Ball Hole Location When Installing a Draw-Tite Gooseneck Trailer Hitch on a 2005 Chevy Silverado

Question:

I have had a dealer mount this in my truck. It is about 4 inches forward of the truck axle. Is this ok? the new fifth wheel hit my truck rail on the first hard turn. Could the place of mounting had an impact of why this bent my truck rail?

asked by: Thomas C

Expert Reply:

Normally, the center of the gooseneck ball will be directly above or slightly forward, within an inch or 2, of the center of the axle but it is possible that on some trucks it could be more forward. On the 2005 Chevy Silverado, the instructions, linked for you, state that the hole should be 44-1/2 inches from the rear of the bed on a short box, and 49-3/8 inches on a long box. The measurements are from the end of the bed, not the tailgate, to the center of the hole.

If you measure on your truck and the hole is more forward then either they miscalculated during installation or they installed it there for a reason and you would need to ask them. For this hitch, to get a little more clearance, you can use a ball with an offset, # 19308. This will give you 5 inches more clearance to help make tight turns.

expert reply by: Michael H