Troubleshooting Gooseneck Hitch that Won't Lock onto 2-5/16 inch Ball

Question

Question:

Ive tried both the Pro Series 25k draw-lite gooseneck plate and the Curt Spyder hitches for fifth wheel rails. I cant get either of these hitches to lock on my horse trailer. The coupler goes down on the hitch and it is close to closing but I cant get it to lock completely. This is the most frustrating situation Ive been in with a hitch for a trailer. Lol! I dont understand what the problem is. At first I thought it was the ball size in the first hitch because it has a thicker neck that the other but now after the second hitch is doing the same thing..perhaps its the angle Im hooking it up? This trailer locked up/hooked up perfectly with my friends b and w standard ball but it was installed in his truck. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this problem? All the comments make it sound like this never happens. Like when the hitches are installed they are good to go? Im not experiencing this : Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!

asked by: Shawna

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

It really sounds like your gooseneck hitch is designed for a 3 inch gooseneck ball. I know you said that you attached to your friends B and W hitch, but B and W offers a 3 inch ball # BWGNXA2025.

The 3 inch setup is less common but it is still seen out there. If your trailer is larger it is very possible that you need a 3 inch ball. Which there are no adapters like the Spyder that have 3 inch balls. This would call for the replacement of your coupler or the install of a gooseneck hitch with a 3 inch ball.

For a square coupler that uses a 2-5/16 inch ball you would want the part # BD0289800300. For a round tube you would want the part # BD0289500300.

expert reply by: Jameson C

1

Answer 1

Yes, the gooseneck hitch balls for the factory prep packages are the same for Ram and Ford. If you need a new hitch ball for either of these systems than you can use the Curt Pop-In Ball part #C60601 or the Reese Pop-In Ball part #RP19311.

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Answer 2

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 3

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 4

If you take a look at the linked diagram you can see the minimum recommended clearance distances between truck and trailer for 5th wheel towing. It is recommended to have at least 5-inches from the top of the bed rails to the bottom of the trailer…

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Answer 5

Hey Luis, for your 2018 Ford F-350 that doesn't have the OEM pucks you would want the B and W Turnoverball hitch part #BWGNRK1116 that is a confirmed fit for your truck. I really like the B and W gooseneck hitches as they are known to be the…

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Answer 6

I spoke with my contact at Trailair and from your serial number we were able to determine that your trailer came with a 1621 HD pin box which is a long pin box style. I was unable to obtain the exact part number for your Trailair pin box but from the…

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Answer 7

Lance does have a proprietary plug, but many customers see a standard 6-way or 7-way round and notice it doesn't fit their factory 7-way as well. I've attached an article to help if you have one of the 7-way or 6-way round connectors which we…

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Answer 8

Choosing the right height setting for your 5th wheel hitch is a combination of a few different variables. First of all you want your towing setup to be as level as possible. With your Montana High Country 340BH level you will want to measure from the…

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Answer 9

It is certainly possible for the Gen-Y Hitch Shock Absorbing 5th Wheel to Gooseneck Pin Box #GY58GR to work on your 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty short bed, but there are likely going to be clearance issues as these are meant for long bed trucks. That…

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Answer 10

The Gen-Y Hitch 5th Wheel to Gooseneck Pin Box part #GY58GR is primarily designed for long bed trucks. It's no different than a standard fifth wheel pin box in regards to the size. If you were using a fixed hitch and standard pin box before with…

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Answer 11

The head alone for the B&W Companion hitch #BWRVK3500 weighs about 70 pounds. Everything else weighs about 130 pounds. So the total weight of the hitch is approximately 200 pounds.

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Answer 12

Hey Buddy, so the Fastway Adjustable Ball Mount part #DTSTBM6825-2S is a really great choice for the 2-1/2 inch hitch of your 2021 Ford F-250 which is going to be very solid in your hitch due to it's built in anti-rattle device that is easy to…

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