History

When the laws applying to safety chains, multiple trailers and trailer passengers were authored, only large commercial vehicles used fifth wheels. They were required to pass regular inspections and have commercial licensed drivers. They were spared the necessity of safety chains, allowed to pull multiple trailers and even haul passengers in the trailer if it was equipped with an intercom. There was no need to require the hitch to be attached to the frame because there is nowhere else to put it on a semi. The lawmakers did not conceive that there would be a non commercial use for the fifth wheel and exempted the fifth wheel from those laws without specifying commercial applications.

The first R.V.s to use the neckover principle probably used the gooseneck until they got tickets for pulling their boat or another trailer behind it. Then the Mini fifth wheel came into existence. Not because it is safer, but to take advantage of a loophole in the laws. In order to use the same laws the pin is the same dimensions.

The many cattle and horse trailers with goosenecks on them have proven the safety and simplicity of that design. In fact, the lower hitch point tends to give better control in cross winds and less tendency to lope on pavement joints.

Leaving the gooseneck coupler unlatched also doesn’t let the trailer drop down and cave in the sides of your pickup like a fifth wheel does. Usually nothing happens because the trailer must be lifted to come off the ball.

Be aware that the laws apply to the ball pulled gooseneck trailer the same as any trailer pulled by a ball, no matter where it is hitched.

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Site Last Updated 02/23/2010