gooseneck ball

I am looking to buy a gooseneck ball for my pickup. One of my freinds has the style that you pull a rod under the wheel well but he says he dont like it because he says it takes 2 people to flip the ball over. One person to hold the rod out and one person to flip the ball. Another friend has one where you lift out a little block then turn over the ball and then put the block back in. He says its simple and he recommends it. What style do you have and recommend? I think both styles listed above were B&W.

To my knowledge the only style B&W makes is the turn over style (one with the lever that you pull the ball all the way out, turn it over and put it back in). I"ve had 3 of those in 3 different trucks and installed a couple others and have always had good luck with them. They are supposed to be a one person operation, when you pull the rod out you turn it and it locks itself in the out position. Over time the spring and rods can get a little rusty and take a little shot of spray lube to keep working correctly. All in all it"s a very good set up that uses heavy parts and mounts solid to the frame. I've only been around that other style once and it was rusted shut and had a heck of a time getting the plate to flip over. If cost is an issue you could always just do the old school way with a big piece of channel iron and a big nut welded to the bottom.

Get the B and W. All American made in Kansas.I have been a B and W dealer for quiet some time and have installed dozens. Have never had a compaint or comeback

I've had two- one that had two levers, one to lock and unlock, and one to raise and lower the ball. It froze in place because I rarely moved it. My current one is a B&W. Pull the lock and latch it, flip the ball and relock it. Just coat it with some grease and clean it up once a year. Good simple hitch.

I've had b&w and the one I have now I can't remember the brand. It's a pop up ball. they both get stuck from the elements. You have keep them clean. I'd recomend the B&W. The lever has a catch. You pull it out and to the side and have to jump in the box to flip but in my experience my pop up is always getting sticky and it takes quite a lot of work to get it poped up. It seems to collect dirt and moister quicker than the b&w did.

It would depend on how hard you are going to be using the ball. I have looked into them and the mounts on the removable balls are not the heaviest around. Some of them are just a bolt together angle iron setup. They did them that way so you don't have to remove the bed. To me they look light duty.

My brother had a B&W turnover ball hitch. It usually took two to change the ball. The hitch has a small spring that was supposed to pop the ball up so it would not re-latch but it usually would not do it. You usually had to take a hammer and rattle it to pop loose. Plus he had the cross frame crack at the side mountings. These are the angle iron type I am talking about. He does pull a 26,000 LBS trailer.

I have also seen the side flip ball hitches fold the ball over when making a sharp turn with a heavy load.

The one my brother has right now has two square tubes that are attached to two plates that bolt inside of the frame rails. These tubes slide together so you can get them narrow enough to get inside of the frame than they slide out to be bolted to the frame side rail. Then the center section bolts through the tubes locking them from moving. You do have to remove the pickup bed to install this hitch. To change the ball you rotate a collar under the ball it then comes out. You have a flat plug that goes back into the hole to protect it when you are not using the goose neck hitch. The only issue is that you have to store the ball or plug when using the other. It is a much heavier setup than the B&W and Draw tite hitches. I can't remember the name of it and I could not find it on the Internet. I will ask him tomorrow.

On my trucks I have always made the hitches myself. I usually remove the bed. I then make two plates that will bolt to the frame side rails. This is usually 3/4 or 1" thick. I then take a 3/4 plate the width of the frame and 24 inches across. I lay that across the top of the frame and then weld it to the side plates. I run 3 or 4 inch angle iron under the plate to stiffen it. I then weld the nut of the ball hitch to the bottom of this cross plate. I then remount the bed. Some times I will have to space the bed up maybe a 1/4 to make room for the cross plate. I then take a hole saw and put the hole in that the ball will go through. I use goose neck balls that have a hex cast into the ball shank. You then can take a three inch socket and take the ball in and out. I have never had one of these break or even crack. I used to mount 10-20 each year. I just quit last year when my insurance man said they would not cover the liability anymore. I still make our own but will not do it for anyone else.

Justin, My F350 has a Drawtight brand Gooseneck hitch. All can be done from the Bed. The base of the ball is round as opposed ro a B&W being square. There is a little slide rod with a locking dowel 90* opposed that you will need to pull through a Z pattern, that is to keep the locking rod in place to keep the ball from lifting out of its socket.
It is a 1 man operation, thought a small pair of slip joint pliers are needed for ease of operation. All done from inside the bed!
Stay away from the flip door/block kind, the kind where the Gooseneck ball folds over and the little door/block flips back down to cover it up. they are light and will warp and twist not a HD type GN hitch setup. JMO
Later,
John A.

I have the type where you twist the lever 90* to unlock, then lift the ball out and turn it over. Both parts of it work fine if maintained. Mine has been used hard in towing a max loaded tandem dual.

(quoted from post at 20:41:08 02/12/12) I am looking to buy a gooseneck ball for my pickup. One of my freinds has the style that you pull a rod under the wheel well but he says he dont like it because he says it takes 2 people to flip the ball over. One person to hold the rod out and one person to flip the ball. Another friend has one where you lift out a little block then turn over the ball and then put the block back in. He says its simple and he recommends it. What style do you have and recommend? I think both styles listed above were B&W.

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I have the B&W. For some reason, the rod will not latch, but If I pull it all the way out and then clamp a pair of vice grips on the rod I can then turn the ball over. A pair of vice grips lives in the tool box.

"He does pull a 26,000 LBS trailer."

THAT is probably why the B&W didn't hold up for him. If you're going to be hauling 26,000 on a regular basis I would do it like you did, with the heavy plate bolted directly to the frame.

The B&W is really meant for more "medium duty" towing in the 10,000 to 16,000lb range.

I did alot of research when I was in the market for one 2 years ago.I liked the idea of no levers to pull and no return springs to rust out.I"d buy another in a heartbeat.
Drop n Lock hitches

(quoted from post at 06:46:51 02/13/12) "He does pull a 26,000 LBS trailer."

THAT is probably why the B&W didn't hold up for him. If you're going to be hauling 26,000 on a regular basis I would do it like you did, with the heavy plate bolted directly to the frame.

The B&W is really meant for more "medium duty" towing in the 10,000 to 16,000lb range.

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The B&W DOES BOLT TO THE FRAME.

I have the B&W and it has been a fine hitch.

You pull the rod out and then push down on it or is it up ? and it will stay in the out position. I pull my ball all the way out and keep it in the truck. This keeps it from getting all salt rusted up here in Ohio winters. I also use the hitch to fasten some weight into the bed for winter too.

B&W is a good hitch, the pin locks out so no problem for 1 man to turn the ball over or remove/install. B&W also makes a 5th wheel hitch that drops in the slot if you ever want one, it takes up lots less room than a conventional 5th wheel hitch.

I have a <a href="http://www.curtmfg.com/Category/64/Folding%20Ball">Curt Folding ball</a>. No complaints.

I don't know why you would want one with a lever out the side. It just seems like something that's going to break (especially when it's cold and gets rusty).

With the folding ball, everything's really simple and heavy duty and everything stays attached to the truck all the time so there's nothing to lose.

Rusty, the latch goes to one side or the other to lock out. Just make sure you release it after changing the ball.

I like the b and w turnover ball, however after about 5 years of service, the frame of the hitch is very rusty and the paint is coming off. Has anyone else had this problem??

B&W turnover ball, IIRC 30k# trailer weight/7500# pin weight. Will be adding B&W "Companion" fifth wheel attachment, I believe it's rated at 26k# trailer/6250# pin.
All ratings are well above truck ratings.

(quoted from post at 12:49:32 02/13/12) Rusty, the latch goes to one side or the other to lock out. Just make sure you release it after changing the ball.

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Yes, I know how it is SUPPOSED to work, but my truck has some wiring conduit "factory" that gets in the way. The vice grips are the easiest solution.

Strongest hitch on the market hands down. Unigoose. This is the hitch GM engineers use when doing the development testing on their trucks. I have a 2005 Duramax dually. I have logged 42,500 on the scales before.