Gooseneck issue revisited

[stiles watson]

Today, I had a long conversation with an owner of a Toy hauler with 3 axles. He has adapted his fifth wheel king pin to connect with a gooseneck ball. I asked him how it was working out. He said, "Terrible"! Then he showed me the welding he has had to do to keep using it. He has re-welded the bottom plate back on with a heavy weld. Then he has welded his adapter to the plate and reinforced it all around. He owns a construction company and knows welding.

His assessment was that there is too much side torque on the whole king pin mechanism when connected by a gooseneck adapter. I then showed him my B&W Companion hitch. He was very interested because he already has the B&W Turnover Ball.

I am NOT trying to re-ignite an argument. I am just reporting what I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears for those who may be making a decision about whether to use a gooseneck adapter.

[southern thunder]

Someone else who seems to know what they were talking about said this did not work well with heavy trailers. I thought it looked like a good idea.

[jimcol]

Stiles, Thanks for the info. I was one of the people questioning it and couldn't get my arms around it being bad just because everyone heard it was bad. At the time no came forward with personal experience. Your source gives the discussion some credence at least in my mind. Jim

[steelpony5555]

Visiting PPL's lot in Houston where there's a ton of 5ers for sale, there were a lot with gooseneck adapters.

[DQDick]

We just stayed two weeks at The Ranch in Lakewood, NM. One of the leaseholders there was extolling the virtues of the gooseneck adapters. He's on his second 5th wheel and says he's had no trouble and really likes being able to flip the ball and use his whole bed.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

We just stayed two weeks at The Ranch in Lakewood, NM. One of the leaseholders there was extolling the virtues of the gooseneck adapters. He's on his second 5th wheel and says he's had no trouble and really likes being able to flip the ball and use his whole bed.

It disappoints me that I didn't get a chance to talk to you. Were you on lot 33? We're leaseholders on lot 83 and I'm the one you may have seen walking with a cane and limping--having more back surgery on March 6th in Lubbock, TX.

From looking at your picture, I now know who you are. I remember you telling about how good a time you and your wife had at The Ranch.

Orv Schinke

[1retired06]

When we went through the Montana plant in Goshen, the question of goosenecks came up, and the keystone folks said "Don't use the gooseneck, frame is designed for a kingpin configuration". You do see a lot of them out there, for obvious reasons.

[HOOK]

We have towed in a 5er with a gooseneck attach. During panic stop all parts from ball to frame were bent.
When backing especially, and when pulling forward with stiff turn, you are dragging tires sideways. The gooseneck becomes a lever adding force to to the twist of your frame, where as a fith wheel elimanates the leverage. Larry

[grayghost03]

Frame and ball bent? If the ball bent you had a defective piece of steel, was the frame bending gooseneck frame under bed or trailer (what brand gooseneck and trailer). What was stinger length? I have pulled gooseneck and fifth wheel for 40 years, with loads way heavier then the 15000 RV. Don't really care which I pull with. But I do choose to pull 5ver with a gooseneck, since I also pull a 40,000 lowboy with it(very slowly and very short pulls). Never had a problem. Dealer install the new adapter, and said that here in this area 1 in 10 have the adapter intalled and it seems to becoming more and more prevalent.

[HOOK]

quote:Originally posted by grayghost03

Frame and ball bent? If the ball bent you had a defective piece of steel, was the frame bending gooseneck frame under bed or trailer (what brand gooseneck and trailer). What was stinger length? I have pulled gooseneck and fifth wheel for 40 years, with loads way heavier then the 15000 RV. Don't really care which I pull with. But I do choose to pull 5ver with a gooseneck, since I also pull a 40,000 lowboy with it(very slowly and very short pulls). Never had a problem. Dealer install the new adapter, and said that here in this area 1 in 10 have the adapter intalled and it seems to becoming more and more prevalent.

The preposition from removes the ball, but all other parts from it to trailer frame were bent. You should tow with what you like, I was just passing info. A PANIC STOP . When an emergency occurs, its to late to think safety first. Having been a towman 30 + yrs (owned a fleet of tow trucks) I have seen alot of sad events. Some of which were caused by lack of knowledge, some by people who took a chance, which all of us have done on occassion. Having been a flight instructor also I am aware that the FAA finds most aircraft accidents to be pilot error. Larry

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

When we went through the Montana plant in Goshen, the question of goosenecks came up, and the keystone folks said "Don't use the gooseneck, frame is designed for a kingpin configuration". You do see a lot of them out there, for obvious reasons.

To me this whole discussion does not make much sense. Keystone, the manufacturer says, "Don't do it," what else do we need to know???

[grayghost03]

quote:Originally posted by TLightning

To me this whole discussion does not make much sense. Keystone, the manufacturer says, "Don't do it," what else do we need to know???

Keystone says the tires that are on their trailers are great, what else do we need to know????

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by grayghost03

Keystone says the tires that are on their trailers are great, what else do we need to know????

You just made my whole point. Keystone says the tires are great when they are actually dangerous pieces of junk. So if Keystone says not to use a GN, that means the pin box area and frame must be extremely weak and dangerous!

[grayghost03]

I can't say that the pin box is junk or poorly constructed, I have not seen a gooseneck failure, I have seen numerous 5th wheel frame failures that were pulled with a 5th wheel hitch, the internet is full of those photos. I also have never had problems with the tires that have come on Keystone trailers, I have had a Goodyear Wrangler on my TV fail, and a Michelin (a few years ago). If I see it for myself or can see a good case study I will form an opinion. Until then its pretty much internet legend. I have talked to numerous dealers that have no problem with this set up, hell the last one could have sold me a Companion Hitch, be said they have intalled alot of the adapters and have never had a problem.They are a Keystone Dealer. I like most can only do our best, monitor and inspect our equipment and work toward an uneventful future. PS if I was concerned I certainly would not have bought another Keystone product.

[stiles watson]

I don't do legends. I do facts.

[grayghost03]

Then don't you find it interesting that a man that owns a construction company and knows welding, is not removing the thing he finds terrible, instead he is welding the base plate(something that is called for by the manufacture if you can not bolt it properly), the base is not the structural strength of this system. If I had seen first hand damage caused by a piece of equipment that I was responsible for I would remove the offending part and replace. That is fact in my book. I do remove and replace defective equipment everyday. I still haven't seen fact and I have been looking. I am not say it does not happen, but I am saying it happens with the normal hitches. Now is it the fifth wheel hitch, the gooseneck, the pin box, the frame, or a bad bounce that torqued the trailer beyond its limitation. We all know we have all had that moment when we hit the bump and went, dang, that bounce the trailer. Those loads stress everything in a way that we generally do not even think about. But we choose to put blame where we want, it has to be the equipment, never operator error.

[RVWheels]

This thread has gone in a direction contrary to MOC policy. It is being locked. Thank you. RVWheels, MOC Admin.