Goosneck/5th tow dolly... Legal? Functional? Availability?

[bigsub]

I was thinking of getting a tow dolly so that I can pull goosnecks and 5th wheels with the excursion. I've seen a few going down the road in my life but now can't seem to find any info on them. I'm sure they're probably legal in most states but I don't understand why doubles aren't legal in all states so i could be wrong. Anybody used them? Know where to get them? Guess I could make one if i could see what the popular design is.

[CanuckJeeper]

If you can find a way to raise your 2 5/16" hitch ball high enough so that a gooseneck can reach it, it would probably work.

JP

[MattS]

I have only seen one once. Was kinda weird. Backing that mess up would be damn near impossible.

Here's one I found. Not a bad price.

http://www.geocities.com/rosenbergwelding/html/dolly.html

[TRD]

With that setup is equivalent to flat towing

[Trailer Guy]

I was thinking of getting a tow dolly so that I can pull goosnecks and 5th wheels with the excursion. I've seen a few going down the road in my life but now can't seem to find any info on them. I'm sure they're probably legal in most states but I don't understand why doubles aren't legal in all states so i could be wrong. Anybody used them? Know where to get them? Guess I could make one if i could see what the popular design is.
Towing a gooseneck or 5th wheel with a dolly is considered to be pulling doubles in most states. So like here in CA, you would need a class A drivers lic. to do that. And towing one on a really tall reciever mount is crazy. Notice how a gooseneck and 5th wheel trailer has the axles way to the rear. That is to allow more weight to be carried by the truck. This would over load your hitch and remove weight off the front tires that is needed for braking and steering. And the taller the receiver ball mount is the more leverage it puts on the hitch. And speaking of a hitch, your stock hitch is a 5 or 6,000 lbs. rated hitch. It is only rated for 10,000lbs. if you use a weight dist. system. And the tongue weight rating is only 500 or 600 lbs. and 1000 lbs. with the weight dist. system. The dolly would be the best idea, but still not an easy one.

[saprobe]

IMO some thing like that is a waste of time,it would really only be good for moving it when you were real sure youd fit around all the corners and not have to back it up. ;)

youd be able to back it straight backwards,or maybe wiggle it around a big corner,but backing it back into a tight spot would require a rig with a real goosneck hitch.

if you just need to move around an empty goosneck flatbed,i think using your regular hitch is a better idea,some valid points about tongue weight and max weight,but i think you could swing it with an empty trailer.

if youre wanting to pull and use loaded trailers or 5th wheel campers,i think youre better off with a truck with a bed so you can do it more safely and correctly.

my $.02,anyway.

[sceep]

they work, and work well. As long as you dont have to back up.

[Colorado Kid]

Here's what you're looking for:
http://www.hitch-buddy.com/:smokin:

The thing stays parallel to the rear bumper of the tow rig, so backing up probably isn't much of a problem, but tight turns on high traction surfaces might be interesting.

[Robert]

Towing a gooseneck or 5th wheel with a dolly is considered to be pulling doubles in most states. So like here in CA, you would need a class A drivers lic. to do that. And towing one on a really tall reciever mount is crazy. Notice how a gooseneck and 5th wheel trailer has the axles way to the rear. That is to allow more weight to be carried by the truck. This would over load your hitch and remove weight off the front tires that is needed for braking and steering. And the taller the receiver ball mount is the more leverage it puts on the hitch. And speaking of a hitch, your stock hitch is a 5 or 6,000 lbs. rated hitch. It is only rated for 10,000lbs. if you use a weight dist. system. And the tongue weight rating is only 500 or 600 lbs. and 1000 lbs. with the weight dist. system. The dolly would be the best idea, but still not an easy one.


Thats weird that it would be considered doubles, considering it would act exactly like a wagon style pull trailer. :confused:
Check out the first link posted by MattS. The only weight the hitch on the tow vehicle would see would be the towbar its self. The towbar is hinged to allow it to swing up and down. All of the weight of the gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer would be on the wheels of the dolly. This makes tongue weight a moot point.

[demonranger]

Here's what you're looking for:
http://www.hitch-buddy.com/:smokin:

The thing stays parallel to the rear bumper of the tow rig, so backing up probably isn't much of a problem, but tight turns on high traction surfaces might be interesting.


Yeah that's the goofy contraption I was thinking of

[70~K5]

Thats weird that it would be considered doubles, considering it would act exactly like a wagon style pull trailer. :confused:
Check out the first link posted by MattS. The only weight the hitch on the tow vehicle would see would be the towbar its self. The towbar is hinged to allow it to swing up and down. All of the weight of the gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer would be on the wheels of the dolly. This makes tongue weight a moot point.

There are 2 different setups in big rig trailers. If the converter gear is removable it is a separate trailer. If the front axle is connected to the trailer body by a "turntable" ring and isn't removable then it's part of the trailer and considered 1 trailer. With double flatbed trailers you can have 1.( 2 semi trailers connected by a converter gear), or 2.( a semi trailer and a pull trailer). #1. is 3 trailers. #2. is 2 trailers.

[Trailer Guy]

The only weight the hitch on the tow vehicle would see would be the towbar its self. The towbar is hinged to allow it to swing up and down. All of the weight of the gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer would be on the wheels of the dolly. This makes tongue weight a moot point.
I was speaking of the point someone brought up about towing it on a standard reciever ball mount and not a tow dolly. If you hook up a gooseneck to a standard rear hitch, there would be a lot of tongue weight. Sorry, I should have made that more clear.

[bigsub]

There are 2 different setups in big rig trailers. If the converter gear is removable it is a separate trailer. If the front axle is connected to the trailer body by a "turntable" ring and isn't removable then it's part of the trailer and considered 1 trailer. With double flatbed trailers you can have 1.( 2 semi trailers connected by a converter gear), or 2.( a semi trailer and a pull trailer). #1. is 3 trailers. #2. is 2 trailers.


So what is that saying about the law? One is considered doubles and one tripples? :confused: If thats law then sounds like a bunch of bs to me. I don't think how the axle is connected is where the complication lyes in pulling doubles

[bigsub]

Here's what you're looking for:
http://www.hitch-buddy.com/:smokin:

The thing stays parallel to the rear bumper of the tow rig, so backing up probably isn't much of a problem, but tight turns on high traction surfaces might be interesting.


Thats sweet. But for $6g i'm gonna have to build it myself. Said their coming out with a steering axle version for rigs with large setbacks. So you think i can convince the DOT officer that it actually adds to my GCVWR? Anybody ever seen 5th wheel adapters to go from the semi pin size to the smaller one.

[Haole]

Towing a gooseneck or 5th wheel with a dolly is considered to be pulling doubles in most states. So like here in CA, you would need a class A drivers lic. to do that. And towing one on a really tall reciever mount is crazy. Notice how a gooseneck and 5th wheel trailer has the axles way to the rear. That is to allow more weight to be carried by the truck. This would over load your hitch and remove weight off the front tires that is needed for braking and steering. And the taller the receiver ball mount is the more leverage it puts on the hitch. And speaking of a hitch, your stock hitch is a 5 or 6,000 lbs. rated hitch. It is only rated for 10,000lbs. if you use a weight dist. system. And the tongue weight rating is only 500 or 600 lbs. and 1000 lbs. with the weight dist. system. The dolly would be the best idea, but still not an easy one.

Putting the dolly in the front like he's talking isn't going to be legal based on my recent (and terrible) experience at the DMV.

[saprobe]

Here's what you're looking for:
http://www.hitch-buddy.com/:smokin:

The thing stays parallel to the rear bumper of the tow rig, so backing up probably isn't much of a problem, but tight turns on high traction surfaces might be interesting.

what?! :confused: are you telling me that this hitch buddy thing does NOT pivot,to follow around corners? it just scuffs the tires and slides sideways? if so,thats one of the dumbest things ive ever seen.

if not,then you are very incorrect about backing up not being a prollem,as the the hitch buddy will turn opposite the tow rig,causing the trailer to turn opposite the hitch buddy,i.e.,the same way as the tow rig. cant see how backing into a tight space like that is not a prollem.

even if the hitch buddy stays rigidly parallel to the bumper so that the backing up procedure works normally,youd better be careful backing it up on pavement,forcing it to slide back and forth with the full tongue weight of the trailer on it.

i still say get a truck if you want to pull a gooseneck :flipoff2:

[bigsub]

No, Watch the video thats on the website, its not that bad. Just like multiple axles under a trailer or truck. As long as the tow vehicle doesn't have alot of rear overhang it shouldn't be that bad. And the steering one will be very cool.

[VerticalTRX]

I agree that backing that thing would be a mess. I can back 4 wheeled wagons (hay racks, gravity box wagons, etc), but in order to back them into tight spots you might as well unhook it from your truck and hook it up to a tractor with cutting brakes. Furthermore, most wagons are only 12' long or so, I can't imagine trying to back what would essentially be a 20-30' 4 wheeled wagon.

[bigsub]

Did you look at the link for the other rig? It stays parallel to the axle on your tow vehicle, its not like pulling or backing a wagon. Although I do agree with you on the wagon thing.

[VerticalTRX]

Did you look at the link for the other rig? It stays parallel to the axle on your tow vehicle, its not like pulling or backing a wagon. Although I do agree with you on the wagon thing.

Yeah, I saw that one too. It might be easier to back, but neither of them look like something I'd want to tow with. :shaking:

[pmurf1]

Isn't there an old saying about having the right tool for the job? Excursion + gooseneck/5th = wrong tool.