years ago, I had two bumper pull pickup box trailers tagged together so 3 full sized pickup boxes heaped with unsplit wood then my second pickup with a bumper pull 16 foot by 5.5 foot wide stock trailer filled to the roof and the bed heaped in a single afternoon from the cotton wooded river bottoms of the Missouri river. when we would get those loads we would already have it pre cut into splitting lengths prior to picking it up. I now have two gooseneck trailers, a 30 foot triple axle flatbed and a 20 foot by 6'8" wide stock trailer for the big loads. Pulling my travel trailer or bumper stock trailer sucks after pulling the goosenecks, loaded up they weigh in at around 7-8K lbs and pull worse and harder than having 3 times the weight on the goosenecks. Boat trailers are a lot easier to tow as they tend to be a lot longer and the weight tends to be further back on the trailer versus the heavy tongue weight of stock and travel trailers.

[AH64ID]

I would love to get a 5th wheel (really would prefer a goose, but not very many for RV's) but there are 2 big issues. The first is I like to take a few toys and a toy hauler with decent storage, build quality, and room for the whole family is :spend:. Second one of the few times a bumper pull has an advantage is on switchbacks. There are many switchbacks I hit that a trailer pivoting in the middle of the bed would not make, but dragging the trailer from the bumper plus an extended hitch lets it turn where it should. The latter reason is why my dad got a 16' stock bumper pull for our hunting horse/gear trailer. We weren't sure that a goose in the same size would make it on some of the roads we drive.

[Wild and Free]

The latter reason is why my dad got a 16' stock bumper pull for our hunting horse/gear trailer. We weren't sure that a goose in the same size would make it on some of the roads we drive.

I have had the opposite experience, get into way tighter spots and can pull tighter corners with goosenck versus bumper trailers. Axle position is a very important aspect or more so when trailer shopping if sharp corners are the norm versus bumper or gooseneck. I am noticing that more and more RV's are running the axles closer to the front than they used to.

[AH64ID]

I agree with tighter spots and corners, but I am talking about hairpin single track switchbacks where you have to stay on the narrow road. The bumper pulls almost pull the trailer axles thru the inside of the corner, and if the trailer pivot point was 6' foreword the axles would fully cut it off.

[cajflynn]

LOL................... Boat trailers are a lot easier to tow as they tend to be a lot longer and the weight tends to be further back on the trailer versus the heavy tongue weight of stock and travel trailers.

All trailers can be loaded wrong. Too much rear weight isn't any better than too much tongue weight. The bumper pull hitches aren't meant to hold more than 1000 lbs of tongue weight anyway. If it was up to me I'd only have gooseneck trailers. I have B&W turnover balls in my trucks. As for which is easier to pull, I think you're a bit off. The last boat I moved was 30' long, 11'wide, 14' tall and weighed 14k lbs. The trailer weighed another 2k lbs and was 35' long. My loads are always over width. 11' to 12' wide a lot of the time. I'm also not sure why you think that longer trailers are easier to pull unless you have never made a right turn with a 40' trailer.

[Wild and Free]

As for which is easier to pull, I think you're a bit off. The last boat I moved was 30' long, 11'wide, 14' tall and weighed 14k lbs. The trailer weighed another 2k lbs and was 35' long. My loads are always over width. 11' to 12' wide a lot of the time. I'm also not sure why you think that longer trailers are easier to pull unless you have never made a right turn with a 40' trailer.

I agree that a lot of loads are not set up right or axle position is wrong for the load on top if the trailer has an adjustable position axle.

BUT... you are misrepresenting my "Terms" lol..........

I am talking the Average Joe's boats and pontoons, things under 30 feet long and 8 feet wide or narrower...........Not Yachts and cruisers , Also I am talking about just "pulling" again a misrepresentation of meaning, I was not talking about manuvering.

I worked for a contractor for a while pulling 48'+ triple axle belly dump gravel trailers regraveling country back roads and county roads and extrremely tight farm yards and trails so I know a thing or two about tight manuvering.

[rancherman]

check to see if there are any differences on how your trailer is taxed (plates) All my stuff is ball mounted, but I've heard over the years that plated stuff is higher. Least in my great state.