uluru

I am considering switching the tongue hitch on my tandem boat trailer to either a gooseneck or a 5th wheel to haul my 29' Fountain Fever.
Has anyone done this and what has the experience been?
I know it may be overkill but my truck already has the rails and hitch platforms for both and I will switch to electric brakes.
I use both gooseneck and 5th wheel hitches for other trailers on a regular basis.
Is the practical for the boat for launching, etc.?
I would have this done by a professional trailer builder.

speicher lane

IMHO - Goose neck and 5th wheel are easier on the pull truck as the load is right over the axle....for a 29 fountain, you are only doing this expense for yourself and later on, you are seriously going to limit who will want let alone pay $$$ for a goose neck 29' trailer.( Anyone with a decent pickup can pull a 29 but not every P/U has a 5th ....let alone experience driving/reversing with one)

Once you are into pulling a bigger cruiser or Tri-axle heavy Offshore a lot of miles, the Goose/5th pull like a dream. Again just IMHO.

uluru

I agree with the resale comment.
It will likely be to my detriment.

offshorexcursion

iTrader: (5)

As you know fifthwheel/gooseneck pull SO much better it's crazy! I understand why you would want to upgrade but I don't think it's worth it for a 29' fountain. Plus to help 5th/gooseneck pull awesome you would need your trailer axles ALL the way back and still wouldn't have enough pin weight.

Definitely would be cool on a larger heavier boat

uluru

offshore excursion with the axles back and the boat moved forward a bit would it help the pin weight enough to gain a good weight distribution to make it more acceptable

offshorexcursion

iTrader: (5)

I honestly don't think it's worth it, especially cause the resale.

I think you could just upgrade your current tag trailer, or order a new one that is much better built, larger axles bearings tires weight distribution, EOH brakes, etc. That will tow excellent.

Griff

I see absolutely no benefit for a 29 Fountain tandem axle trailer.

fossil fuel

The only drawback of a gooseneck trailer....In tight parking lots they crab into the turn much quicker than bumper pulls. Not as handy when trying to get around the back of the hampton inn at 11 o clock at nignt...Just sayin

IGetWet

You’d probably be adding another 6-8’ in length for parking the trailer/storage as well.

Slippery

I think Griff sums it up best; you just aren't going to realize the benefits of a G/N style trailer with a 29 Fountain, and you're going to very negatively affect the resale value.

One of the biggest benefits to a g/n style trailer is the ride; by moving the "tongue" weight from the absolute rear of the truck to over the rear axle makes the rig handle a lot better, but if you don't have a big enough boat to have a significant amount of tongue weight you aren't going to have enough "good" to outweigh the "bad" of a gooseneck style trailer.

The bad:

You're going to add 6' or more to the overall length of the trailer.
The trailer turns "inside" of the truck much faster than a bumper pull which requires a whole new set of skills. Tuition can be expensive in terms of scrapes and bruised egos.
Resale - you're really limiting the amount of people who can buy your rig when you want to sell it.

The good:

They look bad azz
Once you get used to towing it, the ride is incredible BUT you're not going to realize as much difference with that size boat.
Maneuverability - once you learn to drive it, you can park them anywhere - BUT you'll also pay for that maneuverability with more tire wear.
Did I mention they look really cool ? lol

To answer your question - Yes, it can be done, but a 29 Fountain won't realize the same benefits as a larger boat and it will be detrimental to resale.

I have a 43 and switched from a bumper pull to a gooseneck style trailer.

However, by the time I compared a new build to upgrading bunks, tires, brakes, jack, winch, wiring, & lighting and adding toolboxes and spares on my old trailer -and still having an old trailer - AND I wasn't really comfortable with someone sawing off the nose and making it a gooseneck, I decided the money would be better spent on a new trailer.

If it was me, and I was looking to make my 29 Fountain tow better, I'd put a really nice new aluminum trailer under her & would make sure I had 2 spares, toolbox, drive guard, and electric brakes.

cheers