moving fifth wheel trailer with tractor

[up north Dave]

i'm wondering if anyone has moved a fifth wheel trailer with there tractor I'm thinking of buying TSC trailer mover but it is for gooseneck trailers, couplers
for fifth wheel to goose neck costs a couple hundred dollars. I just need to move trailer in and out of pole barn I have no hitch on truck . any other ideas would be greatly apprecated Thanks Dave

 

[Skyco]

My first question will be can your tractor lift your fifth wheel trailer? Many fifth wheels have high tongue weight compared to a standard trailer.

Looking at the picture on TSC's website my next question would be is your fifth wheel trailer plate far enough forward your tractor can get under it? Some have too much overhang to the front to work it appears to me.

If both above items are satisfactory I suppose it would work with an appropriate adapter on the trailer mover, but, no, I haven't done it myself

I've contemplated making a trailer dolly with 4 wheels so I can move my toy hauler with my BX24. The hitch adapter I have on my FEL will NOT lift the trailer, it has about 1000 lbs tongue weight. I don't want to use the 3 point because I leave the BH on.

 

[hutch4472]

I have a 27' 5er that I move around with my L35 quite often. Just curl the bucket, put it under the pin box and lift up, no problem. Obviously this may not work well if you had to move the 5er for a very long distance on steep slopes but it works fine for me moving it around my rolling 1 acre lot. Just DONT turn sharp or the bucket will hit the front bottom edge of the 5er. Hutch

 

[up north Dave]

fifth wheel hitch is right in the front of trailer trailer is a27.5 footer I have a farm pro 30 hp and I have lifted the front with fel just not to sure of moving trailer around Trailer can be towed with 1/2 ton truck. so I do not think I will have trouble lifting it I just think that 3 pt would be safer I do not have very far to move it. I am just trying to find out if there is a cheap coupler for fifth wheel hitch to gooseneck. I might have welder fab one for me. thanks for your replies.

 

[firedog]

I customized my BB with a combination gooseneck/fifth wheel hitch attachment. It's basically a 14" long piece of 3" pipe welded vertically to the back of the frame where the toplink attaches. The pipe has a gusseted flange around the top so it fits the trailer pin quite well. I also have a 2 1/2" sleeve with a 2 5/16" ball on it that fits into the 3" piece.
I use it with a 30HP Farmtrac, and it moves it quite well, just can't make any sharp turns or you'll have the front of the trailer into your ROPS.

Also the hitch extends about 15" out from the front of the trailer.

 

[chucko]

Why not just use your truck?

 

[up north Dave]

It costs about 350.00 dollars for a hitch then you have to have it installed. and I do'nt plan to haul it on the road. we just bought it until we build a home on our property. we go up for long weekends during the summer. tried a pop up to much trouble putting up and taking down.

 

[2manyrocks]

I may be totally wrong, but isn't there a relatively cheap gooseneck ball/plate assembly that can be bolted to the bed of the truck? I don't mean one that you'd use to haul the 5th wheel 70mph down the interstate.

My other question would be the terrain you'd be moving the 5th wheel over and how far. Are you just needing to move it in and out of the pole barn over flat ground?

 

[2manyrocks]

RECEIVER/GOOSENECK HITCH DRAWBAR ATTACHMENT - (eBay item 280161595206 end time Oct-16-07 17:02:58 PDT)

Is this kind of what you're looking for? There is another one on ebay or your local welding shop could turn one out in a hurry.

 

[Reg]

Depends on the particular trailer and your particular tractor.
There is a rule of thumb that 25% of the trailer's loaded weight goes on the pin.
So,,, according to what all is IN the trailer and how far it is towards the front, e.g. "tile and marble" you could be faced with anything up to 4,000 lbs, maybe more.

I would probably TRY it, SLOWLY, just to see if the tractor can lift it.
I would leave the landing gear down for a trial move of a foot or two.
I don't think I'd lift it more than a few inches - see how it goes.

 

[MrJimi]

I could have read his first post wrong but I think he is looking for THIS TYPE or maybe THIS ONE
and he could bolt it to bucket or whatever he wants and remove when not being used.
Jim

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm not clear which hitch Up North Dave is looking for--the gooseneck ball or the receiver type hitch.

If he gets a hitch for his truck, then he could pull it to go camping somewhere. But it's easier to connect and move a trailer around with a hitch on the tractor....

 

[up north Dave]

I'm looking for a coupler that will go from gooseneck to fifth wheel the gooseneck hitch is from TSC its called trailer mover hitch I think that I will have a welder weld up a adaptor 3" round stock with bottom welded on and threaded bolt or cut off goose neck ball and weld threaded part to bottom drill hole off center and put pin through so it wo'nt pop off pin on fifth wheel. then coupler will thread on instead of ball.
I think that will work thanks for all the suggestions Dave

 

[wushaw]

The trailer dealer closest to me uses the 3pt on an older L series 30 something tractor and what they use for fiver hitch pins is just a very short piece of pipe welded to the top of the 3pt frame where a GN ball would be and just utilize gravity for keeping it in place.

If your not going over a very rough surfaces and no steep slopes are involved then you should not have any problems moving your trailer this way.

I have also seen forklifts used at different dealers using just a short piece of pipe welded to a frame structure to slide on the forks.