Gooseneck adapter

[Bladehauler]

Hello all !

Going to look at a gooseneck trailer tomorrow , problem is it is setupp for a 3" style hitch with the pin hole and my truck has a 2 5/16 th flip over ball.
Does anyone know if there's an adapter made , or do i take a chance and drag it home like it is until I can change out the gooseneck tube ?? ( Id rather not !!!)


Thanks for any help !!

C-ya
Scott

 

[slowzuki]

B&W sell the pin hole style insert for their hitch.

 

[pjbci]

If you are referring to the B&W hitch with the 3inch square reciever in the bed, it uses a 2 and 5/16 ball. Ive never heard of a gooseneck using any size other than a 2 and 5/16th.

 

[Bladehauler]

Nope,
I have a curt 2 5/16 flip-over ball in my truck.

The trailer has the 30k 3 and 7/16 ( i believe ) coupler in it . I had that type 20 years ago, the ball has a horizontal hole and a pin goes though the hitch and the ball.
I'm trying to figure out if there is an adapter made to mate the two.

Sorry if I was unclear earlier

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Groo]

so the ball rotates?

 

[slowzuki]

http://www.turnoverball.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product-large/products/gnxa4075.jpg

For others to understand, the trailer needs one of these on the truck end.

 

[pjbci]

Wow. I have never seen or heard of one of those and I have pulled goosenecks all my life.

 

[slowzuki]

They are an older unit, you just stuck a bolt through the gn tube. The ball rotates when you turn. The gn tube is just a piece of pipe with a hole drilled in most cases, I don't think I've seen any with any surface to sit on the ball.

 

[CCOUGHRAN1]

If the truck is fitted with a 2-5/16 and the trailer is fitted with a 3" pin/eye hitch, the solution is easy.

Go buy a GN tube/coupler from TSC like this

Then drill a hole to fit the pin/eye on the trailer side. Slide the coupler into or over, depending on diameter, of the trailer coupler, run the 1" pin through both pieces, and you have successfully converted your trailer to hook to a standard 2-5/16 ball.

The only problem you may run into is the height of the hitch, if it's a long trailer, you probably won't notice, but a short trailer, it will be riding high in the front end.

 

[oliver1555]

Gooseneck Mfg. used them on some of their trailers in the 70s. The bad thing about them was that the ball rotated by turning in and out on the threads. That meant that the flange would be a hair above the plate and would allow for flexing. I was pulling a hill on a dirt road with a backhoe and had one break. Luckily, I was pulling with a flatbed and the tube hit the back of the hole in the bed and I was able to control it and get stopped. Had it been mounted in a pickup, it would have just torn the tailgate off and I probably would have wrecked both trailer and backhoe. We cut that thing off and put a Bulldog mount on.

 

[Bladehauler]

Well I picked up the trailer today.
Its a 20' lowboy gn with ramps , 6 bolt hubs ( im hoping 5200lb axles and not 3500s ) it did have the old style 3 and a little bit coupler on it ( it does have a concave load bearing surface about 2.5 to 3 " inside.
I dropped it down on my 2 5/16 and prayed halfway across Houston.

tandem axle with brakes ( that arent hooked up ) on 3 hubs
guess a problem at sometime in the past !!!
I did stop by the trailer parts supply and picked up a bulldog weld on coupler. Gonna weld it on the bottom of the tube and get to bearings, brakes and wiring. For what I paid , I can afford to put a little money into it and still come out way cheaper than the next used trailer I had looked at !!

Thanks
Scott

 

[two_bit_score]

Interesting thread. I recall seeing those old hitches years ago but had completely forgotten about them. Don't forget to post the before and after pics when you get finished with the trailer renovation.

Glad you made it across town. That can sometimes be a challenge even with a brand new trailer.

.

 

[Bladehauler]

Huh !!!!!
Well, got the trailer home, had a tire going down( cracked valve stem ) I figured while the tire was off , that would be the first hub to get serviced.
pulled the dust cap off and...........grease ???? nope whole lotta rust and the brakes ..... nonexistent. PERFECT!!!!!!! Sooo I pulled #2 off same thing.!@#$%^ Well this is another fine mess I've gotten myself into.
So tomorrow I'll be shopping for 4 new complete wheel ends ( backing plates, hubs bearings ) oh and still gotta get that tire fixed.

Oh well , its only money, Right ????

hope Ya'lls day was better !!

C-ya
Scott

 

[Diamondpilot]

Huh !!!!!
Well, got the trailer home, had a tire going down( cracked valve stem ) I figured while the tire was off , that would be the first hub to get serviced.
pulled the dust cap off and...........grease ???? nope whole lotta rust and the brakes ..... nonexistent. PERFECT!!!!!!! Sooo I pulled #2 off same thing.!@#$%^ Well this is another fine mess I've gotten myself into.
So tomorrow I'll be shopping for 4 new complete wheel ends ( backing plates, hubs bearings ) oh and still gotta get that tire fixed.

Oh well , its only money, Right ????

hope Ya'lls day was better !!

C-ya
Scott

Hope it works out for you. 9 out if 10 used trailers I see end up being money pits and in the long run cost about the same as new. Hope you fair better.

Chris

 

[Bladehauler]

Hope it works out for you. 9 out if 10 used trailers I see end up being money pits and in the long run cost about the same as new. Hope you fair better.

Chris

Thanks,
I paid $800 for it and just talked with the parts house ,
4 new 12"hubs with bearings,seals dust cup,axle nut ,cotter key and lugnuts,

4 new electric brakes ,new bolts to mount them
come to $408.
The welding on the coupler ( which was $51 ) i'll do myself so hopefully around $1300 and I'll be in business !!!!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks,
I paid $800 for it and just talked with the parts house ,
4 new 12"hubs with bearings,seals dust cup,axle nut ,cotter key and lugnuts,

4 new electric brakes ,new bolts to mount them
come to $408.
The welding on the coupler ( which was $51 ) i'll do myself so hopefully around $1300 and I'll be in business !!!!

Yep, you will still be all right. How is the battery, brake away, wiring, lights, and wood deck?

Chris

 

[two_bit_score]

Yep, you will still be all right. How is the battery, brake away, wiring, lights, and wood deck?

Chris

Your own time and labor worth anything?