sorry but i am new to the gooseneck trailers and would like to know what is the difference between the two. also if a semi uses the fifth design and they can haul so much weight why does the gooseneck use the same design. as you can see i'm a newbie and a little lost on the matter.

Hi, RV's have mini 5th wheel hitches as they are easier to back up to with the V opening. RV's used to be majority retired folks, with alot never towing before or hooking up to trailers much so they adopted a easy hitch and being conservative copied after semi trucks as you said. Then in the other trailer world, ranchers, horse folks etc, use their truck bed for work, hauling hay, corn etc. and needed the bed. So a small bed ball for a gooseneck trailer was their answer. They use trailers more and a usable bed was more important than ease of hooking up. A gooseneck is also easier to hook up on uneven ground and can be pulled over worse road conditions.

We are seeing a trend of folks converting their mini-5th wheel couplers on their RV trailers to also use a ball coupler like a gooseneck that can be turned over or taken out to allow more versitile use of the truck bed from baby boomers that are taking over the RV market. We just finished an article about coverting the 5th wheel coupler on the home page here. The writer noticed that the ball coupler has less jerking pulling a trailer verses the movement between the king pin of a 5th wheel and the jaws of the 5th wheel coupler.

thanks mr.truck for the information, it was very helpful.

Finally, I think this is where I want to be.
I also am new to goose neck vs conventional towing. I tow a 1986 30' Winnebago with a 2004 wrangler toad. 55,000 mi so far.
I am looking to downsize to a small 5th wheel.
I'd like to tow a 19' Scamp 5er. I own a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4x4.
Why can not I install a goose neck hitch and tow this small 3000# trailer.
Thanks for your patience and comments.

Avalanche has a very small bed, but it also has a "Gator" angle plastic piece behind the cab and even retricts more the movement of the 5th wheel. To miss all that, you would have to mount the hitch behind the axle which would make the rig "wander" down the road with too little steering axle weight.

So whats dead 'center' over, in front (Front springs and balance)etc. of axle got to do with warble and track with a #400 TW? and an overall #3000 gvw trailer. The Avi will tow the same model if a ball hitch is connected to the frame 5 feet back and will still encounter the same torque and loads. the only concerns would be the Center Gravity Load on the base plate, wouldn't it? I'm not talking any other possible applications except the stated combinations. Electric Brakes, Safety Chains, etc.etc. and considered. No fifth wheel or replacement trailer.
I really like my Avi and I really like the Scamp 5er...........Customised!

So, a #400 payload, behind my axle, in an Avalanche, would cause 'Wander' and steering problems?
The 'Goose neck' system is mounted to the frame, behind the area of the 'Gator' strip and is a full 2'' ahead of the c/L of the rear Axle. No plate or slide needed, only a 4" hole that a ball 'pops' up from the bed.
I can't get over the wander estimate with such a small payload. I have never noticed such a condition, even with #800 Sheetrock this past summer on a 20 mile trip....Highway. Or with a #3800 skid steer on the rear bumper. Go Figure!

Go for it. But I don't know of any hitch company that makes a ball for a gooseneck to fit your Avalance. Maybe a rail system from Drawtite or Reece.

This works for a car hauler.
I would be carrying much less TW.

So how did this work out. I have a 2004 Avalanche that I would like to also install a 5th wheel.
I am in the process of converting an older 5th Wheel camper unit into an enclosed Snowmobile/Atv hauler. I intend to taper the upper frame in so it will be narrower at the front and avoid conflict with the plastic saila and allow the hitch to be monuted further forward, but still behind the axle.
Any thoughts?

You sound like me on this one. We are always messing with old trailers to see what we can turn them into. You have to send me some pictures of this one... I have to see this.

You asked for our thoughts and I'll I can say is have a blast with this project but before you haul the first car, check the GVWR and Payload Capacity of those axles.

Stand by. I have just finally tracked down a used hitch, so the first thing to do will be mounting it. I will try to send photos when I get to a finished product, might be a couple of months.

I have mounted the hitch in my Avalanche directly through the bottom of the box.I have not completed the connection to the frame yet. I am concerned that the box is part of the body system and mounted on body rubbers and may become damaged over time by the twisting of the frame.
Do you think that it would be a better idea to connect the hitch only to the frame and allow the body to move freely ?
I have some ideas, but wondered how this has worked out for Dan S as his appears to be secured to the floor of the box.

All the GN hitches I've looked at connect to the frame. The box is only sheet metal and connected with a couple of bolts. Allow the box to float as GM designed, with the rubber bushings. Don't make a rigid connection to the box.