Severe Chucking when Towing a 5th Wheel Trailer Using an Adapter

Updated 11/15/2016 | Published 11/14/2016

Question:

Our truck is a gooseneck and our fifth wheel has an adapter. The ride is very very rough with jolting and tugging as we move. It feels like play. Is it normal to be so jarring to the point of affecting your neck?

asked by: Charlotte H

Expert Reply:

What you are experiencing is called chucking and it can occur if there is too much play between the gooseneck ball and the adapter you are using. It happens more frequently and severely when adapters are used. Some adapters have cushioning like # CAB-C5G that can help somewhat with that.

Other adapters are better; specifically the Reese Goose Box line of adapters. There are 3 of them but they only fit in place of certain factory pin boxes on 5th wheel trailers:

# RP85FR fits Lippert 1621 and 1621HD pin boxes and is rated for 20,000 pounds

# RP94716-61301 fits Lippert 0115, 1116 and 1716 pin boxes and is also rated for 20,000 pounds

Each of these Goose Boxes has an internal air bag and shock as well as an integrated pivot tube to reduce chucking and improve overall ride quality. They are also the only adapters approved by Lippert that will NOT void the Lippert trailer frame warranty.

The ideal solution is to replace the gooseneck hitch in the truck with a 5th wheel hitch and eliminate the adapter completely.

expert reply by: Michael H