Which is the best way to pull a fifth wheel. With a fifth wheel hitch or a Goosneck conversion. Here's the deal, going to pick up a new fifth wheel. My truck currently has a goosneck hitch in it. To add a fifth wheel hitch will cost $1200+ and will have the rails in the bed along with my goosneck hitch. The goosneck conversion is about $500 bucks and don't have to add anything else to the bed. But which pulls better? Pros? Cons?

 

Many manufacturers of 5th wheels will void the frame warrenty if a gooseneck conversion is installed. I personally have seen 2 5th wheel trailers converted to gooseneck with cracks in the hitch box. One was an older trailer only 25 ft long the other was an Alfa about 35 ft long and only 2-3 years old. If you are serious about the conversion check with the manufacturer of the prospective trailer to see if it is an exceptable modification.

 

Rclarke is correct. Depending on the style of gooseneck hitch that you have, you could buy the Turnover Ball fifthwheel Companion hitch for $550-$650 that uses the underbed gooseneck hitch for attachment to the truck. Reviews of the Companion hitch have been excellent.

If you have the wrong style gooseneck hitch, a "normal" fifthwheel hitch runs from $350-$750+ install (depending on brand, features, size, and underbed or abovebed mounting). You can buy and install Turnover ball gooseneck and Companion 5th wheel hitch for $1000.

I have personally installed 4 different 5th wheel hitches and found installation easy with normal tools. Depending on type of truck and style of hitch, time for install is 1-4 hrs.

Good luck.

 

You have gotten some great advice so far, I to would not use a gooseneck hitch adapter they just put to much strain on the trailer frame and pin box. I am using a Reese 20K hitch at this time but I would rather have the B&W turnover ball, I like the way they lock the pin into place with a solid bar instead of 2 jaws. The B&W looks like a easy install.

Look at this site http://www.turnoverball.com/

Denny

 

I am on the same page as the others. I wouldn't recommend an adapter. The increased leverage may cause more problems and cost than just going for the correct hitch.

 

I have to agree with everyone else that the adapters add extra leverage to the pinbox area and can result in cracks and failure. Best to use the fifth wheel as designed.
Speaking of cracks, they usually occur where they can't be seen, covered by the exterior of the camper and can go undetected until there is a failure while towing.

As far as the towing differences, very little. Hook up will be a little harder since you have to center the hitch over the ball instead of backing under the fifth wheel till the hitch locks.

Having said all that, I have friends that use the adapter on their 38' fifth wheel and love it. This is the second trailer they have used this adapter on. I helped him install it on his first, a 36' fifth wheel.

Check with the manufacturer for the answer, some will allow it and some are definately against the use of any adapter. Trying to save a few bucks can bite you in the **** pretty hard. Tearing the skin off to reweld the pinbox area is an expensive deal. My Newmar is rated to use an adapter and I mentioned that to my GF. She asked why they had chains and I explained that the fifth wheel hitch is a positive lock hitch while a gooseneck isn't. That doesn't mean that the trailer is going to jump off the ball but the DOT requires chains for any type of ball hitch. Both my F-350's had goose ***** in them when I bought them so an adapter would have been a logical choice. However a friend sold me his extra Draw-Tight fifth wheel hitch for $200 and I went that route rather than buying an adapter that cost more. He even threw in a set of rails since the rails in my first truck weren't correct. Better yet, he changed the rails out for me at no charge.

Lastly, I'm always watching and listening for odd movement or noises from my hitch when I tow, and I tow my 5ver a lot. To add something non-standard to the hitch would just have me wondering what's going on back there that much more.

Good Luck,
Dorf

 

I use an adapter and believe me, I am a bit concerned about the frame, so far no problems noted, and I really like not having to deal with the hitch when not towing the trailer. My brother is a very experienced welder so when and if it comes time for repair, I will have him weld it up for me. The hitch dealer I talked to said depending on adapter, they have seen many fail by pulling the kin pin out of the trailer. I got a Culbert adapter and it is still solid after 1 year. I am going to have more time this year to go, we'll see how well it works out.

 

We have installed quite a few of the adapters, to this date no problems. A properly installed, manufactured, adapter will not give you any issues. I would shy away from a dealer that wants to build there own adapter for you, but the manufactured units are guaranteed (with proper installation).

Toyman

 

I will agree with the others. However, if you don't worry about warranty have at it. I contacted Forest River for a friend of mine and they said it would void the warranty on their frames. I'm not sure which frames they use.

 

I've got an '01 F550 cc 4x4 pickup bed conversion. It had a gooseneck hitch in it when I bought it. That was fine with me I have two gooseneck trailers. I also have a 40' travel supreme this presented a problem for me on which hitch to go with as I use the goosenecks often and the fifth wheel less. I decided to go with the Anderson Ranch hitch adapter on the fifth wheel. The trailer is service at least once a year and no problems have come up yet. They have looked for cracks and signs of stress at the hitch plate and have found none. The dealer that does the service is very impressed by this converter and the range of motion that the gooseneck provides. You do have to check to see if your trailer will allow this type of adapter to be used mine did and follow the installation instructions to the letter. The adapter in addition to connecting to the king pin has about eight bolts to install don't skimp install these bolts as they releive some of the stress off the king pin. I have never seen one of these adapters fail or cause damage to the hitch plate. In fact the only time I've seen a hitch plate on a fiver fail was when some friends of mine bought a big Freightliner to pull their little 32'. First time they hooked up they pulled the entire hitch plate and most of the front of the trailer right apart. This was with a regular hitch no adapter used or ever used on the trailer.

 

Batgeek,
Your Travel Supreme has a stronger frame that most of the others out there and I would doubt that you'll have any problems. Looking for cracks in hitch plate every year isn't really a thorough inspection as the cracks and broken welds can and usually do occur in places covered by the skin. The only way to perform a good meaningfull inspection is to remove the skin.

I have to bet that your friends didn't have any kind on air hitch on the Freightshaker or air pinbox on the 5ver. The suspension on a MDT or HDT requires the use of some type of air hitch system to ease the road shocks to the 5ver and not have the pinbox fail as you state their's did. RV transport companies like Horizon require an air hitch installed on an MDT before they will lease for this very reason. Besides why did your freinds feel that they needed an MDT to pull that size 5ver in the first place?

Dorf

 

Dorf:

His friends probably got that advice from some of those guys on rv.net. There is a whole group of them that believe you shouldln't pull a 5th wheel with anything smaller than a MDT. Some of them are so sure of it they will tell some others they are dangerous to be on the road towing with a pickup.

 

Yep, they call themselves the "Weight Police"...bufoons.

 

Yaa but they are good for one thing and is about it.

Denny

 

B&W Turnover with Campanion 5th wheel is the only way to go!! IMO