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| For spraying we put two 1500 gallon tanks on a tandem axel gooseneck trailer. So as you can see the weight that we have to pull with a pickup is pretty substantial. We just bought a semi this fall (T-800, 470 Detroit, airide, daycab) and I was thinking it would be much easier to pull the trailer with the semi. Any suggestions on how to mount a gooseneck type hitch to semi, I know someone has done it before, because i have seen. Thing is I trust your guys opinions more than the random guy running around the coutry side that I have seen do it. Please give me some suggestions pictures would be a big plus.
The trailer has electric brakes, do you think I need to put a controller in the semi also?? Or will the semi have enough stoping power without the brakes. I am thinking it will, but the truck is pretty light because it is a daycab. Opinions are appreciated.
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North central North Dakota | I have heard of adapters but I wanted to get the weight on rear axle and far back. The picture shows the project in the beginning. Not used yet. I just need to screw the ball in to use. I do not have hooks for safety chains or wiring done. Just a start on project.
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| we pull our gooseneck with a semi. works really well. we put a piece of heavy channel iron across the frame behind the fifth wheel and have a ball hitch with threads so we can take it out and pull a regular trailer. i have seen those adapter plates that have a kingpin on one side and a gooseneck ball on the other so you can pull from the fifth wheel but our gooseneck would not adjust high enough to pull level. we do have a brake controller in the semi and would not like to be without it, but this is on a single axle truck with 2 1000 gallon tanks and chemical shuttles. one trip down the road will tell you if you need it. |
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| We bought a kingpin & made an adapter to slide up into the front hitch of our g.n in place of the socket. Loosen a couple bolts an we can slide the socket back into the hitch to pull the trailer with a p.u. when so desired.
We also put an electric brake controller in the semi. tractor. Tractor has enough braking for the trailer but to be legal the trailer brakes much work as well. You can but an air over electric controller but they are over $400. We already had the electric controller out of a p.u. we had traded off & wanted to use it. You will need a special adapter to hook the trailer electrics into the semi's brake wiring to make it work, about $75. We got ours at the local Car Quest store. Mounted the 7 pin plug in the cross brace under the 5th wheel. |
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Aberdeen MS | That looks like a MayWes plate.
I did all the prototype "experimenting" in getting a design that worked for them. Or I should say it was my truck that I was driving that had about 10 different plates put on it.
They work good if you aren't doing a whole bunch of drop and hook. That was the reason they used my truck. At the time I was switching trailers maybe up to 4 - 5 times a day. Empty, half loads(gross weight wise) and over loads. try getting the local boy scouts to keep a dry van down in weight on the paper drives....LOL. Tractor was a spring ride so a lot of pressure got put on the plates on hooking up.
A few things I'll add as tips. If your tractor is a spring ride, make a couple of "ramps" that will take the brunt of the trailer instead of the 5th wheel in hooking up. The killer of the plate is when too much pressure is put on during hookup lifting the trailer. That's the purpose of the black strips on the 5th wheel "wings". But those strips are imbedded in the slip plate THEN bolted to the 5th wheel. There is still the possibility of wrinkling the plate if the trailer isn't high enough on hook up. Air ride tractors wouldn't have a problem as long as you blow the bags until you get a couple inches from latching (I do know of guys that don't do it...why is beyond me).
After a while of use, the plate will wrinkle if run completely dry and in dirty conditions. Highway use would be more suited for keeping the "factory look". I don't know what the company reccomends, but during the testing phase we found that a little waste oil, 80 - 90 or such did much to aid to the longevity of the plate.
I don't have one on my tractor as I don't feel for money it's any better than the Lucas 5th wheel lube than I use now. It may be, but the memories of the hassels I have during that testing phase still are fresh in my mind. Peel part of the plate one time, and you have to strip the whole thing off as the bolts will play hell with the whole system.
Dedicated trailer to tractor and very minimum hook/unhook is an almost must for satisfaction.
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Aberdeen MS | I have a set up on mine.
Local welding shop took a piece of 8" C iron and laid another 1" plate into the channel. Due to the air ride height controls, stabalizer arm on the back rear, etc, we mounted/welded it in place at the way back of the frame. We measured the height of the pickup ball and with the bags full duplicated that height within the frame rails and stitched it tight to the frame. We then took a couple of pieces of 1/2 inch and put a support in inbetween the lower frame web and C iron.
I would recommend investing in a 30,000 pound ball should one ever get into a situation that you will be using more of the HP than the trailer is actually made for. IMO, a 10 or 12K ball is just asking for a problem.
I put a timer brake controller in the Pete and just went straight to the brake light switch on the floor. I keep the sensitivity to lowest setting, basically just so it's there if needed and for all to be legal.
My trailer is a small 6 pin electrical hook up and I tapped into the rear tractor light wiring harness, the brake/signal lights on mine are together like older cars and PU. When I pull a trailer with the 7 pin, I have another adaptor that is mounted alongside for that.
In this configuration, the ball is way below the king pin of a regular trailer and I don't have to be worried about catching the ball when hooking up regular.
One thing I will mention in addition, I have a 26 foot gooseneck flat bed with 2 12K axles under it. I had a fully loaded big square bale load of straw on, 3 X 3 X 8, 30 bales total. Deck was full from front to back. We split weighed the load just to see how much weight was where. With that load, I had right at 2,000 pounds on the goose neck hitch itself, 17,000 net, trailer tare of about 7200 (if I remember correctly). It is more of the "pull" one needs to be concerned with if the trailer is loaded correctly than setting up for the hitch to "carry" the weight.
My experiences and opinion for whatever it's worth. |
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North central North Dakota | I don't do a lot of switching with the truck on the photo but it is nice when I end up driving a few miles on a gravel road without a trailer hooked up. It does not take a lot of cleanup of gravel sticking to grease before hooking up again. The other truck basically stays with the one grain trailer all year. Poly keeps it lubricated at all times. I used to use the disks clipped to trailer but they are not always to easiest to work with. Yes, they are May Wes units out of Hutchinson MN.
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Huntley Montana | Just change the trailer hitch to the 5th wheel style, then you can go back & forth whenever. You need the lights & brakes also. |
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| Thanks for the comments I have a pretty good idea of what I am going to do. |
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Claremont,MN | this is what the adapters look like and are very nice to use, I would recommend hooking up brakes our truck gets light on the rear some time if the weight of the trailer is to far over the back axle
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Brazilton KS | The lights are not a big problem to work out. Every semi tractor I have enver been around has turn/stop lights on the back of the truck. If you use these to supply your 6 pin connector you will be compatible with two light pickumup truck type trailers.
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Gooseneck Trailer, Behind a semi
