Gooseneck Adapter Build

[Puddles]

Got everything welded up today, started cleaning the gussets, will finish them tomorrow, and weld them in.
Just wanted to show how close I got the alignment of the gooseneck adapter to the trailer. Remember I had to use a torch to heat shrink the beams to bring the A-frame back in alignment. I have a nail driven in the deck at the back of the trailer right in the center, and used some staging as a batter board at the front of the trailer. Today I placed the string in the center of the Bull Dog gooseneck tube, and dropped a plumb bob off the string line to the bumper pull hitch. See the soapstone mark? Not to bad, what do you think? The last two pictures are of some vertical up weld using Lincoln’s L-56 .035 wire.

 

[shenion]

Looks good, but I would not have used the ball hitch at all. I would have run the cross support under the A frame for the hitch and bolted it on. For some reason, I don't trust using a ball hitch that way

Nice vertical up welds. Been trying to get mine as consistent

 

[Puddles]

Thanks for the kind words!

You realize that is a 15,000-pound hitch don’t you?

 

[shenion]

Yes, it is probably rated for the load.

My issue is if there is any play in the frame, it will put side loads on the hitch it would not normally see. Also you have it as a fulcrum on a long lever. Not sure what the vertical forces would be. Would think it would be more than normal. Then again, with a longer extension the weight on the truck would be less so maybe the ball force would come out the same.

Think of it this way, if you had the rear pivot just a few inches behind the ball it could easily bend that hitch. Where you have the rear pivot looks good. I just cant descide if it increases or decreases the carrying capacity or if it is close to the same.

 

[Puddles]

I just cant descide if it increases or decreases the carrying capacity or if it is close to the same.

I would say it stays the same, just makes it easier on the truck.
But a friend of mine is a HVAC engineer, and also a “CWI” AWS certified welding inspector, he didn’t run any numbers just gave his opinion on the first one I built, (1st picture) That trailer now has upgraded tires and axles. Originally it had 5,000-pound axles, for a GVW of 10,000-pounds. This engineer said when it was being built to upgrade to E-rated tires and he would not be afraid to haul 14,000-pounds on it. So he must have thought the gooseneck adapter increased the load capacity!

This trailer of mine is rated 15,000-pounds with that ball hitch, if I switched to a pintle hitch the manufacture says it is rated at 16,000-pounds. My 1-ton Dodge flatbed dually with a 6.7 Cummins weighs 9,300-pounds. 9,300. + 16,000. = 25,300-pounds. I do not have a CDL, so with just the trailer manufacture’s rating I’m right there!

 

[storm monkey]

I'm impressed with the load capacity of the pickups there. The BHL on the trailer is an 11000Kg machine (23600lb)! Plus another 1-2000kg min for the trailer, then its hauling at least 13 tons.

Nice choice of digger by the way! Not that I'm biased, having designed bits of it.

Phil

 

[denver]

gooseneck

Hi there guys, I am living in the uk ans I am struggling to get a gooseneck coupler and turnover ball - any ideas???
I am building a small 3.5t horse trailer for my english truck!!!
Thanks in advance
Jonny

 

[oz.]

I saw a fair few gooseneck type trailers when i was building stands for the boatshows. Some were on the imported mahoosive Dodge or Ford twin axle tanks but some were on to standard british items.

I can see the advantage of moving the pivot point for the rear of the chassis to the axles as it makes reversing a lot easier. Also means that when you load the trailer you're not unweighting the front wheels, I know all the stuff about balancing the trailer etc. but when you jam the brakes on the weight transfers a little and forces the back of the vehicle down.

The only thing I don't like is the amount of weight added by using a gooseneck. All those 'I' beams must weigh somewhere between 250-500kg

 

[rtcosic]

Some were on the imported mahoosive Dodge or Ford twin axle tanks

The larger end of the Ford F range needs a class C1 (>3.5 tonnes MAM) driving licence in the UK. I've got one under the grandfather rights but my offspring couldn’t drive one.
If you took the top end of the Ford F range and added one of those gooseneck things your gross train weight would be over the usual C1E class limit of 8.25 tonnes MAM - and it is an articulated vehicle, not a trailer.
So you might as well go for the full on 44 tonne artic and licence as you would need the medical to go over 8.25 tonnes anyway. Probably easier to explain to your insurance company as well.

So that’s why you don’t see many (any?) pickup truck/trailer combinations like that cruising the Queen’s Highway on this side of the pond.

No 1 son lives in California at the moment. When we visited I was stunned at what folks were allowed to drive on their 'car' licence at the age of 16 - and at the absence of effective mandatory third party insurance and annual road worthiness testing. Construction and Use regs and SVA or IVA seemed conspicuous by their absence judging by many of the vehicles I saw.

He tells hilarious tales of taking his ‘driving test’ as well.

Two countries divided by a common language indeed.

(and I still haven’t worked out why our Canadian brothers drive on the wrong side of the road!)

 

[Brain_stew]

i may just be having a moment heer , but how do the goose neck's attach to the back of the truck?

any pictures of how they connect??

 

[oz.]

Quite similar to the 5th wheel on an artic. unit

 

[Iain Westland]

very nice build, but would dearly love to see somebody tow that digger thing down the high street with a pick up

 

[Brain_stew]

Quite similar to the 5th wheel on an artic. unit

ahh thanks for clearing that up for me