Towing a 5th Wheel Trailer w/ a 1997 Dodge Ram w/ a Gooseneck Hitch

Question:

I am purchasing a 2010 keystone copper Canyon fifth wheel trailer with a Lippert pin, I have a gooseneck ball in my 1997 dodge long bed truck, what adapter should I use? hELP

asked by: Ed H

Expert Reply:

The best type of adapter to tow a fifth wheel trailer with a gooseneck hitch is a Reese Goose Box. A Goose Box replaces the trailer's pin box with one that couples to a gooseneck ball instead of a traditional fifth wheel hitch. Since your pin box is a Lippert you're almost sure to have a Goose Box that'll work for you. Check for a model number on the pin box to determine exactly which one you have.

From my research you won't need the heavier 20k Goose Box, part # RP85FR, because of the weight of your 2010 Copper Canyon but if you decide you want the piece of mind it does replace Lippert 1621, 1621HD, and 0719 pin boxes.

Finally, if you have a Lippert 0115, 1116, or 1716 you need to use a spacer kit with the Goose Box which is part # RP94716-61301 that includes both the pin box and the spacers.

One more thing to make note of is the towing capacity of your Ram. Depending on which model your truck is you may not have the capacity to tow the Keystone. From what I've found the trailer has a dry weight of 10,560 pounds and loaded weight of 14,160 pounds. I wasn't able to find the exact towing capacity for a 1997 Ram but there isn't going to be many models (if any) that can tow that kind of weight.

expert reply by: Charles S