Gooseneck towing of 5th wheel

[esanorm]

I just bought a Keystone Montana 2004 3295K 5th wheel. It has a Fifth Wheel to Gooseneck Adapter Hitch. Does anyone have experience towing a 5th wheel with this as opposed to traditional 5th wheel hitches? My truck is 2017 Ram 3500 with factory puck system.
Thank you

[rhagfo]

Ivylog wrote:
Leverage is an issue and a gooseneck is much harder to hook up than a 5er hitch...you cannot see the ball from most trucks.

While I don't like the physics of the goose neck adapter, lining up a goose neck is as simple as a cheap telescopic magnetic pickup tool placed just forward of the ball.

[fj12ryder]

skidooman93 wrote:
If the previous owner was using a gooseneck adapter then why not continue. Either the damage has already been done, or it is unlikely to occur. If you were buying a new hitch, Id strongly consider and Anderson Ultimate. Despite previous posters suggesting they are inferior. I have no reason to ever consider a different hitch after over 5k miles towing this summer. With another 2k to go.

It's not that the gooseneck hitch is inferior, it is that the design of most 5th wheels may not lend itself to using a gooseneck adapter. Problems may not show up for quite some time, perhaps closer to 10,000 miles than 5,000 miles.

[tinner12002]

BB_TX wrote:
A lot of people do tow their 5er with the gooseneck adapters. And I don't remember any of them ever posting that it specifically caused a frame failure. BUT. Frame failures are a concern. And with the additional torque such an adapter puts on the frame, I would not.

Since you are a new Montana owner go over and join the Montana Owners Club forum for questions specific to your Montana.

No offense intended but the most gooseneck 5th wheels I've seen, seem to always come from or are in Texas...not sure why other than maybe that everyone has a gooseneck hitch in their truck and figure since its good for 30K it should work for any trailer.

[skidooman93]

If the previous owner was using a gooseneck adapter then why not continue. Either the damage has already been done, or it is unlikely to occur. If you were buying a new hitch, Id strongly consider and Anderson Ultimate. Despite previous posters suggesting they are inferior. I have no reason to ever consider a different hitch after over 5k miles towing this summer. With another 2k to go.

[MountainAirMan]

So you take the overhang cover around pin box mount off and check the pin box mount structure

Oh, ye simple minded folk!
I use a very nice fiber optic scope. Everybody should have one.:C

[burningman]

I posted some as links, which seems to work

[memtb]

burningman, I couldn't get the pictures to open either. In looking at your signature picture, I couldn't get enough detail! So... I'll take your word for it! :C

[burningman]

memtb wrote:
burningman, In looking at your picture...is that a Bayliner Trophy Hardtop? If so, we've got an '87 with 305 chevy. Real nice ole boat!

Well... you probably don't have one like this lol.
This was originally a '74 Reinell 24'. It's now a Land Yacht, it drives on land. It's all custom, there's no car under it.

Land Yacht
Land Yacht 2
Land Yacht 3

I do actually have a Bayliner flybridge... it's still a "water" boat.

[JIMNLIN]

The picture posted of the small broken frame looks like any low cost 5th wheel trailer frame that didn't have the proper size material or gusseting for the job. WE see this type/similar breakage even with a reg 5th wheel hitch such as problems IB516 had on his larger trailer.

A broken/cracked pin box and surrounding framing cracks where its attached is where problems can occur if it wasn't designed and built for a GN adapter use.
If the trailer in question has been towed with a adapter and you want to use it I would watch close when accelerating or hard breaking if there is any movement around the pin box attach area. Use your own judgement.

[memtb]

burningman, In looking at your picture...is that a Bayliner Trophy Hardtop? If so, we've got an '87 with 305 chevy. Real nice ole boat!

[burningman]

I don't feel as bad about gooseneck adapters as I do about those 4-foot receiver hitch extensions!

[Old-Biscuit]

MountainAirMan wrote:
I haul with the an adapter. No problems in four years of use. My 5er is approx #12k. There is no additional stress at rest, the concern is taking off and stopping. I see lots of pictures of damage but no one claiming it was due to a gooseneck adapter.

I examine my frame work periodically because of all the doomesday complainants. So far, so good. We recently traveled to Lake George, Niagra Falls,back to Lake George, and home to western Va with no signs of any cracks, fatique marks or broken welds. We traveled some "very" rough roads in New York and Pa.

BTW, from an engineering view the shorter your pin box the less stress exerted. I happen to have a rather long box.

Some day if I fgind the time and get too anxious about it, I may weld a few additional gussets at key stress points.

So you take the overhang cover around pin box mount off and check the pin box mount structure ??

[MountainAirMan]

I haul with the an adapter. No problems in four years of use. My 5er is approx #12k. There is no additional stress at rest, the concern is taking off and stopping. I see lots of pictures of damage but no one claiming it was due to a gooseneck adapter.

I examine my frame work periodically because of all the doomesday complainants. So far, so good. We recently traveled to Lake George, Niagra Falls,back to Lake George, and home to western Va with no signs of any cracks, fatique marks or broken welds. We traveled some "very" rough roads in New York and Pa.

BTW, from an engineering view the shorter your pin box the less stress exerted. I happen to have a rather long box.

Some day if I fgind the time and get too anxious about it, I may weld a few additional gussets at key stress points.

[memtb]

NMDriver wrote:
I have years of experience towing with a gooseneck and a regular hitch. What is your question?

BTW: in spite of what you will read here in a short while from the anti gooseneck people, it is no more likely to damage your frame than any other hitch.

Perhaps you should study the design geometry and gusseting differences between a gooseneck and a 5th wheel. There is a reason that many RV manufactures will void the warranty if you tow with a gooseneck hitch.

That said, there are a couple of adapters that are supposed to be designed to reduce the multiplied torque applied to the 5er through the use of a gooseneck,