# HOMEMADE GOOSENECK TO RECIEVER HITCH



## expressfish

I have a lightweight 5th wheel, one of those models made for 1/2 ton pickups....its maybe 22ft in length tops. I hate hooking it up in my truck bed cause my dodge sits too high...and well the trailer sits at an angle and gets real close to the bed caps/rails. Last truck I pulled it with I bend the bed [email protected]! Anyhow I went to the steel yard today and bought some 2 1/2 -3/16 tube and some 2" 3/16 tubing. The plan is to fab a receiver set up to pull a gooseneck from my receiver hitch. Ive seen them on tractors and for what this trailer weighs I cant see a problem pulling it from the receiver. I mean, a gooseneck is meant for a heavy load which this is not..........comments ??? Ive considered gussets and such and my welding is safe in my own opinion, any other thoughts I may have to worry about ? The distance from my receiver to the flat of my bed is only 10 inches, hell they make drop hitches that long. Im just going up instead of down. :idea:


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## Shin-Diggin

Well if that one guy can haul one off the tailgate of his S-10 blazer I don't see why not. Anyone got the pics of that?


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## INDIANAINTEXAS

This is a BAD BAD ideia
The reason people dont do this is because the 5th wheel dosent have enough support in the frame and sidewall to support the amount of stress the distance from the hookups trailer/truck. Your attaching essencially a breaker bar to the front of the 5th wheel and hoping the stress can be absorbed----it WILL create stress cracks in the transition area of the sidewall of the 5th.
Ive been in the rv business for 30 years and no mfg of the frames offers warranties if a goosneck is added---it voids the warranty--- let alone off the receiver


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## Shin-Diggin

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=209399&highlight=S-10+blazer


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## expressfish

Ha ! Ive seen the s-10 photo. The trailer has a goosneck adapter on it already. And you you are correct, pulling it in the past I can see the flex. All I want to do is hook it up to my reciever hitch instead of the gooseneck ball in my bed.


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## expressfish

Heres a pic of the trailer, it should have never been made with a 5th wheel hitch........or better yet why did I ever buy it ?!? (i needed something for the lease:smile


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## INDIANAINTEXAS

If you want to hook the 5th wheel to the truck the best ( and its not to difficult) way is to remove the axels and add a frame hanger as a extension--- possibly a 2X6 or 2X8 steel tube between the frame and reinstall the axel hangers and axels------ be very carful that everything stays square and add support to the transition from the existing frame to the new riser. But I still dont recomend it.


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## catchysumfishy

Sell it on Craigs list and buy a bumper pull! Travel trailers are selling like crazy on CL especially for College kiddo's!Please don't endanger anyones life by attempting your idea!


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## expressfish

INDIANAINTEXAS said:


> If you want to hook the 5th wheel to the truck the best ( and its not to difficult) way is to remove the axels and add a frame hanger as a extension--- possibly a 2X6 or 2X8 steel tube between the frame and reinstall the axel hangers and axels------ be very carful that everything stays square and add support to the transition from the existing frame to the new riser. But I still dont recomend it.


 as in a trailer "body lift" , I thought about that. Everything is rusted and too much trouble.


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## expressfish

heres the hitch Im fabbing. This trailer is lighter (3500 LBS) than the 33fter (7500 LBS) we just bought....and its a bumper pull. I cant see any problem pulling this much lighter trailer from the bumper with the hitch Im building. It weights half of what Ive pulled on the bumper in the past. Only difference will be that its not hooked up in the middle on the bed but on the bumper/receiver instead leaving me room in the bed for other stuff.


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## bwguardian

The angle gusset will prevent the forward backward forces...HOWEVER, you are overlooking the side to side forces! Also, because of the 16" length, you are putting more stress on the trucks reciever. I still believe there is not enough section modulas through the steel. This is a very bad idea and you should really consider raising the trailer off the axles or selling the it and finding another one.


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## catchysumfishy

expressfish said:


> heres the hitch Im fabbing. This trailer is lighter (3500 LBS) than the 33fter (7500 LBS) we just bought....and its a bumper pull. I cant see any problem pulling this much lighter trailer from the bumper with the hitch Im building. It weights half of what Ive pulled on the bumper in the past. Only difference will be that its not hooked up in the middle on the bed but on the bumper/receiver instead leaving me room in the bed for other stuff.


Man, are you that willing to put other lives in harms way , not to mention what your family could loose in the law suit?


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## expressfish

I hear ya on the liability. Im not being hardheaded, but check these hitches out. Whats the difference if I hooked up one of these -- set aside legal issues ect ? The 11 inch might work but Im not going to pay that price when I can fab it myself.


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## catchysumfishy

expressfish said:


> I hear ya on the liability. Im not being hardheaded, but check these hitches out. Whats the difference if I hooked up one of these -- set aside legal issues ect ? The 11 inch might work but Im not going to pay that price when I can fab it myself.


I would say go for it "being that it looks like you have your mind made up" but i will not condone it ! These hitches were NOT designed to tow a GOOSENECK period!


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## expressfish

and where the Idea came from...........:work::work: only not near as tall or unsupported gusset wise. This unit is rated for 2500 lbs, imagine how wiggly this puppy is on a three point hookup when loaded !!


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## catchysumfishy

expressfish said:


> and where the Idea came from...........:work::work: only not near as tall or unsupported gusset wise. This unit is rated for 2500 lbs, imagine how wiggly this puppy is on a three point hookup when loaded !!


Yup, and look at the other bar running from the top, what are you gunna do ,run it through your tail gate! Pfffft....


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## expressfish

catchysumfishy said:


> Yup, and look at the other bar running from the top, what are you gunna do ,run it through your tail gate! Pfffft....


 yes, yes I see that, its part of the three point hookup. It wouldnt stand vertical with out it.


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## catchysumfishy

expressfish said:


> yes, yes I see that, its part of the three point hookup. It wouldnt stand vertical with out it.


Lol, just messin with ya!


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## gitchesum

I also see a big "Dangerous, Operate at Your Own Risk" sticker on that thing too.



> The LEINBACH LINE trailer hitches are three point hitch Category I designed for farm use. These hitches will accept the square tube receiver that allows any combination of trailer ball sizes or the flat farm hitch. The LTH-II is designed with an upright goose neck hitch to move a goose neck trailer around the farm with the tractor. It can move a hay trailer from the field or move a parked trailer so it can be mowed under.


I notice they don't mention it's safe for highway use.

I would either level the truck, or raise the trailer.


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## DavidCorpusTX

I would be willing to bet that the first time you make a stop that the hitch will flex right into the tailgate of your truck. 

The easiest way to make this work would just be to put a 12" lift kit on your truck!!:headknock


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## expressfish

ok , so I go out and buy that alum 11in rise hitch pictured above. My reciever sits at 24 inches already. It would probably work as the trailer sitting level is right at 34 inches. Would it be any better ?? Looks weaker to me, no gussets to back up the drop or lift. I think we are under estimating the strengh of the materials involved. If it were a 8000lb trailer it would be different in my own opinion.


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## catchysumfishy

expressfish said:


> ok , so I go out and buy that alum 11in rise hitch pictured above. My reciever sits at 24 inches already. It would probably work as the trailer sitting level is right at 34 inches. Would it be any better ?? Looks weaker to me, no gussets to back up the drop or lift. I think we are under estimating the strengh of the materials involved. If it were a 8000lb trailer it would be different in my own opinion.


Estimation is THE whole problem here! Dangit, you have a bunch of people here telling you it's not a very bright idea and if you do it and someone gets hurt or killed and this site comes into play-your done!


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## INDIANAINTEXAS

In light of the request to keep posts polite I cant stress enough that this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.!!!! when something goes bad -and when it does* it will* *go very BAD* Best case seneciaro is the trailer is totaled worst case is somone is injured or killed----if that happens one look at this hitch setup and the next call will be from someone from the TEXAS HAMMER attornys office---at that point everything you own will belong to either your attorny or the family of the injured --Please look at other options---get a buddy to tow it----trade it -----hell tow it on a flatbed but please reconsider this as any means to safely move this trailer.


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## gitchesum

We watched a guy in a flat bed wrecker tilt the bed, back it up under the 5th wheel RV, tilt the bed back up and by doing so lifted the trailer off the front jacks. Wrapped a couple of chains around the king pin and cinched it up with the wrecker winch.

Did it work , sure did. Was it safe, absolutely not.

Or how about the time my buddy had an axle housing split when he was pulling the above mentioned 35' RV and had to leave his truck and trailer on the road side(evacuting for Rita). When he came back and finally located the RV at the storage yards, we walked up and saw the rear tires of the truck on one of those little 4 wheel dolly's they have on the side of the wrecker boom. The wrecker driver put the entire weight of the truck and the front of the RV on one of those little dollys with a 2500 # capacity.

Did it work too, yep. Was it stupid as all get out, you bet.

Again, not saying it wouldn't work, but the hitch weight of the goosneck RV can be as much at 500-800 more pounds than a standard bumper pull RV. Not only does that extra weight probably exceed the hitch's limits, it's also all hanging off the rear end of your truck.


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## expressfish

gitchesum said:


> We watched a guy in a flat bed wrecker tilt the bed, back it up under the 5th wheel RV, tilt the bed back up and by doing so lifted the trailer off the front jacks. Wrapped a couple of chains around the king pin and cinched it up with the wrecker winch.
> 
> Did it work , sure did. Was it safe, absolutely not.
> 
> Or how about the time my buddy had an axle housing split when he was pulling the above mentioned 35' RV and had to leave his truck and trailer on the road side(evacuting for Rita). When he came back and finally located the RV at the storage yards, we walked up and saw the rear tires of the truck on one of those little 4 wheel dolly's they have on the side of the wrecker boom. The wrecker driver put the entire weight of the truck and the front of the RV on one of those little dollys with a 2500 # capacity.
> 
> Did it work too, yep. Was it stupid as all get out, you bet.
> 
> Again, not saying it wouldn't work, but the hitch weight of the goosneck RV can be as much at 500-800 more pounds than a standard bumper pull RV. Not only does that extra weight probably exceed the hitch's limits, it's also all hanging off the rear end of your truck.


THIS, is a little bit more common sense post. Seems everyone is stuck on legal terms, lawsuits , pulling info from internet forums to pursue liability ect. This was merely a discussion, but again everyone has their opinion. Thanks for all the replys. :cheers:


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## INDIANAINTEXAS

The final word from me on this is that famous quote"HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS!!!!"


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## expressfish

:biggrin:


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## Gorda Fisher

So did you do it? Live to tell about?


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## skout210

Please be sure and post up with your travel plans and routes. When you get ready to go on a trip so we can hide and watch !!!!!


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## drred4

I would call that hitch more on the trailer now a gooseneck. My dad has a 24' travel trailer that has a fifth wheel setup. Bought the rig you mount in you r truck bed on rails. Pulls it with his f-150 no problem, and not problems with pulling it. He says that trailer pulls better than anything else he gots because of the setup.

this is what is in his bed.


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## expressfish

Gorda Fisher said:


> So did you do it? Live to tell about?


yes, been there and back. 200 mile round trip. Handled just like it was hooked up in the bed. Here's a pic of the final hitch. I wouldn't pull anything heavier with it but this trailer was no problem. The final rise was only about 8 inches.


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