Reese Goosebox 1st impression

[bcintx]

The Goose Box slides inside the brackets that are welded to the trailer frame.
On the outside shots you can see the holes that were used for the original pin box. From the inside you can see how many holes you have for adjustment. If you can put the bolts as close together as the original pin box then you can see there is room for adjustment but you would have to read the installation instructions to know for sure. This is also the 16k version, which I'm pretty sure you would be getting since your fifth wheel will be slightly lighter.

[Dege]

The attachment points are very similar to the Half-Ton. Plenty of adjustment room. I know I'm just going to drop the truck off and the dealer is going to install the Goose Box but that doesn't mean they will install it in the best possible position for my particular truck. (Yes, I know they can adjust it if it's not right) On the other hand they've been in business for over 30 years and I've been pulling fifth wheels exactly zero seconds so maybe they will do it right, lol. It's better to educate myself on these kind of things though. One of the salesmen there told me I had plenty of truck for the first trailer I bought. Technically he wasn't wrong but we are talking two sandwiches and a thermos of coffee putting me over my weight limit on any given day. I'm gaining a substantial education on trucks, weights and the alignment of the universe on these RV forums and other places for which I'm grateful. I decided maybe I better get the real deal scoop BEFORE I hook up to the darn thing duh. Thanks for those pictures. I'd love to see a picture of the trailer attached to your truck when you get around to hooking up if you happen to think of it.

[jasin1]

This kinda explains the goose box and why it’s approved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1moqFrLG5_I

[gearhead]

I have the 20k Goosebox. 1621HD? I looked closer at it this morning. It has 6 bolts in it on each side. There is one extra hole showing very close to another.
I remember the mechanic commenting that there were no instructions in the box.
There was an issue with the auto latch mechanism. The bolt that locks was in backwards. Quickly solved and all is well.

[bcintx]

It doesn't really surprise me that there were no instructions in the box. More and more things that I order recently have come with no instructions except a slip of paper directing me to download documentation from a web site. If you look in one of the pictures that I posted at the bottom you can see a sticker that says "Warning". The bottom of that sticker has a QR code that takes you to online installation instructions.

[gearhead]

^^I hate that stuff, and I studied computers in college...way back
I had to use that QR to use as tickets to get in the Bristol NASCAR race. Same with the the next 2 races.
Springtown eh? been to Ft Richardson? Not bad. We stopped there for first night on the way to Durango Colorado last August. But the low clearance at the office is a bit scary.

[bcintx]

Ft. Richardson is our go-to place. Much quieter than Mineral Wells state park. Unfortunately we didn't quite know when we would be getting the new trailer and didn't make any reservations. So weekend campsites are going to be hard to come by for a while. My last camper was a TT so I never paid much attention to the overhang at the office. Now that you mention it it is pretty low.

[gearhead]

We are at 13' 3". I think the clearance was marked 13' 4". I made my feelings known in the office. Unfortunately no way around it.

[toolittletime]

Have had the 20k Goosebox for about 18 months now. No complaints, especially not having to unload the traditional 5th wheel hitch when I want an empty bed.
Tim

[KimberDon]

I just recently switched out the TrailAir kingpin that came stock on my new Raptor with a 20k goosebox. After about 1500 miles as a 5th wheel, it is a refreshing difference now with the goosebox. Beside the valid previous comments on the pulling experience, I do have a nose-high issue too. So far, I've decided to replace my B&W goose ball, which elevates the ball by about 2", with a standard height ball. I'm then going to replace the 3" rear axle-to-leaf spring spacers on my 2019 F350, with 2"ers. This will also make it 1" easier to climb my aging carcass in and out.
I hope this will level things up enough. But I can definitely say that the joy of removing that ball and loading my trail side-by-side in the empty bed is priceless.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

We are at 13' 3". I think the clearance was marked 13' 4". I made my feelings known in the office. Unfortunately no way around it.

Good information, I'll make note to pass on that park.

Thanks

[DucBill]

Gearhead there's a whole bunch of info last time I checked on Reese's web site under product suppoet which the dealers use for technical info your Mechanic should have followed. I had 2 KS dealers tell me the Goose Box wouldn't fit my 375 Fuzion until I showed the dlr I purchase from the Reese adaptor plate to use on Lippert frame which I confirmed with Reese Customer Support before spec'ing. One this to check is clearance from back side of Goose Box to side of bed rails horizontally when approaching 90sec turn my Goose Box is Gen 1 and has about 2" but if IIRC YTuber BigTruckBigRV did review of the gen 2 which I believe has longer side plates that made the horizontal clearance tighter make sure you check slowly as even mine got me puckering with 2" clearance. Enjoy the Goose Box, Happy Camping.

[gearhead]

^Good info. Thanks.

[Dege]

Originally Posted by DucBill

Gearhead there's a whole bunch of info last time I checked on Reese's web site under product support which the dealers use for technical info your Mechanic should have followed.

Well dang. I went to the website and looked at the installation guide they have. On the second page Reese says the maximum pin weight is 20% of gross trailer weight. Isn't that pretty limiting? My trailer hasn't been delivered yet but on several different forums I keep reading to expect an average of 22% pin weight. This is spooking me a bit. Might have to rethink this whole Goose Box thing.

[gearhead]

I think I would just refer to the 3,000/16,000 and 4,000/20,000 numbers.
I found that I actually had to dig a bit to find pin weight numbers.

[Dege]

I get using actual pin weight numbers checked against the rated pin weight but the installation instructions specifically says the "Goose box is designed for a maximum of 20% of gross trailer weight on the ball (Goose Ball vertical weight)". Is this in reality a limitation of weight regardless of the maximum rated weight for the Goose Box? I hope the question makes sense.

[DucBill]

DEGE IMHO your over thinking this as Your Cougsr has a GVWR of 10K#s so even at 25% =2500#s on pin your still below the 3/16k#s of the Goose Box . If you are even close to the 3k#s when loaded with the layout of the trlr you can bias your moveable cargo to the rear. It's been my experience when boon docking for extended periods (weeks) the fresh water tank(usually mtd over axles) needs filling and grey and black tanks (usually mtd forward of axles but not always) get full adding pin weight so you might consider emptying those (grey and black) tanks at your earliest convience i.e. nearest dump station before embarking on long hauls.I carry a 50gal blue tote to haul (liquids) to dump station in bed of truck if dump station is remote from camp siteto reduce load when breaking camp.YMMV Enjoy your new rig and GooseBox I have mine. Happy Camping

[Dege]

My question was simply that if the manufacturer’s own instructions says their pin weight is 20% of the gross trailer weight then that is substantially below their stated maximum weigh of the 16k version of 3200 lbs. Not over thinking, I’m looking at black and white on their own website.
So I called Reese to get a definitive answer. As you might expect the instructions are incorrect according to Reese. They state 16k/3200 lbs are the limiting factors. They told me they get numerous calls about it and they are in the process of correcting it. They also told me what they were trying to say was the ideal weight of the Goose Box is 20% of gross trailer weight but that the wording was/is confusing.

Don’t know if that helps any. The person I talked to seemed to be knowledgeable on the subject and did confirm the confusion the instructions causes. So written instructions says one thing, phone conversation says another. Lol, I love it. I put weight on the conversation with a tiny lingering doubt. Kinda have that feeling about a lot of this weight stuff. That’s just me. It might come from doing weight and balances on every airplane I’ve flown over last 40 years. Maybe.....

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Dege

My question was simply that if the manufacturer’s own instructions says their pin weight is 20% of the gross trailer weight <***> then that is substantially below their stated maximum weigh of the 16k version of 3200 lbs. Not over thinking, I’m looking at black and white on their own website.
So I called Reese to get a definitive answer. As you might expect the instructions are incorrect according to Reese. They state 16k/3200 lbs are the limiting factors. They told me they get numerous calls about it and they are in the process of correcting it. They also told me what they were trying to say was the ideal weight of the Goose Box is 20% of gross trailer weight but that the wording was/is confusing.

Don’t know if that helps any. The person I talked to seemed to be knowledgeable on the subject and did confirm the confusion the instructions causes. So written instructions says one thing, phone conversation says another. Lol, I love it. I put weight on the conversation with a tiny lingering doubt. Kinda have that feeling about a lot of this weight stuff. That’s just me. It might come from doing weight and balances on every airplane I’ve flown over last 40 years. Maybe.....

You're confusing GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT (of your specific trailer) with GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (of the hitch)...

Take a look at the WARNING box at the top of page 2 in the owner's manual and then re-read #2 just below it with the addition of "rating" after Gross Vehicle Weight... (where I inserted <***> in your post that I quoted above) I think it'll make sense to you then...

Logically, it's "painfully apparent" that a hitch can't change "maximum vertical load capacity" based on a change in trailer gross weight. If the hitch an support 20% of 16000 pounds (3200), then it "doesn't get weaker" if it's only towing a 10000 pound trailer and can only support 2000 pounds... It can still support a vertical load of 3200 pounds, with no regard to the gross weight of the trailer.

I'd suppose what Reese is going to change is the "verbage in the warning box" so it can't be "interpreted to mean that the hitch can only support 20% of the trailer gross weight"...

[Dege]

Okay my friend. <deep breath> The trailer GVWR is what would be used to calculate the maximum tow weight a person can pull (after calculating all the other restrictions of course). The wording of the statement does not say gross vehicle weight rating much less "of the hitch". "Of the hitch" appears nowhere. It does say in figure 3 "20% Max gross trailer weight". That spells it out. Max gross trailer weight in my case is 10,000lbs. Applying the numbers in the statement and the diagram in figure 3, the max my pin weight could be is 2000lbs. 1200lbs left on the table. That's what I was clarifying with my call to Reese. That doesn't make sense and as I found out via the phone conversation Reese is aware that it doesn't make sense and have plans to change it. A very careful read of it says "designed for". Not clear at all what that means. And that is ALL I was trying to clarify.