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5th wheel trailer question
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i am about to buy a 5th wheel trailer..i only have a goosneck hitch...would it be more affordable to get the 5th wheel assembly or convert to gooseneck?? what would be more inexpensive??
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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Cap..I bet youre getting a good deal..Had a buddy buy a fifth wheel last week..He looked at it back in August and it was listed at 34,000...Picked the same one up last week for 21...That industry is hurting big time..Hope you enjoy the new apartment on wheels.. 
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cibolo
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(Pro Tracker)
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05/15/08 10:51 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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be careful,especially if the trailer is under warranty still. we used to convert a lot of fithwheel with a gooseneck couplers. the problem was the 5th wheels were not made for a rigid hitch such as a gooseneck. now depending on what kind of goosneck you have there are some fithwheels that will work with a gooseneck such as b&w. personally i would rather have it with a gooseneck coupler because your less likely to dent the side's of your bed when pulling it down a rough road as you would with a fithwheel with a double pivot. and a goosneck in your bed is a lot less bulky. unless you plan on doing a lot of traveling with it then the 5th wheel hook up does have some more benefits as far as ride comfort.
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John2
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(Tracker)
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05/16/08 01:05 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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A call to the manufacturer could tell you if they approve of a gooseneck hitch as some do but most don't.If your buying a used unit then the manufacturer doesn't care but they can tell you what to expect ,if anything.I have a 5th wheel hitch in my truck but pulling the four pins i can remove it and i have full access to my bed.
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i am just not really wanting to have the rails in my bed....i was really just wanting to know what would be better/cheaper...this fifth wheel is a steal because it is being bought as a hail damage totalled out rig..it has a couple holes knocked in the ac cover and thats it...i am going to buy this thing at 8k under used value..30 ft with a slide out..not bad for a deer lease rig...i have a turnover ball in my truck and would like for it to be the only hitch in my truck bed..
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cibolo
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(Pro Tracker)
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05/17/08 10:56 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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if it isn't new then i would definitely go with a gooseneck coupler on that trailer. i don't know were your at,but if you can't find somebody to build one for you,there are a couple of manufacturers that build a couple of different type of slide in couplers to replace the kingpin. some of them are set back to help with a short bed. but the best way is to back your truck up to it with the trailer level,putting the king pin right over your ball to get your measurements. then just have a welding shop build you one custom with a bull dog coupler,but i prefer the kaylin coupler because they don't get banged up and don't have any moving parts to get broke or bent.
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i already have the process under way ...the goosneck extension..there is a welder in jayton that does it and i am going to see him today...
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tigger
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(Bird Dog)
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05/18/08 06:31 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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He does great work. Tell him I said hello.
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texasd
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(Pro Tracker)
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05/19/08 07:28 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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gooseneck is the way to go...... all day long
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i was concerned about the trailer riding too rough with a gooseneck versus a fifth wheel hitch..is there any difference??
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tigger
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(Bird Dog)
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05/20/08 07:58 AM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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caprocker, I have heard that some insurance companies have a problem with a conversion and that some makers will void the warranty.
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i figure that this rig is well out of warranty but if it affects the insurance companies policy i may need to evalutate the situation.
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cibolo
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(Pro Tracker)
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05/21/08 11:35 AM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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the gooseneck is a rigid hitch ,but the ride never bothered me much. but a fithwheel will give you ,depending on wich one you us either a single pivot front to back or a dual pivot with side to side and front to back. and as far as insurance ,i can say we never were brought into a lawsuit to testify on behalf of a person who converted their's to a gooseneck or on behalf of a trailer manufacturer for the same thing with them being the defendant. the company i worked for were used as expert witness's in a couple of lawsuits to prove that hitches installed properly were not at fault in a couple of accidents though. still a insurance company will do whatever they have to,to keep from paying and anytime you modify somthing from the way it was origionally manufactured you open yourself up to such lawsuits or insurance companie's dropping you. even so the company i worked for fabricated 100's of those adapters for customers and as far as i know there was never an issue of insurance coverage. and i'm sure if there was then one of those customers would of come back trying to return one to us. but it has been since 2005 when i last worked for them,and maybe by now there has been some changes in rv coverage that state's such modifications will affect your coverage.
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i probably won't insure it unless the law states that i must...
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budreau
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(Woodsman)
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05/23/08 08:41 AM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i have a 38 ft raptor with a gooseneck hookup and have been to races all over the country with no problems.
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cibolo
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(Pro Tracker)
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05/23/08 12:12 PM
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Re: 5th wheel trailer question
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i've never heard of anyone having any major problems with that set up either. we have had to reinforce some that customers had converted to goosneck and then had somthing crack. but that could of very well of happened with a fithwheel to. i think it is the only way to go,and it's a lot less to keep up with. you just have one hitch in your bed that works for everything you pull that way.
now there are some real nice fithwheel set ups out there with the air bags and such,but they limit you to what you can pull.
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