Fifth Wheel Hitch vs Gooseneck

[CaptainRandy]

Howdy

Jackie & I will be taking delivery of a new 3750FL the first of May, will be stuck in one spot for 2 yrs with my job but free after that, will purchase tow vehicle sometime in next year - weighting all my options right now.

Have an 05 Winnie we love but are new to towing a fifth wheel. One of the locals suggested having a gooseneck adaptor put on the fifth wheel - (western Wyoming is full of ranchers & farmers with gooseneck equipment and there are a lot of potential used tow vehicles equiped this way )

I have no background on this subject ---what are pros & cons?????

I drove semi vans and tankers for seven years & know how tought kingpins are but have never delt with goosenecks.

[Illini Trekker]

It been stated on this forum that you may have a problem with your trailer frame warranty. I don't have first hand experience with that Randy but I'm sure others will be along with more input. You didn't say if this is a new trailer if not this wouldn't be a problem.

[camper4]

I have used a goose neck and theyare nice. Keeps your TV bed real clean and easy to use. However, I'm told it will void the warranty on the Montana. The goose neck puts different stresses on the frame. So, to me it is not worth it. I found no difference while towing with handling, maneuvering, or backing up.

[stiles watson]

Trekker is correct in stating that the goose neck adapter is not recommended and may void your frame warranty. There is a hitch option that you may want to look into if you want to be able to pull a goose neck trailer as well as a fifth wheel. It is a B&W Turn Over Ball. It is an under-the-bed frame and a removable ball. When the ball is removed you can attach the B&W Companion Hitch to pull the fifth wheel. I have been successfully using this hitch for over 4 years now and just moved the hitch over to my new TV. B&W gives excellent service and support. Look here.

[CaptainRandy]

Sounds like the Fifth Wheel is the way to go.

[Art-n-Marge]

And keep the goosenecks to the ranchers and farmers on their utility trailers and horse trailers.

This is only my opinion because I haven't investigated it any further, but I think many of the stresses for the residential style trailers is because these trailers are much taller to provide living quarters and this means the stresses are different at the pin than with typically shorter at the pin utility and horse trailers. Montana is not the only brand to frown on converting 5th wheel pins to Goosenecks.

There will be others that have done this but I've heard of a few that have had problems. In fact, even when NOT converting to goosenecks, 5ers have been reporting frame stress issues. I say, why increase the chances.

Congrats on your 5th wheel decision.

[stiles watson]

Just in case it was not clear, the B&W Companion Hitch is a fifth wheel hitch, not a goose neck adapter fitted on your pin box. When you pull the Companion Hitch out of the bed, you have a clean bed for whatever hauling you need. Pop the ball back in, you are off to the cattle auction with the goose neck cattle hauler.

[RRman]

I've towed my 13K Lbs Montana for over 12K miles with the Star Performance Hitch Gooseneck Adapter. It includes a glider motion that arguably should reduce stress vs a standard Fiver Hitch.
My pickup bed Ball is retractable so I have a readily usable bed all the time. That's one advantage!
I've only been in one campground so far where there wasn't at least one other or several Fivers with Gooseneck adapters so frame stress versus inherent frame weakness/design or manufacturing deficiency is likely behind almost any/every frame failure.
More advantages: my Fiver will never drop on my bed. Raising and lowering the trailer onto and off the ball takes longer, but is certainly gentler than "ramming" the pin. I don't need to perform pull tests or chock the trailer wheels either. Hooking up the safety chains is a small bother.
Trailer Life reviewed Gooseneck Adapters in 2009 from the several manufacturers that advertise in their magazine and there are more than those manufacturers making them. I've even seen extended adapters for short bed pickups on Fivers.
In my case I researched the issue, considered the robust construction, accepted my used truck with an already installed ball and saved several hundred dollars getting an adapter versus a quality Fiver Hitch and installation.
Greatest Frame Strength Test to-date was in 2009 when I was fooled into driving onto some grass that was really "swamp". A chain was looped on the rear trailer axle (barely above the mud) to pull backwards and I pushed from the front end. I was sure that would bust something, but it DIDN'T!
Perhaps time will tell if using an adapter is so bad..

[NCFischers]

Just looking at the beefy construction of gooseneck trailers compared to fifth wheel trailers tells me that a gooseneck hitch is not the way to go. Just my opinion.

[camper4]

You do not see many 18wheelers on a ball... Just a thought.

[RRman]

There are lots of Fifth Wheels with adapters, Lots of Manufacturers making the adapters, and no epidemic of reported failures.

Of all the "frame flex" or other frame problems reported on this forum have any been attributed to using a Gooseneck Adapter?

That's one of the reasons I chose to go the adapter route back in 2007 when I purchased my Montana(used)as there were no practical or real world examples of problems using them at that time and I haven't encountered any since then.

The one frame failure I've personally seen used a standard Fiver hitch.

[Recumbent]

We have the B&W Companion, and when the Monty is parked I just let the hitch stay locked on the kingpin and raise the Companion using the landing gear. This gives a clean flat bed and no manual lifting. Just put the turn-over ball back in the truck bed up-side-down.

[RRman]

If cost is a consideration,
The Star Performance Hitch kingpin adapter is around $800 (retail)- visit sphitch.com for more info or the B&W Ball at Tweetys is $400 and the Fifth Wheel Hitch is $800.
Also, the Star Performance Hitch can be installed by yourself (albeit having someone else to help lift it up as its heavy and awkward is helpful).
If your truck already has a ball in the bed, but not the proprietary B&W and like me you're not Fulltiming (in my case I only tow the trailer 4-6 times/year and never more than 450 miles at at time) getting an adapter will save money without much risk.

[RickW]

quote:Originally posted by NCFischers

Just looking at the beefy construction of gooseneck trailers compared to fifth wheel trailers tells me that a gooseneck hitch is not the way to go. Just my opinion.

Jim is correct. Look at the gussets welded in on a gooseneck trailer where the kingpin would be on a 5th wheel trailer. The adapter is just a bolt on.

My neighbor hauled his toy hauler for 3 years (about 7k miles a year) with a gooseneck adapter. After 3 years he broke all kinds of welds in the front end of the trailer. After studying what was breaking he felt the problem was the stress added to the pinbox by the adapter. After that he ditched the adapter and went back to a 5th wheel hitch. Has not had any problems since.

[RRman]

Coincidently, I met a camper just this weekend with a 2002 Jayco Legacy that has been using a straight Gooseneck adapter since bringing his Fiver home from the dealer. Still not convinced Goosenecks overstress QUALITY RV Frames. We were both parked on grass sites, and I had to back my Montana Big Sky uphill...

[bncinwv]

For what it is worth, I think the biggest consideration with a brand new rig, is not doing anything that would possibly void any warranty. Check with your dealer, Keystone, and/or Lippert to be sure up front. That is my opinion and obviously in the end it is the choice of the owner.
Bingo

[CamillaMichael]

quote:Originally posted by NCFischers

Just looking at the beefy construction of gooseneck trailers compared to fifth wheel trailers tells me that a gooseneck hitch is not the way to go. Just my opinion.

Agree....

[indy roadrunner]

If goosenecks is so great, why doesn't keystone offer as an option? HMMMM. Great way for them to make some extra money. Hmmmm
Sorry, I have seen Montana's under construction in the factory and there is no way I would subject mine to the stresses of a gooseneck.

[RRman]

I think the reality is that the Gooseneck stresses are unknown/unproven (if significantly any greater - certainly the glider motion on my adapter significantly reduces dynamic stresses just as upgraded axle suspensions also do) and apparently well within most frame capabilities (also unknown and subject to failure even with standard hitches in many cases - as reported on this forum and others)or there would not be so many Gooseneck adapter manufacturers AND users that even Trailer Life reviewed their advertiser's adapter use in May 2009.

[TLightning]

Nobody has mentioned the weak link in this equation...the Lippert frame. If a gooseneck voids the warranty, that makes it a no brainer for me.