Thanks! I paid $600 to have it towed 14 miles,so I just ordered exactly what you have, because I need to move it from the driveway to my backyard and it's $360 if I call them and the adapter was $260 on ebay!.I'D RATHER SAVE A HUNDRED AND OWN THE ADAPTER!
I installed one of these 15 years ago and have towed my Mirage 28' fifth wheel at least 10 to 15000 miles and never had a problem It does buck a little but no real problems.
I bought this hitch covertion for our 2013 40' Montana 5 years ago and never had a problem. Beats tearing up your truck with one of those 5th wheel hitches when the jaws come open. This is the only gooseneck convertion just for big 5th wheels.
incredibly helpful. I just bought an offset gooseneck adapter off facebook marketplace. I had no idea how to install it! The offset is the same brand as your standard adapter. I bought a 5th wheel camper to tow out to our permanent lease. It only needs to move ONCE.... this looks like its gonna be a great option, rather than trying to install a $1500 5th wheel in my half ton--- which would be 3x what I paid for the camper! lol Thanks for the video, it answered any question I might have had!
Yeah, as long as its installed properly and keep a check on the bolts I don't really see how this adapter would be any different than any other Gooseneck trailer. It looks plenty stout to me, and I have been a fabricator/welder for over 40 years. It certainly looks to be built from thicker stronger steel than that stamped 3/16 low carbon steel box it connects to. Most of the folks yapping about it don't know their axx from a hole in the ground and are just regurgitating what they have heard others say. I certainly wouldn't be afraid to install one and pull anywhere. Go with your gut though and not the "if something costs more it has to be better" crowd.
I don't know why hitch manufacturers are using set screws. but I like the concept of this. the design seems like it's 1) not 'idiot proof' or failsafe and 2) set screws tend to have limited grab even torqued so I could see things spinning where it shouldn't and causing premature wear to pin, etc. And this uses two layers of setscrew at that. Seems like a better design would use a something similar to a fifth wheel latch and then keep the adapter from turning by cradling the kingpin frame/plate (adjustabilty for brand). Convert a Ball could have used through-bolts between its two adapter parts.
These adapters have been breaking trailer frames for years. Keep up the good work, repair shops depend on you. Any warranty on a trailer frame should be canceled. These are like putting a big lever on your trailers frame.
These adapters are a bad idea IMO. You might be able to "get away with it" for a while...but depending on luck is not a good plan. Do it right and get a Reese Goosebox. I know, they're not cheap, but it's the right way to do it.
I think most people use these when they have to tow the camper ONCE to a permanent spot, or just running around to their campsite a half hour or so away. If you're pulling your camper all over the country all summer, you're obviously better off going with a 5th wheel, but for short journeys and minimal moves, these are a great way to not clutter up your pickup bed with an expensive 5th wheel
If it's still under manufacturer warranty then no, the warranty will be voided. Lippert put out a notice a couple years ago stating no warranty if ANY gooseneck adapter is used. The only exception being the Reese (Lippert} Goosebox
in my opinion, if you're going to bolt it on that permanently, you might be just as well off by just buying a 5th wheel. The advantage of this setup is that is not permanent and easy to remove, but if you're doing alot of traveling, I think a 5th wheel is probably a safer option. These do have a polyurethane buffer inside them to prevent wear and tear, but that's really not a great permanent solution and will eventually cause wear or cracking on your trailer tongue. So all that said, don't even bother bolting it onto the kingpin plate
Don't do it. It's simply not good for the frame since it changes the stress point and can more easily cause sidewall cracking at the upper deck. If you want to use the goose ball then install the Reese (Lippert) Goosebox. Same idea without the frame stress
