Swap OEM Gooseneck Hitch for B&W Turnover Ball

[H3LZSN1P3R]

FWIW....you can void the warranty on the FW and cause frame cracking using a gooseneck. I was a rep in the RV industry and know

Explain your theory's the only thing changing is the coupling technically your using a 2.3125 pin instead of the 5th wheel 2.375 pin both going off the same box mounting both subject to the same pin weight.... sounds like a way to scam people out of their warranty for manufacture frame failures

 

[Silverbeard]

FWIW....you can void the warranty on the FW and cause frame cracking using a gooseneck. I was a rep in the RV industry and know

The Reese GooseBox is approved by Lippert for use on some of their frames.

 

[Brutal_HO]

FWIW....you can void the warranty on the FW and cause frame cracking using a gooseneck. I was a rep in the RV industry and know

Big difference between a GN "adapter" which are complete garbage and will wreck the pinbox they're mounted/bolted/welded to, and a GooseBox that's approved by Lippert for use on LCI frame FW.

 

[housedrx]

A pinbox is designed to absorb a lot of vibration and load and soften the vehicle movement something a gooseneck does NOT provide. I have seen frames shear off on goosenecks that never sheared with a normal pinbox.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

A pinbox is designed to absorb a lot of vibration and load and soften the vehicle movement something a gooseneck does NOT provide. I have seen frames shear off on goosenecks that never sheared with a normal pinbox.

A goose neck pinbox is the exact same design just different coupler, perhaps the rvs you represented just had crap frames i see that far to often.... i have fixed a few trailer frames where you just look at it and thing what the hell were they thinking

 

[housedrx]

Last thing I will say....if a gooseneck coupler was so good all FW would have it. Its you rv do as you wish. Oh and the frames we used were better then Lippert....who bought them out.

 

[Wmhjr]

Last thing I will say....if a gooseneck coupler was so good all FW would have it. Its you rv do as you wish. Oh and the frames we used were better then Lippert....who bought them out.

If a gooseneck coupler was so bad, all very large horse trailers would not have it. You think a 10 horse gooseneck fully loaded is lightweight? You've got 10k just in livestock back there. Not including the trailer, cargo, etc.

That argument works both ways. The RV industry ain't exactly known for excellent engineering.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

If a gooseneck coupler was so bad, all very large horse trailers would not have it. You think a 10 horse gooseneck fully loaded is lightweight? You've got 10k just in livestock back there. Not including the trailer, cargo, etc.

That argument works both ways. The RV industry ain't exactly known for excellent engineering.

Rvs use the bare minimum standards thats the biggest issue

 

[RV_Goose]

If a gooseneck coupler was so bad, all very large horse trailers would not have it. You think a 10 horse gooseneck fully loaded is lightweight? You've got 10k just in livestock back there. Not including the trailer, cargo, etc.

That argument works both ways. The RV industry ain't exactly known for excellent engineering.

Every gooseneck trailer nose I've seen is much different than how the mounts of the 5th wheel frame pin box are. The triangular build of the gooseneck trailer gives them strength.

The pinbox mount to the frame is totally different.

 

[Brutal_HO]

A pinbox is designed to absorb a lot of vibration and load and soften the vehicle movement something a gooseneck does NOT provide. I have seen frames shear off on goosenecks that never sheared with a normal pinbox.

Once again, let's differentiate between GN adapters on kingpin pinboxes and an actual GooseBox or something like a Gen-Y.

These are a POS GN adapter that will exert leverage on the pinbox and pinbox frame:

My best friend ripped a pinbox apart using one of these things after I constantly berated him for using it.




These are not a POS and don't apply the same leverage:



GN trailers are of course built different than RV fifth wheel frames. That doesn't mean the installing a GooseBox or Gen-Y is going to break it. If Lippert of all mfr approves it for use on their frames, there is some merit to it.

 

[Brutal_HO]

If a gooseneck coupler was so bad, all very large horse trailers would not have it. You think a 10 horse gooseneck fully loaded is lightweight? You've got 10k just in livestock back there. Not including the trailer, cargo, etc.

That argument works both ways. The RV industry ain't exactly known for excellent engineering.

They're not using a coupler. They are gooseneck frame trailers. Much different than a fifth wheel frame.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Every gooseneck trailer nose I've seen is much different than how the mounts of the 5th wheel frame pin box are. The triangular build of the gooseneck trailer gives them strength.

The pinbox mount to the frame is totally different.

Actually the triangular build of a gn is only because they have nothing to support above the coupler... 5thwheel frames are just as strong (depends on the camper brand) but are built with a square top to support the trailer above (typically the bedroom).... i have taken a few 5thwheels stripped them down and made equipment trailers out of them the only thing needed to be added for the hitch is vertical gussets as they use the structure of the trailer instead of just the frame for support

 

[Wmhjr]

Actually the triangular build of a gn is only because they have nothing to support above the coupler... 5thwheel frames are just as strong (depends on the camper brand) but are built with a square top to support the trailer above (typically the bedroom).... i have taken a few 5thwheels stripped them down and made equipment trailers out of them the only thing needed to be added for the hitch is vertical gussets as they use the structure of the trailer instead of just the frame for support

And actually, the GN horse trailer I have has a square top on it from Four Star - which is how they still build them to this day to my knowledge.

 

[Wmhjr]

They're not using a coupler. They are gooseneck frame trailers. Much different than a fifth wheel frame.

Two points -

One - as for the coupler, if it is security fixed to the trailer, then exactly how is it really different than a gooseneck adjustable coupler standard on any gooseneck horse trailer I've ever seen? The coupler is the round (or rectangular) tube with the actual coupler on the bottom allowing for height adjustment - or in the SWB scenario, also a rear offset. I'm just not seeing how that's relevant. Can you explain why it would be?

Second, is to follow on to that point - there are tons of rectangular front gooseneck trailers of different types rather than triangular - what some people call "gooseneck frame trailers". Yes, there are two mounting plates that extend from a point in the front to wider in the rear, but they are mounted to the rectangular trailer body just like on a 5th wheel, right?

 

[Brutal_HO]

You'll have to show me a pic.

Let's be crystal clear. I'm not talking about COUPLERS that go into a gooseneck trailer, I'm talking about ADAPTERS that "couple" to a fifth wheel pinbox. It's not the coupler itself that's the weak point, it's the pinbox and FW frame that has unusual stress/loads placed on it.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes. I can try to explain it, and show it with pictures, I can't make you understand it. Hopefully anyone debating this understands leverage and a just a tiny little bit about structural engineering.

In my mind, one of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong...

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

And actually, the GN horse trailer I have has a square top on it from Four Star - which is how they still build them to this day to my knowledge.

Yes you are right was referencing equipment trailers directly

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

You'll have to show me a pic.

Let's be crystal clear. I'm not talking about COUPLERS that go into a gooseneck trailer, I'm talking about ADAPTERS that "couple" to a fifth wheel pinbox. It's not the coupler itself that's the weak point, it's the pinbox and FW frame that has unusual stress/loads placed on it.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes. I can try to explain it, and show it with pictures, I can't make you understand it. Hopefully anyone debating this understands leverage and a just a tiny little bit about structural engineering.

In my mind, one of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong...

Yes i understand and agree with you those adapters are trash, the leverage from them flexes and eventually cracks the 1/4” pin plate on the pin box i have done one before where we cut the pin plate off made a 1/2” plate for the pin box welded and gusseted the adapter on for an old guy as the adapter he bought was loose and sloppy. We did that before the goose boxes were produced

 

[bravofisk]

All good on the B&W install. Bolts right up and fits into the factory cutout. Getting an offset ball on Monday and will be all set.

Do you have more info on the install? Did they have to lift the bed? Curious to know how labor intensive this was. Glad this worked though, super helpful!

 

[dmxjg35]

I am looong into doing this as well did they have to lift the bed to get the bolts out?

 

[bravofisk]

I swapped OEM for B&W turnover.