Does Goosebox or B&W Companion Provide More Articulation?

[Fsalmy]

Picked up a 2021 F450 yesterday. Now looking at a couple of Solitudes to replace our travel trailer. We will keep the new rig on our property. Our driveway entrance is a right turn with a fairly steep angle down from a narrow gravel road. I have some concern when making the turn that bed rail clearance may be an issue since it’s an off camber turn (is that the correct term?). Is there any difference in articulation on such a turn between the Goosebox and a conventional 5th wheel hitch like the Companion?

 

[Calbar]

Picked up a 2021 F450 yesterday. Now looking at a couple of Solitudes to replace our travel trailer. We will keep the new rig on our property. Our driveway entrance is a right turn with a fairly steep angle down from a narrow gravel road. I have some concern when making the turn that bed rail clearance may be an issue since it’s an off camber turn (is that the correct term?). Is there any difference in articulation on such a turn between the Goosebox and a conventional 5th wheel hitch like the Companion?

I believe that the goose box will provide more articulation as it is connected to a ball which provides more all around movement capability. I am sure someone with more experience will chime in and correct me if I am wrong.

Rob

 

[geotex1]

Compared to common 5th wheel hitches (not bocu-buck bagged hitches), towing goose will provide more multi-axis rotation. That can both be helpful and hurtful if you really have a screwy angle of ascent plus turn off a flat. Use a spotter in those instances and alter approach angle of combination and turn of the tow vehicle as necessary.

 

[Gary325]

I too loose sleep over this issue: goosebox or conventional hitch. My 2020 F350, advertised as having a lower bed rail height, still has vertical (top of bed rail) and horizontal (inside of bed rail, with tonneau cover hardware installed) clearance concerns.
At a 90 degree (or close to it) I have heard of hitch collision with tonneau cover hardware. The vertical clearance is easy to explain, but the horizontal clearance is difficult to explain and get meaningful data. I guess I'll have to live with it and hopefully get some good sleep.

 

[triplethreat]

Picked up a 2021 F450 yesterday. Now looking at a couple of Solitudes to replace our travel trailer. We will keep the new rig on our property. Our driveway entrance is a right turn with a fairly steep angle down from a narrow gravel road. I have some concern when making the turn that bed rail clearance may be an issue since it’s an off camber turn (is that the correct term?). Is there any difference in articulation on such a turn between the Goosebox and a conventional 5th wheel hitch like the Companion?

I suspect, that contact with the cab of the truck would happen before you run out of "articulation" with either hitch. I have a similar turn in to my driveway.....a tight turn onto a downhill gravel road. I have approx. 7 1/2" of bed rail clearance on my setup and the very first time I brought the trailer home, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I had my wife and a neighbor spotting for me as I inched down from the main road to the gravel driveway. One person kept an eye on the tail swing, and the other one kept an eye on the bed rail clearance. At the lowest point, I was down to approx. 2 1/2" of bed clearance, but it was a very slow....a couple of feet at a time...process until I knew that everything would clear and I could continue on.

 

[Gary325]

Articulation

I did a little simulation. I thought the Goosebox would contact the bed rail before the traditional hitch. But YMMV

 

[BoatNerd]

Thanks all for the responses on this. I had similar worries as OP. Where are you guys finding the best place price wise to get a new Goosebox?

 

[geotex1]

Thanks all for the responses on this. I had similar worries as OP. Where are you guys finding the best place price wise to get a new Goosebox?

Bought mine through an eBay seller connected to Keystone. Gen 2 was drop shipped direct to dealer. Best price anywhere by $150.

 

[FT4NOW]

Thanks all for the responses on this. I had similar worries as OP. Where are you guys finding the best place price wise to get a new Goosebox?

Just purchased mine. Best price I could find was Tow Universe. No tax and free shipping as well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[SmokeyBear]

Thanks all for the responses on this. I had similar worries as OP. Where are you guys finding the best place price wise to get a new Goosebox?

Gen-Y Gooseneck conversion is another option for you if you do not want to mess with an airbag. The new models give greater bedrail clearance on the newer trucks.

 

[geotex1]

Gen-Y Gooseneck conversion is another option for you if you do not want to mess with an airbag. The new models give greater bedrail clearance on the newer trucks.

Beautiful design! Really HD! However, Lippert will not honor any frame warranty if used, and I understand (based on now 1-year old information, so YMMV), that Gen-Y does not want to pay for the testing to get the approval from Lippert. Lippert's concern is pretty obvious if you compare the mechanism of dampening between the GenY and the approved Goosebox as the transfer of forces between the two are quite different. The wingset shelf for their standard 5er frames just may not be up to the task. When you see the 5er frames of their design built for the mass production 5ers versus the frames Lippert builds designed by other for the custom 5ers the differences stand out immensely. I'd definitely run a GenY on Luxe/DRV/RBD/SpaceCraft!

 

[Gary325]

Thanks all for the responses on this. I had similar worries as OP. Where are you guys finding the best place price wise to get a new Goosebox?

I'm seeing it on Amazon at $1173.99 plus tax, with free shipping. In the wonderful tax-starved state of New York, that will top off at $1268
I see it at TowUniverse.com at $1,249.32 with free shipping, but unclear if they collect tax.