Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Towing
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-11-2012, 06:23 PM   #1
RCrawler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 118
5th Wheel towing with a gooseneck adaptor

I'm sure there is a lot of debate about this subject. But I'm interested in those with actual experience.

I'm buying a B&W turnover ball setup for my truck. I need the flexibility to pull a stock trailer, equipment trailer and still pull the 5th wheel on the weekends. How do the 5th wheel to gooseneck adaptors work? Is there any drawback to using them over a traditional 5th wheel hitch. The price difference alone is worth trying it if it won't damage the trailer.

I've heard pros and cons from different manufacturers. And nothing but good things from one guy that I know who is using one.

Jason
__________________
'11.5 (EDITED) 3500 CCLB 4x4 (EDITED) 6.7 HO, auto, DPF and EGR deleted by (EDITED) , Mini Maxx, 5" exhaust,

'12 (EDITED) 324RLB- 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath
RCrawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2012, 07:37 PM   #2
VEGASRAPTORJIM
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: LAS VEGAS
Posts: 3
Been there done that and paid the big $$. I have the b&W ball system which is great but the MFG. of the trailer frame is void if you utilize the king pin adapter system due to the leverage and frame cracking which can result. No forums back then to advise me away from that then. So....I abandoned the adapter and since i was already committed to the B & W system, I then purchased the B & W 5th wheel adapter which clamps onto a post which replaces the bed ball. Total cost over $1,100. it all works fine except for excessive cost and moving the heavy adapter with 5 bolts to be tightened to 40lbs and 80lbs each time. This is tuff on the back and storing the adapter unit (being so large and heavy) is an additional issue. I have an almost new king pin adapter available. Consider carefully and good luck.
VEGASRAPTORJIM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2012, 08:32 PM   #3
2011 keystone
Senior Member
 
2011 keystone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: wv
Posts: 504
If I already had the b&w turnover ball hitch I would buy the b&w companion 5th wheel adapter.
__________________
2002 Chevy Avalanche 5.3 k&n cold air intake
2011 keystone hideout 26b
New tv 2005 dodge lb ctd quad cab
New TT 2014 j@%$O 32BHDS
2011 keystone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2012, 06:14 PM   #4
skyhi1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: La Crosse
Posts: 13
i have the b&w companion 5th wheel adapter and it works great it is a little heavy but all 5th wheel hitches are. when you install it there is o bolt torqued tp 40 ft lbs and 4 torqued to 80
skyhi1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2012, 06:27 PM   #5
Jorme
Senior Member
 
Jorme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 122
Quote:
Originally Posted by RCrawler View Post
I'm sure there is a lot of debate about this subject. But I'm interested in those with actual experience.

I'm buying a B&W turnover ball setup for my truck. I need the flexibility to pull a stock trailer, equipment trailer and still pull the 5th wheel on the weekends. How do the 5th wheel to gooseneck adaptors work? Is there any drawback to using them over a traditional 5th wheel hitch. The price difference alone is worth trying it if it won't damage the trailer.

I've heard pros and cons from different manufacturers. And nothing but good things from one guy that I know who is using one.

Jason
From personal experience, DO NOT DO IT.......I had one on my 30' Copper Canyon and after a year, I almost lost my trailer from the frame completely cracking apart around the kingpin......Luckily my insurance covered it, or the bill would have been around $8k
Jorme is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2012, 09:51 PM   #6
RCrawler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 118
I have done quite a bit of research on this lately. The adaptor is pulling at the same point as the jaws of the 5th wheel would. The only difference is the adaptor that tightens to the king pin plate. Because of the gooseneck attachment design, there should be minimal binding that would cause extreme leverage to be put on the king pin box.
The only way that I see that would cause structure failure in the 5th wheel frame is if the adaptor is allowed to work loose on the kingpin. If it isn't tight up against the pin box, then the load is taken off of the king pin itself and is transferred to the plate. Between the leverage working against it and the constant shock loading of acceleration and braking, yes, at that point it could cause a failure.

A coworker runs one on his Dodge. Because of clearance issues with his flatbed, he modified it by extended it back 8" with a piece of 1" plate. This is the second trailer he's used it on and hasn't had any issues with either of them.

Jason
__________________
'11.5 (EDITED) 3500 CCLB 4x4 (EDITED) 6.7 HO, auto, DPF and EGR deleted by (EDITED) , Mini Maxx, 5" exhaust,

'12 (EDITED) 324RLB- 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath
RCrawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2014, 06:09 PM   #7
cgrace1998
Junior Member
 
cgrace1998's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Topeka home base, 5vr never there
Posts: 17
I have been told by Keystone and B&W that the Gooseneck Ext/adapters void your warranty. If your 5vr is out of warranty then it is only a decision you can make. We have the B&W Hidden Gooseneck and have our own issues with towing and tool boxes. Have done countless hours of research. Good Luck! Hope everything works for you.
__________________
Candy & Damon Grace
cgrace1998 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2014, 05:53 AM   #8
st_pinetree
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Helena, Montana
Posts: 14
I use the convert a ball gooseneck adapter. My trailer had one on it since it was new, I've actually removed a couple of panels and crawled around, looked at nooks and crannies with a flash light and a fiber optic camera and all looks A OK to me. It doesn't bother me, I don't think it's going to cause damage to my frame, or it would have already. If it bothers you, or you think otherwise go with what makes you comfortable. Personally, (JMO) I think some folks have had frame problems that would have occured whether GN equipped or not, just some bad frame issues out there. I think the newer extended pin boxes are actually a much bigger change in leverage on the frame components than the GN adapter, and maybe that was part of the reason these issues began to spring up in the last 5-10 years. More short beds, led to manufacturers extending the pinbox, without other frame strengthening issues.

Question to any structural engineers out there. Everyone understands and agrees that the king pin is the top of the lever, but is the bottom of the lever the bottom of the king pin, the fifth wheel plate, or the bed/frame of the truck. Seems to me the forces are being applied from the frame moving forward. The hitch assembly for the fifth wheel is a lever, albeit an A frame shaped one rather than a single arm, is it not?
__________________
2011 Keystone Laredo 266RL 5th wheel
2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD CC LB D/A
st_pinetree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2012, 10:21 PM   #9
Jorme
Senior Member
 
Jorme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 122
I understand what you're saying.....but think of it this way. Try and loosen a bolt with a short wrench vs a 3' breaker bar. You're pulling on the same thing but you have much more leverage.
__________________
2006 Ford F-350 6.0 diesel
2005 Keystone Copper Canyon 297fwbhs

https://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l..._1572720_n.jpg
Jorme is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2012, 02:22 PM   #10
MILBY
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 93
Like was already said look into a companion hitch it sits into your king pin and when removed no rails in the bed. I did not know about these when i bought my truck that had a king pin already and now wish I had a companion hitch
__________________
05 Dodge 2500 5.9 Cummings
327res 2011
MILBY is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2012, 04:15 PM   #11
rebelfan
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oxford, MS
Posts: 21
I will certainly agree it is really nice not to have bed rails left in your truck bed when you are not pulling around. I pull a gooseneck trailer about as much as my 5th wheel so the b&w hitch makes it easy to change. The weight of the 5th wheel adaptor is not a big deal when you get your wife to move it.
__________________
2011 Fuzion 412 TEIII
2011 GMC 3500HD Denali
2008 Kawasaki Teryx
rebelfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2012, 06:18 AM   #12
skyhi1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: La Crosse
Posts: 13
just remember you have to lift the 5th wheel an extra 3 to 4 inches to clear the ball. that may not seem like much but if your camping where it is not completely level you might not be able to level your trailer
skyhi1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2014, 08:37 AM   #13
rhagfo
Senior Member
 
rhagfo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,176
I like the visual reference.

#1 This is a 10,000# GVWR 2 horse slant GN trailer hitch.




#2 This is a triple axle TH about 38' long.



Got a 3' breaker bar???
__________________
Russ & Paula and Belle the Beagle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW 14,000# GVWR (New TV)
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS 32’ GVWR 12,360
Visit and enjoy Oregon State Parks
rhagfo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2012, 04:09 PM   #14
signs
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2
I am going on my 3rd 5er with the ranch hitch. I have never had a problem with the frame of the camper or fiberglass cracking. If they are installed properly and tightened down properly they work awesome. They have the same contact area as the standard fith wheel hitch. No regrets here. Also leaves the bed of the truck open for hauling things when the camper is not being towed.
signs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2012, 06:55 AM   #15
TAS
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: South
Posts: 30
I had a "Good 2 Go" fith wheel adapter and I loved how it hooked up and pulled. I did not like the extra leverage forces applied to the pin box w/ my Fuzion being 12k empty. It may have never given me any problems what so ever but I took it off. I picked up the "Colibert Free Ride" hitch that slipped into my B&W hitch. It quicker to hook and unhook for me.

It's up to you in the end.
__________________
07 Dodge 2500 6 spd 4x4 longbed CTD
08 Fuzion 302
94 Harley FLSTC (w/ big pimp'n white walls)
98 TJ (w/ enough mods to get me into trouble)
TAS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2012, 06:07 AM   #16
grayghost03
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 74
Second 5ver with GN here, no issues. There are a lot of cracked frames, but most are with fifth wheel hitch, not saying one is better then the other. Just a lot of broken and damaged frames. Some damaged by operator error(such as jackknife side strain) some do to poor quality welds, steel, or design. It's funny, we as consumers demand more amenities, which means more weight, and we demand lighter more fuel efficient trailers, expose them to rough (some states are worse then others) roads. Earth quake forces and can't understand why systems on them deteriorate or fail.
grayghost03 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2012, 10:04 PM   #17
RCrawler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 118
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jorme View Post
I understand what you're saying.....but think of it this way. Try and loosen a bolt with a short wrench vs a 3' breaker bar. You're pulling on the same thing but you have much more leverage.
I see your point. But if if is tight to the king pin and not allowed movement, I think the adaptor itself is going to have more force put on it than the pin box.

I am probably going with the ranch hitch adaptor and keep a close eye on the pin box structure for now.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions.

Jason
__________________
'11.5 (EDITED) 3500 CCLB 4x4 (EDITED) 6.7 HO, auto, DPF and EGR deleted by (EDITED) , Mini Maxx, 5" exhaust,

'12 (EDITED) 324RLB- 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath
RCrawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2012, 12:14 PM   #18
Jorme
Senior Member
 
Jorme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 122
Quote:
Originally Posted by RCrawler View Post
I see your point. But if if is tight to the king pin and not allowed movement, I think the adaptor itself is going to have more force put on it than the pin box.

I am probably going with the ranch hitch adaptor and keep a close eye on the pin box structure for now.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions.

Jason
That is the same one that I had......I have to admit, I loved the setup. Really easy to hook up on uneven ground, pulled nice, but like I said before, I almost lost my 5th wheel when the complete kingpin frame area cracked and broke. I have the pictures somewhere....I will try to find them.
Jorme is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2012, 04:17 PM   #19
RCrawler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 118
I would appreciate the pictures if you have them.

Jason
__________________
'11.5 (EDITED) 3500 CCLB 4x4 (EDITED) 6.7 HO, auto, DPF and EGR deleted by (EDITED) , Mini Maxx, 5" exhaust,

'12 (EDITED) 324RLB- 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath
RCrawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2012, 04:55 PM   #20
Jorme
Senior Member
 
Jorme's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 122
Quote:
Originally Posted by RCrawler View Post
I would appreciate the pictures if you have them.

Jason
Ill see what I can do.....Its been 3 or 4 years.
Jorme is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.