Goose Neck Hitch

Eddhuy

Well-known member
One other mod to the Prowler 29PTi that I forgot to mention is the goose neck adapter. Bought an F350 with a drop in liner that was conveniently hiding a goose neck hitch. It was just flipped over. So rather than removing it and adding a fifth wheel hitch I just added and adapter to the the trailer. It is easy to hitch and unhitch but cannot see the ball in the center of the truck when connecting to it. Maybe I'll get a camera or just a stick next to the ball.

//heartlandowners.org/images/icons/icon14.png I guess one advantage is that I can just flip the ball over to have a clean truck bed.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Eddhuy, Welcome to the heartland Forum & Family. I wasn't even aware Heartland had a TI edition Prowler. Very Cool! We need pictures though.

Regarding your Gooseneck hitch, I would suggest you call Heartland to verify a GN hitch won't affect your frame warranty. Your dealer may have said OK but I've heard Heartland isn't a fan of the GN hitch for their 5th wheels.
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
Thank you for the reply. I never thought there may be a problem with Heartland, I will definately give them a call.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
One other mod to the Prowler 29PTi that I forgot to mention is the goose neck adapter. Bought an F350 with a drop in liner that was conveniently hiding a goose neck hitch. It was just flipped over. So rather than removing it and adding a fifth wheel hitch I just added and adapter to the the trailer. It is easy to hitch and unhitch but cannot see the ball in the center of the truck when connecting to it. Maybe I'll get a camera or just a stick next to the ball.

//heartlandowners.org/images/icons/icon14.png I guess one advantage is that I can just flip the ball over to have a clean truck bed.
A magnetic expandable parts magnet works very well to align up to your GN ball. The warranty however is void with the adapter. Most of our neighbors and us as well have used the adapters ever since Fifth Wheel campers came on the market many years ago. The frames are lighter now due to the longer coaches. Best to buy a Goose Box and be safe.
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
A magnetic expandable parts magnet works very well to align up to your GN ball. The warranty however is void with the adapter. Most of our neighbors and us as well have used the adapters ever since Fifth Wheel campers came on the market many years ago. The frames are lighter now due to the longer coaches. Best to buy a Goose Box and be safe.

I guess Goose Box may be more accurate, it is a rather large retangular box bolted to the 5th wheel that attaches to the ball.

Heartland referred me to Lippert, the frame manufacturer. I need to get the manufacture date of the 5th wheel before they will/can answer my question. Will post a picture tomorrow of the hitch and get the date to call Lippert back. Will post the answer after receiving it.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
I guess Goose Box may be more accurate, it is a rather large retangular box bolted to the 5th wheel that attaches to the ball.

Heartland referred me to Lippert, the frame manufacturer. I need to get the manufacture date of the 5th wheel before they will/can answer my question. Will post a picture tomorrow of the hitch and get the date to call Lippert back. Will post the answer after receiving it.
http://www.reeseprod.com/content/products.aspx?lvl=2&parentid=7300&catID=7390&part=0 Sure like our Goose Box. None of the adapters will qualify you for the warranty except for the Goose Box Pin in the link.
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
http://www.reeseprod.com/content/products.aspx?lvl=2&parentid=7300&catID=7390&part=0 Sure like our Goose Box. None of the adapters will qualify you for the warranty except for the Goose Box Pin in the link.

I found that on the Lippertt web site yesterday. The one that Camping World purchased and installed is a popuphitch adapter rated at 24,000 pounds. I guess as long as I don't need to file a claim on the frame, all should be ok. Or does someone with more knowledge than myself think this can cause a problem?

popuphitch.jpg
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
I found that on the Lippertt web site yesterday. The one that Camping World purchased and installed is a popuphitch adapter rated at 24,000 pounds. I guess as long as I don't need to file a claim on the frame, all should be ok. Or does someone with more knowledge than myself think this can cause a problem?
Are there any disclaimers in the paperwork that came with the goosebox? Anything about frame damage or stress...
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Ray, he did not buy the "Reese Goosebox", which looks like an extra-extended kingpin. This pic appears to be a standard gooseneck adapter.

I can't weigh in anything helpful, except that the link to the one DW_Gray posted is the only Lippert-Approved gooseneck hitch.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
All of the GN adapters are pretty similar in that they drop down from the king pin box to the ball in the bed. The real stress is stopping very fast without adequate trailer brakes to slow the coach as fast as the TV. Going forward adds very little stress compared to the rapid decrease in speed that may occur during a panic stop. With most of the coaches coming out of the factory with marginal brakes and many TV's that aren't configured properly you can imagine that additional stress occurs. We towed with the adapters for over 40 years with no problems. However we now have a Goose "pin" Box and feel much safer about a rapid stop for both the coach and TV safety as well as the passengers.
 

wildwolfproducts

Well-known member
All of the GN adapters are pretty similar in that they drop down from the king pin box to the ball in the bed. The real stress is stopping very fast without adequate trailer brakes to slow the coach as fast as the TV. Going forward adds very little stress compared to the rapid decrease in speed that may occur during a panic stop. With most of the coaches coming out of the factory with marginal brakes and many TV's that aren't configured properly you can imagine that additional stress occurs. We towed with the adapters for over 40 years with no problems. However we now have a Goose "pin" Box and feel much safer about a rapid stop for both the coach and TV safety as well as the passengers.

I have to ask? Why wold there be anymore stress with a GN hitch over a 5th wheel hitch when stopping fast? Both are using the same stress points? Never have figured out how any company can say a GN puts more stress on a unit then a 5th does? Both hold the unit up and both allow it to move sideways. Not like the old 5th wheel I have in my dodge it does not tilt to the side but the new ones do.
Pete
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Why would there be anymore stress with a GN hitch over a 5th wheel hitch when stopping fast?

I'm not an engineer, but it seems like the pin on my 5th wheel is pretty short whereas the vertical part of the gooseneck is pretty long. If you think of each as a lever, with the fulcrum being where they connect to their respective horizontal components, a gooseneck would exert way more leverage because of the increased length.

Imagine using 2 shovels to pry a rock out of the ground. One shovel has a 6 inch handle. The other has a 30 inch handle. Which gets the rock out of the ground easier?
 

wildwolfproducts

Well-known member
I'm not an engineer, but it seems like the pin on my 5th wheel is pretty short whereas the vertical part of the gooseneck is pretty long. If you think of each as a lever, with the fulcrum being where they connect to their respective horizontal components, a gooseneck would exert way more leverage because of the increased length.

Imagine using 2 shovels to pry a rock out of the ground. One shovel has a 6 inch handle. The other has a 30 inch handle. Which gets the rock out of the ground easier?

But my gooseneck trailer has less structure on it and hauls way more weight. And never had any issues with it. If your using a frame box from the the pin box down to the gooseneck hitch. Does not look like it could put anymore stress then the other? But I will say I'm not an engineer so way out of of my brain cells. But from real life use, just does not work out in my head. Shoot I have hauled 18 Big rolls of hay on my Gooseneck lots of times. These bails push 1600 lbs each so thats 28,800 then a heavy trailer. All these years never been one crack popped up in the frame or overhang section.

Pete
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
Considering the size and shape of the adapter, it seems to me(not an engineer either) that the additional stress would be spread out and somewhat reduced. I will look into this more but not too concerned about it at the moment. Will change it out if I deem it necessary but my gut instinct says it will be ok.

Even with the Goose box, the same amount of leverage applies, the drop is the same. The difference seems to be in the shock absorbtion incorporated within the Goose box. There are other shock absorbing goose neck adapters on the market but it almost seems that Lippert has worked something out with Reese, can't say for certain, but you can purchase it from the Lippert web site. I can say that if I knew then what I know now, I'd go the safe route and get the Goose box.
 
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lwmcguir

Well-known member
I have to ask? Why wold there be anymore stress with a GN hitch over a 5th wheel hitch when stopping fast? Both are using the same stress points? Never have figured out how any company can say a GN puts more stress on a unit then a 5th does? Both hold the unit up and both allow it to move sideways. Not like the old 5th wheel I have in my dodge it does not tilt to the side but the new ones do.
Pete
I have never seen a GN that tilts from side to side and we have many.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
But my gooseneck trailer has less structure on it and hauls way more weight. And never had any issues with it. If your using a frame box from the the pin box down to the gooseneck hitch. Does not look like it could put anymore stress then the other? But I will say I'm not an engineer so way out of of my brain cells. But from real life use, just does not work out in my head. Shoot I have hauled 18 Big rolls of hay on my Gooseneck lots of times. These bails push 1600 lbs each so thats 28,800 then a heavy trailer. All these years never been one crack popped up in the frame or overhang section.

Pete
We have large GN trailers that carry a lot of weight as well. The metal used in fabrication is much heavier as well as the frame, springs, spring hangers and so on. Take a good look at the campers, the materials used are very low gauge to keep the weight low. Big difference in construction if you look closely. Most all GN trailers have gussets where the GN attaches to the frame for a very good reason. That is the main difference in using a GN adapter on a camper and why it adds more stress. I am an engineer and you don't need to be one to look at the difference in the contact point using a 5th wheel versus a GN.
 

Manzan

Well-known member
If you want to know why a goose neck trailer needs to be stronger where it is attached, hold a pencil near the eraser and shove on it just below your fingers then do the same thing at the end of the pencil. Which takes more pressure to move it? Simple physics.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
All I know is a little over a year ago we were at the factory getting some repairs done and I overheard the tech looking at a Big Horn talking to a Lippert tech and the Lippert tech told the Heartland tech they would not touch it (frame cracks) because the warranty was voided due to their being a gooseneck hitch on the Big Horn.
 

wildwolfproducts

Well-known member
I have never seen a GN that tilts from side to side and we have many.
Just open your eyes and you will see, it rolls to each side if the truck back tire comes up the trailer tilts one way or the other. Not saying the hitch its self moves but the ball allows all to move sideways and back if the truck goes over a bad spot.
This used to be what people were talking about that was ripping campers up. But all the ones I know that has been running GN hitches on theres has no issues. But I for one would rather hitch up to the 5th wheel then the GN. Shoot thinking about swapping out the GN on my Gooseneck trailer to a 5th wheel unit this winter. Faster to hook up to and not many of people around here has the 5th wheel to borrow the trailer. But everyone of them has the gooseneck hitch.
Pete
 
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