Trailer A Frame to Gooseneck Conversion

[GlasNav]

Stumbled across this new outfit in Texas that makes removable gooseneck conversions for travel trailer A Frames to a Gooseneck.
Does anyone have experience with this product?

https://www.bpconversions.com

Also, let's discuss the pros & cons.

PROS:
Easier and smoother towing as long as you're already gooseneck capable.

CONS:
What I see right off is that my bed will now be open and those items that use to travel dry are now exposed.
The trailer length is suddenly 8ft longer which can be a problem in many National Parks with 30 ft LOA restrictions.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by GlasNav

Stumbled across this new outfit in Texas that makes removable gooseneck conversions for travel trailer A Frames to a Gooseneck.
Does anyone have experience with this product?

https://www.bpconversions.com

Also, let's discuss the pros & cons.

PROS:
Easier and smoother towing as long as you're already gooseneck capable.

CONS:
What I see right off is that my bed will now be open and those items that use to travel dry are now exposed.
The trailer length is suddenly 8ft longer which can be a problem in many National Parks with 30 ft LOA restrictions.

Downside is $3795 price and $1300 shipping charge (for residential) delivery and the thing weighs 350 lbs (their claim) and am not sure how much of the camper's weight becomes payload when you use one. Of course, I have never used one but doubt one of those would be on my Christmas list.

[dutchmensport]

Stick one of those on a 35 foot travel trailer and you now have one Loooong puppy!

[sourdough]

I can't fathom why anyone would want one. The cons are just too extensive; length, weight distribution, ability to control a now waaaaayyy long bumper pull - I don't see the upside.

[JRTJH]

Back in August and September of 2018 there were a couple of threads posted by a "no longer active member" bapp1236. His name was Barry Pelphrey. I wonder if that might be the same person who is marketing this at BP Conversions ???

Here are the links to the old threads:

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=34809

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=35225

A question I had back then that was not answered, and still have now is that travel trailer tongue weights usually range from 10-15% of total trailer weight. Fifth wheel/gooseneck pin weights usually range from 20-25%. If that weight range is typical for "good, stable towing" then adding this modification to a travel trailer would change the tongue weight to "pin weight and would significantly increase the weight on the tow vehicle. If so, then if towing a travel trailer with a "just adequate half ton truck" far exceed that truck's payload capacity with this modification, assuming the added weight of the mod and the increase in pin weight (going from 12% to 22%) necessary to stay within the anticipated gooseneck pin weight for good towing characteristics ?????

[fjr vfr]

Just sell the bumper pull and use that money along with the money you would have spent on this thing and buy a real 5th wheel trailer!
I feel anyone who buys one of these will pretty soon regret it. Imho

[GlasNav]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Back in August and September of 2018 there were a couple of threads posted by a "no longer active member" bapp1236. His name was Barry Pelphrey. I wonder if that might be the same person who is marketing this at BP Conversions ???

Here are the links to the old threads:

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=34809

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=35225

A question I had back then that was not answered, and still have now is that travel trailer tongue weights usually range from 10-15% of total trailer weight. Fifth wheel/gooseneck pin weights usually range from 20-25%. If that weight range is typical for "good, stable towing" then adding this modification to a travel trailer would change the tongue weight to "pin weight and would significantly increase the weight on the tow vehicle. If so, then if towing a travel trailer with a "just adequate half ton truck" far exceed that truck's payload capacity with this modification, assuming the added weight of the mod and the increase in pin weight (going from 12% to 22%) necessary to stay within the anticipated gooseneck pin weight for good towing characteristics ?????

John: Thanks for digging up these old treads. As far as the pin weight, without laying this out on a drawing board, the only way I know how to resolve the math, lets say for example that the tongue weight of my trailer is 1000lbs, and 350lbs for the conversion and we would be at 1350lbs. However, that math won't work due to the lever arm of 8ft for the gooseneck which should reduce the the tongue weight. Having done considerable steelwork over my lifetime, unless that conversion is made out of high tensile lightweight steel which I doubt, 350lbs is awfully light for that structure, unless it's fabricated out of thin mild steel which could have the potential to fail. I see that their coupling plates have been beefed up, and there are warnings that when doing your safety walk around to check for cracks, additionally they are selling elongated doublers to go down the side of the A Frame; these are all red flags to me regarding potential stress cracks etc...