5th wheel towing question

Blackhat · 02-15-2010, 06:24 PM

I recently purchased 2005 8243 S with a Pop-up gooseneck adapter (9inch offset). I love the trailer. I am towing it with a 2004 F250 super duty king ranch 4 door 4WD short bed.
I am feeling a push/pull from the trailer going down the highway. Watching it in the mirror it looks like the trailer is bouncing up and down.
I am new to 5th wheels but have pulled goosenecks thousands of miles.
Is this a loading problem?
Any advice will be appreciated.

Bill

aintgotnun · 02-15-2010, 06:31 PM

Is the trailer level with your truck? Sounds to me like the truck (4x4) may be a scosh high causing the 5er to nose up making it "lighter". Just a thought.

and welcome to FRF

greg

Blackhat · 02-15-2010, 07:44 PM

thanks Greg
Ok, here is another part of the story.
When I bought it the dealership installed a regular long bed adapter. It had less than 5 inches of vertical bed clearance and allowed me to "pinch" the cab with the front corner (not jackknife) of the trailer in a turn.

After some ....... invigorating conversation the dealership agreed to install the correct short bed hitch. Now there is 8-9 inches of clearance and it does ride slightly nose high. The push/pull is not as bad as before but I can still feel some.
Is that just how they pull? I am used to horse and stock trailers that behave as if they are not even there.

Bill

LadyWindrider · 02-15-2010, 10:17 PM

Now I'm confused, and not sure I can help, but can ask questions. Original post stated Gooseneck adapter,9 inch offset. Is this what you have now, or is this the correct short bed hitch you are referring to in your second post? Do you have a fifth wheel hitch or are you towing off a gooseneck hitch that was already installed in the truck, and is the hitch located in the center of the rear axle? What is the weight of your stock trailer, total weight and pin weight, and what is the weight of your fifth wheel, total weight and pin weight? Answer these questions and someone maybe can help.

Blackhat · 02-16-2010, 08:28 AM

Thanks Windrider

1. I am not using a 5th wheel hitch.
2. B&W goosneck hitch installed properly by professional.
3. Original gooseneck adapter was for standard long bed pickup.
4. New goosneck adapter is for shortbed with 9 inch horizontal offset.
5. Stock trailer and flat bed trailers range from 3-4000 lbs empty and 9-15000 loaded.
6. 5th wheel is a Rockwood not sure of weight guessing 6-8000 lbs.

The real goosenecks do put more weight on the truck judging from how the truck sits. The Trucks GVWR is 8800.

Bill

aintgotnun · 02-16-2010, 06:29 PM

Gettin it now... With the short bed you need the 9" offset so you don't cream the cab of your truck. Makes sense.
So now with the 8-9" of bed clearance it's causing a "nose high" situation. I'm betting this "nose high" is the problem with the "push pull" (jerking) since you don't have the full pin weight on your truck. No that's not how they should pull. A good friend of mine has a short bed pulling his 5'er with a gooseneck adapter and it pulls like a dream. He did have to raise the height of his trailer to level out towing with his Dodge 4x4.

My thoughts on it.

greg

tlhintoq · 07-23-2010, 10:59 AM

I'm totally new to fifth wheels, so this may be a completely dumb comment.
We just purchased a Sandpiper F37sp and Dodge 4x4 6'bed to pull it with.
The hitch is a Superglide sliding hitch to compensate for the short bed. So rather than raise the nose of the 5th up to clear in turns, it slides back 14" while in a turn, then slides forward again as you straighten out. I also had airbags installed at the rear suspension to adjust for the trailer load (inflate the bags to raise the truck bed and level out at the attachment point)

Would this be a different approach than the 9" offset mentioned, or just two different ways of saying the same thing ("6 of one, half-dozen of another")?

Photo of the sliding hitch:

Our 5th wheel blog (conversions and adventure thus far)

**Herk7769** · 07-23-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlhintoq

Would this be a different approach than the 9" offset mentioned, or just two different ways of saying the same thing ("6 of one, half-dozen of another")?

Photo of the sliding hitch:

Our 5th wheel blog (conversions and adventure thus far)

I think you are just fine and "yes"

The camper is wider than your bed is so as you approach 90 degrees of turn your camper would hit the cab if you did not move it aft.

The width addition you need depends on your camper's width. The Sliderite you bought will move the pin up to 18 inches so you are good to go.

tlhintoq · 07-23-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

I think you are just fine and "yes"

The camper is wider than your bed is so as you approach 90 degrees of turn your camper would hit the cab if you did not move it aft.

The width addition you need depends on your camper's width. The Sliderite you bought will move the pin up to 18 inches so you are good to go.

I know that I'm good to go with this: It tows and turns like a dream. I was just thinking that it might be an alternative configuration for the O.P. (original poster) who was having issues.

CDENsomnia · 02-05-2011, 09:36 PM

I just purchased a V-Cross fifth wheel and currently have an F350 Crew Cab Long Bed with the BW Gooseneck hitch. When I talked to the dealer and several other people about the gooseneck to 5er conversion what I heard was that conversion can make it feel like the trailer is tugging on the truck as you described in your intial post. I decided rather than using the gooseneck to 5er conversion, to buy the BW companion hitch which is a little more costly but is a fifth wheel hitch that clips in to the gooseneck hitch where the ball is normally.

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