Anyone use the model by www.popuphitch.com their number rv3 model. it has no overhang and looks well built. Asked the guy if they have had any problems with it putting too much stress on the 5th wheel's pin area.
The flat bed I'm looking at doesn't have an option for a 5th wheel. Only goosneck....
The RV forums say that there may be too much stress on the pinbox with one of these conversions. Will this kind of hitch work ? http://www.turnoverball.com/flatbed/
__________________
Enjoy,
Bill
'73 F-350 Trailer Special
Replaced by:
'04 F-250 XLT V-10 4X4 ,3.73 LS, LB, Sport Package, 6820 lbs empty, all stock so far
I don't believe that any adaptor that goes straight down from the fifth wheel hitch to the ball on the truck can overstress the trailer pinbox. Many RV dealers around west Texas sell conversion adapters because most trucks here are set up for pulling gooseneck cattle trailers.
My kid and his buddy made an adaptor for me that extends about 12", have towed the rig about 10,000 miles so far with no problems.
I don't believe that any adaptor that goes straight down from the fifth wheel hitch to the ball on the truck can overstress the trailer pinbox.
There's a problem with this that most people don't realize. The typical 5th wheel pin is about 12"-14" below the frame of the trailer and meets the hitch which is above the frame of the truck about the same amount. The trailer frame is designed for this amount of twisting or fore and aft force. If we look at this force as torque then it's easy to see why the above statement is not entirely correct. When the pin is extended another 12" so that it now reaches the gooseneck ball then the the torque is increased by that much. Just the same way that you would put a cheater pipe on a wrench to increase the torque. So even though a straight adapter doesn't appear to increase the torque on the pin box it can still overstress the area where the pinbox is welded to the trailer frame. This explains why the frame can develop cracks or even fail in the pin box area when using an adapter. It also explains why some 5ver manufacturers will void the warranty if a gooseneck adapter is used.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 01PSDRVPuller
My kid and his buddy made an adaptor for me that extends about 12", have towed the rig about 10,000 miles so far with no problems.
Many people do use an adapter successfully and some manufacturers approve of their use. I believe that Newmar and Travel Supreme are among those.
One of the problems that occurs is cracks and broken welds can develop without detection because the frame is covered. Usually when cracks in the fiberglass or wrinkles in the aluminum siding show up then the frame has been weakened and should be inspected.
Dave98,
What 5ver do you have? Even if it's out of warranty your best bet is to contact the manufacturer with your question.
Also, I'm not quite sure that I understand why a fifth wheel hitch can't be mounted on this flatbed truck in light that it has a gooseneck hitch already.
All 5th wheel hitches bolt (or weld) to the frame with a set of brackets as do gooseneck hitches so that's why I was questioning why the truck couldn't have a 5th wheel but a gooseneck.
I hope that my explaination of the pitfalls of using an adapter helped to understand why they can cause the frame to crack or fail.
Reese makes a part called "The Goose" which will fit standard 5th wheel base rails. It may work on other manufacturers rails as well.
I bought one for my truck and I have a Reese 20k. You'll need to by a kit for attaching the safety chains, I can't remember that part # off the top of my head.
I just got the RV3 also but haven't installed it yet. My brother-in-law sells RV's and said they have sold a ton of the adaptors with very few, if any problems. I need to do some pin repair before I instal mine. I like it because I won't have to worry about the seperate fifth wheel hitch, and my family members can borrow the camper without having to borrow my truck.
I actually called the rv3 company a few weeks ago and they said they haven't had any issues (what else are they going to tell you he he)
Let me know how it goes. I would like to get a ford 450/550 but don't want to spend 8k on the bed and have found a nice aluminum bed for under 4k but it only has gooseneck and it may be a pain to bolt a 5th wheel hitch to the alum bed (not sure if there is steel to bolt it to).
Dave,
If the bed has a B&W turnoverball hitch, then you can use the Companion fifth wheel hitch and not have to bolt in anything. It costs about the same as the RV3 and slips right in the hole for the gooseneck ball. That's what I have now and love it!
This forum is owned and operated by Internet Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation. It is not authorized or endorsed by the Ford Motor Company and is not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company or its related companies in any way. FordŽ is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company.
