Gooseneck or Kingpin?

[JRJernigan]

I am in the market for a toy hauler 5th wheel but someone told me about switching the 5th wheel to a gooseneck hitch setup, what is better? Does anyone currently tow a toy hauler 5th wheel with a gooseneck setup? What are the pro's and con's?

[6.0kingranch]

There are adapters that you can use to switch from kingpin to gooseneck, Have also heard of that causing more stress and welds coming apart. On some trailers doing that would void the warranty.

[Phooker]

the gooseneck allows more of an angle to be between the ball and the neck on the trailer. You are pretty limited with a fifth wheel. for example pulling on the road from the shoulder the truck wants to flatten out while the trailer doesn't.

[Billysgoat]

A fifth wheel will pull a bit better on the road, but if you are going to be taking it off the highway at all I would go gooseneck. If you are looking at new units try to get the dealer to convert it or order one with a GN, depending on how well the trailer is put together you might, might not have problems with the tongue.

[Sprman]

I pull my 30' 5th wheel with a Colbert gooseneck adapter on it. Alot of people said not to and alot said it would be ok. I said the heck with it and use it. It pull great and like Billysgoat said it give a little more flexibility than a king pin. A guy i work with pull his 44' with the exact same adapter and he goes up and down the east coast for work with it. Never has a problem. It all depends on if you want a 5th wheel hitch in the bed or a gooseneck. I have the B&W turnover ball. It come with a 5th wheel hitch that i might get later on down the road, but for now i use the gooseneck for other trailers so i'm not in a hurry.

[cvretis]

I had one of these for years and thought it was great. Then the adapter tore out my kingpin, the trailer tore off my tailgate and skid 60 feet down the highway. Luckily I had just started out from a red light. If I had been at highway speed, the rig would have rolled.

These adapters put too much pressure on the kingpin. The pin is for rotation only, the weight of the rig must rest on the plate where it contacts the fifth wheel hitch. Searches on the net show many failures like this.

Needless to say, Progressive Insurance is questioning my claim on this hitch setup!

Do not buy the adapter or Progressive Insurance!

[Scooter's Roofing]

No offense, but how can you blame Progressive?

[ChaseN]

i am on the road 20hrs a day, minimum with trailers all the way. i just got back from san diego with my 44' gooseneck. i love goosenecks. if you are going to buy one, buy one with a gooseneck already, ADAPTERS CAUSE WAYY TOO MUCH STRESS.

[displacedtexan]

No offense, but how can you blame Progressive?I agree 100%, you weren't using it the way the mfg designed it. And GN requires chains to catch it if it comes loose. Did you have em?

[malibu795]

? were do you want you 2000-4000 pounds to pivot at? less than 3" form the frame or up to 24" from the frame... hint closer to the frame you have more control of it


when i buy my trailer.. it will be built on a GN frame

[Burner]

Find a mfg that makes a toy-hauler in a GN configuration and you will most likely have a really stout trailer. I think the GN would be better because the frame will or can stick out futher. With your shortbed, In an extended neck, the GN would give you better or tighter turning as well as more room in the bed. The 5th wheel might pull a little better on the hwy but it's not that much difference. I would invest in air-bags, those Toy-haulers are just a weee bit heavy on the pin.

[displacedtexan]

? were do you want you 2000-4000 pounds to pivot at? less than 3" form the frame or up to 24" from the frame... hint closer to the frame you have more control of it


when i buy my trailer.. it will be built on a GN frame

I agree, but still not good to adapt on to the other, the forces they were designed for are different.

And if I was doing all highway, kingpin all the way.

[coolio20050]

if your going to pull a camper with a gooseneck hitch at all be sure to pull it with a long bed truck or you will wish youdid. You wont have the mobility. But as far as the adapter goes, ask your camper dealer how good the frame in the front is reinforced. My 3oft fifthwheel from the factory was reinforced in the crossbracing in the front. If this is your case you should have no problem. I havent yet.

[Burner]

....check the mfg's rating before switching from the King to a GN. You might find that the 'fine print' has a clause forbidding such actions. .....Long story short, if you have a problem your warranty can be denied. Also, if the trailer breaks even close to that area it is "your fault" and you are 100% liable.

[ramtough01]

my parents fifth wheel camper we put a GN adapter on it works great but the trailer doesnt get pulled my just from storage in the winter to camp site and back in the fall but the one its got something clams to the king pin then you spin on the GN adapter till the plate touchs then bolt it to the plate. Put if i was you get a GN trailer cause the hitch takes less room then a 5th wheel does if you get the turnover ball

[louisianarebel]

Most adapter have it where the adapter is supporting around the king-pin too. You must have had a bad one.

[Eastern Diesel]

on our gooseneck trailer we had a kingpin made (slides right in the trailer like the ball hitch did) the 5th wheel is easy to hook up and it pulls great

[Blackdog]

on our gooseneck trailer we had a kingpin made (slides right in the trailer like the ball hitch did) the 5th wheel is easy to hook up and it pulls great

The pics of my truck and trailer in this towing hauling thread has the exact same hitch. I hauled my big gooseneck one time with a ball and all the trailer wanted to do is rock back and forth and that is empty. Even though the ball does give you alot more freedom on uneven ground the king pin does also. How many logging trucks do you see with a ball hitch? I know how they work on uneven ground because I use to drive one. Also your king pin hitch is the same size as what is on a big trailer. My biggest point of running a king pin on all my trailers is safety and stability. Trailer is much more solid and even though I use a king pin I still use my safety chains also.

[Mr.Krabs]

I vote fifth wheel,never ran out of flex on my cheap little fifth wheel mount,if I did I'd have been into the bed anyway.
Those gooseneck adapters put ALOT of stress on the pinbox/trailer frame.

[Mr.Krabs]

Most adapter have it where the adapter is supporting around the king-pin too. You must have had a bad one.
It's not the support,it's the fact you have a 2' lever on the pinbox,and now you are using a truck to apply the force,and there will be some force,I've used the things myself,but a guy wants to be careful.:blahblah1:

[mikehalseyjr]

I think the 5th wheel eats up too much of your bed and its a PIA.

[Crawler]

GN all the way.

I've towed stuff that is illegal heavy (by a long ways) and all of my trailers are built as GNs

If the load is even close to even (side to side) then it will pull fine. If your load is so un even that you need a fifth wheel to ballance it-then you neek t reload your rig.

I have no problem with a king-pin and am not advocating to pass one up.

Just saying that I prefer a GN and have never had an issue with one handling the weight or stresses.

~Wes~

[02 dodge4x4 5.9]

GN all the way 16/18 hrs a day pulling one had a few broken 2-5/16 balls but never lost a trailer because there recessed in the flatbeds.