# Gooseneck vs. 5th wheel



## fishfeeder

Is there any benefit to having a gooseneck hitch in place of the 5th wheel hitch on a travel trailer, or is it just personal preference?

Also, is there more to putting heavy wheels and tires on a trailer, other than insurance for not blowing tires? I would think this would make the trailer ride a bit rougher than the lighter duty tires.

I am looking at buying a trailer and it has the gooseneck and heavier(bias ply?) tires instead of the common lighter duty radials.
Thanks for any input.


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## Don Smith

5th wheel hook ups are much more common than goose necks for travel trailers and are a little more forgiving on hook up. Goose neck hook ups require you to be right on when backing under the trailer. Also, most heavy hauler hot shots use goose necks because of weight carrying capacity. A lot of travel trailers are loaded to max, or above, the weight ratings of the light duty tires and that creates a lot of tire problems. Heavier duty tires can save you a lot of damage and problems from being a little overloaded. The harsher ride is not a problem since you are not riding in the trailer.
Enjoy.


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## Buckerup

A GN doesn't use up nearly as much of the trucks bed space as the 5th wheel does.


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## fishfeeder

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't realize gn's had a higher carrying cap. than 5th wheels, so that makes sense, as does the heavier cap. tires for the overloaded trailers. I figured as much for the tires, but didn't think about the gn weight carrying cap. Sounds like the previous owner went above and beyond for "insurance" which makes sense as the trailer is in better shape than many half it's age...


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## Dtrojcak

A gooseneck adapter on a travel trailer puts a lot of additional torque on the aluminum trailer frame.
It wasn't designed for it, and most of the time it will void the warranty.

Think of it this way, hold a 6 inch stick in your hand and have someone grab the other end on flex it. It won't move much. Do the same thing with a 18 inch stick and see how much easier it is for them to move the stick. In this example, your hand is the travel trailer frame and they other person is the truck hitch.


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## Tuff

Buckerup has it! The GN hitch does nothing to change towing capacity-it will not increase the rear axle weight your truck can safely manage. The only benefit is you can put more junk in your truck bed. Biggest drawback is if you need to move your trailer and don't have your truck, you have to find someone else with a GN setup. Fifth wheels are a little more prevalent in the RV world. Some folks like Chevy's, some like Fords--some folks swear by goose necks, others prefer fifth wheels.


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## Hookem-Guy81

I put a B & W Turnball Hitch in the bed of my truch with the 5th Wheel companion Hitch. It is in two pieces and I take it on and off as needed. Right now off because I just moved my daughter to a new apartment for school. 5th Wheel is the easiest hitch to hook up. My wife loves it. As for Tires I spent the money on Tires not insurance. I bumped up to 16 inch wheels and Michelin XPS Ribs. Read the Good Sam Forums on Trailer Tires. You need that piece of mind going down the road.


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## Sgrem

I have way too many miles under both. Have converted big trailers back and forth between 5th wheel and GN. 
5th wheel tend to be more stable going down the road with that flat surface to ride on. Thats why 5th wheels dont need safety chains and GN do.
GN are more forgiving on bumpy uneven ranch type roads. Thats why you see most farm equipment type trailers and livestock trailers as GN. Rotating on that ball is more forgiving and easier on frames axles and suspensions as the whole system tries to equalize on uneven surfaces. 
If you tow a trailer mostly on highway go with a fifth wheel. If you tow unpaved uneven roads a lot then a gooseneck will allow for that wristing better. It was a world of difference when i put king pin slides on my gooseneck trailers and a mini fifth wheel on my F550 with air ride. I had over 10k pounds of tongue weight and truck trailer and load weighed 42k pounds with that set up. so much more comfortable with the fifth wheel than with that gooseneck waddling back there and rolling around on me.
Go with load range G 14 ply tires....always. On every trailer. Trailers dont have the suspension that your truck does. They heat and eat tires like crazy. You will see way more trailer flats than vehicle flats on side of road for this reason. So give yourself the best chance.


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## saltbranch

sgrem said:


> I have way too many miles under both. Have converted big trailers back and forth between 5th wheel and GN.
> 5th wheel tend to be more stable going down the road with that flat surface to ride on. Thats why 5th wheels dont need safety chains and GN do.
> GN are more forgiving on bumpy uneven ranch type roads. Thats why you see most farm equipment type trailers and livestock trailers as GN. Rotating on that ball is more forgiving and easier on frames axles and suspensions as the whole system tries to equalize on uneven surfaces.
> If you tow a trailer mostly on highway go with a fifth wheel. If you tow unpaved uneven roads a lot then a gooseneck will allow for that wristing better. It was a world of difference when i put king pin slides on my gooseneck trailers and a mini fifth wheel on my F550 with air ride. I had over 10k pounds of tongue weight and truck trailer and load weighed 42k pounds with that set up. so much more comfortable with the fifth wheel than with that gooseneck waddling back there and rolling around on me.
> Go with load range G 14 ply tires....always. On every trailer. Trailers dont have the suspension that your truck does. They heat and eat tires like crazy. You will see way more trailer flats than vehicle flats on side of road for this reason. So give yourself the best chance.


One more thing to add, Towing an RV on a G/N ball hitch and you get into a strong sidewind situation, like a storm. That trailer will lean and lean bad. Same situation on 5th wheel would a lot better. 
My personal experience, I was towing a 38' Rv that had broke down, loaded on a 40; G/N flatbed trailer. I got into Mississippi and a storm blew in with some strong side winds. Strong enough I thought it was going to tip over, I mean that trailer was leaning way over and rocking bad. I ended getting off the road at a truck stop and was able to park between 2 18 wheelers. I dollied trailer down and road it out.


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## MikeS2942

5th wheel hooks up much easier to connect to and faster, you can also accessorize you 5th wheel as well. You can offset the trailer and you can even add an smoother ride with an air bag.


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## Dtrojcak

Another thing to consider is a gooseneck also requires safety chains.


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## SaltNStickers

Yall have covered the hitch question. I have both GN and 5th wheel. I would never convert my 5th wheel trailer to a GN. Only reason one would do it is because of bed space. But also keep this in mind on tires. When an 8 or 10 ply tire blows out in will normally go to pieces. When a 14 ply blows out it holds together a lot longer than the 8-10's. Therefore it will do much more damage to the trailer before it gets off the wheel. One thing many people do not realize is that tires do not last as long as they used to. All of our trailer tires are replaced every 5 years regardless of tread wear. The tires we buy today dry rot much faster than they did in the past. You will be in good shape on MOST travel trailers with a 10 ply tire. I don't want to be on the side of the road changing a tire in the 100 deg. heat when I am supposed to be having fun.


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## kellyboy

This thread is pretty old but I though I would put my two cents in anyway. I have several gooseneck horse trailers so having a fifth wheel in the back of my truck is not an option. I bought a companion hitch and used it once. It fits right over your ball in the bed and is easy to get in and out and works great. Then I found out about the Reese Goosebox Hitch. Look it up. You put it in the place of the fifth wheel tongue on the trailer. It has an air bag and it won't void your warranty. I have a Heartland and they approve it. I don't think there is any doubt that a fifth wheel is the better way to go. But if your in my shoes with other goosenecks the Reese Goosebox is the best out there from the research I did.


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## bigfishtx

I absolutely hate fifth wheel hitches, and like to keep my bed clear to haul feed, etc.

That is why I went with the Anderson Ultimate Hitch. It weights 65 lbs, and takes about five minutes to put in or take out.

Because it does not change the angles on the frame, it will not void any MFG warranty.
http://www.andersenhitches.com/Catalog/ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx


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