Gooseneck to 5th wheel adapter - Diesel Forum

RLDSL · 12-11-2005, 02:48 AM

My truck has a gooseneck ball setup and we're looking to buy a used older 5th wheel camper and I was looking at the gooseneck to 5th wheel adapters.
Anyone have any brand recommendations on these?

I know I've seen some talk about some new manufacturers voiding warrenties and what not with the things due to all kinds of neat mathematical equations from the extra length supposedly putting more load on the trailer frame, but I really find this hard to believe since a 5th wheel when turning tight while going at a different angle than the trailer would put a heck of a stress on the trailer ( and truck )frame, but the gooseneck is free to pivot in all directions.

Thanks----Robert

SmokeyWren · 12-11-2005, 08:57 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I really find this hard to believe ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Believe it.

When you, in effect, extend the kingpin by about 16", that adds a heck of a lot of twisting torque to the frame of the trailer around the kingpin area. When you slam on the brakes or jerk the trailer on startup, there's a whole bunch more torque messing with the trailer frame than the frame was engineered to withstand. So if you add one of those extensions, then you also need to beef up the junk iron under the trailer overhang to be sure it will be strong enough to handle that increased torque.

Almost all the trailer manufacturers will void the trailer warranty if you add that converter, because they don't have any control over how good a job you do (or have done) on beefing up the frame around the kingpin. Any good welding shop can do the deed. If your 5er is a fancy one with all the frame covered up under the overhang, then you'll need to remove all that cover so you can weld the additional junkiron directly to the frame of the trailer. My local welding job does that conversion frequently, but it's a lot more involved than simply bolting on that gooseneck extension.

As to which one to buy, the Colibert Fifth Wheel Gooseneck Extension is the most popular, but others are available. Click here for one source for a Colibert.

Mike_Costello · 12-11-2005, 06:02 PM

[ QUOTE ]
My truck has a gooseneck ball setup and we're looking to buy a used older 5th wheel camper and I was looking at the gooseneck to 5th wheel adapters.
Anyone have any brand recommendations on these?

I know I've seen some talk about some new manufacturers voiding warrenties and what not with the things due to all kinds of neat mathematical equations from the extra length supposedly putting more load on the trailer frame, but I really find this hard to believe since a 5th wheel when turning tight while going at a different angle than the trailer would put a heck of a stress on the trailer ( and truck )frame, but the gooseneck is free to pivot in all directions.

Thanks----Robert

[/ QUOTE ]Check out PopUp Industries website and the RV1 adapter.

MudHog · 12-11-2005, 07:01 PM

I know a few people that use these adapters. Nobody has has trouble with their trailers over the time they have used the adapter. Everyone I know use the cody coupler though. I don't know if there are other brands available or not.

Check your PM by the way, I just sent you one.

nvcowboy · 12-12-2005, 12:45 AM

Known a few people who have had the Anderson model shown on the link provided a few posts prior to mine. They loved thiers. I also have heard of a fiver plate that hooks up to the ball in the truck bed. Perhaps this places less stress on trailer. The areas that I like to drag a trailer always bothered me with traditional fiver setup, and I was hoping that down the road, a conversion would get me more articulation between the truck and trailer, now I find there is more to it than that. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

cra · 12-12-2005, 08:02 AM

I have seen many and used a few of the different ones. The ranch hitch is by far my favorite. It is plenty stout, yet still easy to install. Here is a link for some information on them.

http://www.hitchsolutions.com/ranchhitch.html

MudHog · 12-12-2005, 08:30 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I have seen many and used a few of the different ones. The ranch hitch is by far my favorite. It is plenty stout, yet still easy to install. Here is a link for some information on them.

http://www.hitchsolutions.com/ranchhitch.html

[/ QUOTE ]

This one does look nice, but the cody coupler can be installed and removed with only two 3/4" box end wrenchs. No need for pulley puller or hammer wrench or that cheater pipe.

MPD224 · 12-12-2005, 02:39 PM

Or you could just get a B&W turnover ball hitch with the 5th wheel companion adapter. Obviously more money than you would want to spend, however it would at least be done the right way.

RLDSL · 12-12-2005, 03:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Or you could just get a B&W turnover ball hitch with the 5th wheel companion adapter. Obviously more money than you would want to spend, however it would at least be done the right way.

[/ QUOTE ]

That setup would be nice, but two problems. I don't have a standard bed, i've got a western hauler bed and most of thost type of goodies won't fit without surgery, and #2 I don't move around very well anymore and even with a cherry picker on hand, I don't need to be trying to fool with mounting and dismounting all that heavy stuff whenever I need to switch.

444turbodiesel · 12-14-2005, 02:26 PM

You should call B&W, they have hitches for aftermarket beds (after all that's how they got started)

Mike_Costello · 12-14-2005, 03:35 PM

Checked my PM's--nothing there.

MudHog · 12-16-2005, 04:32 PM

That was in reference to Robert. I replied to your post instead of scrolling up and replying to the first one.

Bigfoot62 · 12-16-2005, 10:27 PM

First of all, Smokey's right. You'll never find a RV manufacturer that recommends converting a 5ver to G/N.

Will it work. Yep. I'm on my second 5ver and I've never had a 5th wheel hitch mounted in my truck. These are not little trailers, either. The first one was a 32' and this one is a 33'. No problems on either one. I built my own G/N, but a great brand name that's been around for years is Colibert.