How we made this guide: picks and specs come from our catalog and fitment data, owner quotes come from verified reviews and every guide is checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
A gooseneck hitch is a ball mounted in the truck bed over or just ahead of the rear axle, with the trailer's long neck reaching over the tailgate to couple to it. B&W's Turnoverball, the gooseneck hitch we carry from $599, flips that ball over when you are not towing, so the bed stays clear.
To use one you need a kit made for your exact truck, a trailer with a gooseneck coupler and ratings that cover the loaded trailer without passing your truck's own.
How does a gooseneck hitch work?
The hitch has two halves. Under the bed, a frame bolts to the truck's frame. In the bed, a socket in the floor holds the ball.
A gooseneck trailer carries its coupler on the end of a long neck that reaches over the tailgate, so the coupler settles onto the ball and latches. The trailer's safety chains clip to two U-bolts in the bed floor.
On a Turnoverball the ball is a solid machined 2-5/16 in ball that stows inverted in the receiver. A spring-loaded handle in the wheel well is attached to a 5/8 in steel locking pin that passes all the way through the ball and holds it in place. B&W describes the ball as flipping over when it is not in use, which leaves the bed clear.
A 2024 F250 Tremor owner on what that does for bed space:
“Love having capability and not sacrificing my bed space.”
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2023-2026 Ford F250 F350 & F450, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1123) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
B&W's own channel has a 40-second Turnoverball video:
What types of gooseneck hitch are there?
Gooseneck hitches mount in two main ways. Under-bed kits such as the Turnoverball fasten to the truck's frame. Some heavy-duty trucks instead come from the factory with puck prep, which is mounting points in the bed floor for a puck-mount hitch. Our B&W Companion fifth wheel hitches are made for Ford, Ram and GM pucks, so check with us before buying a Turnoverball for a truck that has them.
What is in a gooseneck hitch kit?
A Turnoverball kit is two halves, a mounting kit and a center section. Three of the four kits in this guide ship as two boxes. The Ram 2500 and 3500 kit ships as one.
| Part | What it does | Comes in | Our price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-bed mounting kit | Frame and truck-specific brackets that bolt to existing frame holes | The complete kit; also sold alone as the GNRM1020 | $384 |
| Center section | Holds the receiver socket, the ball and the latch | The complete kit; also sold alone as the GNRC950 | $329 |
| 2-5/16 in ball | Solid machined, stows inverted in the receiver | The center section | Included |
| Latch and pin | A 5/8 in steel locking pin through the ball, attached to a spring-loaded handle in the wheel well | The center section | Included |
| Safety chain U-bolts | Two spring-loaded anchors that sit flush when not in use | The center section | Included |
| Complete kit | Both halves for one truck platform | The four kits in this guide | $599 to $699 |
The GNRM1020 is the under-bed half for the 2020 to 2026 Chevy and GMC 2500 and 3500.
The GNRC950 center section belongs to the older GNRK1050 kit for 1988 to 1998 Chevy and GMC short-bed trucks (plus 1999 to 2000 2500 and 3500 short beds with the full C-channel frame), so these two prices show what each half costs alone, not a pair that fits one truck.
Neither half tows alone, so order the complete kit unless you are replacing a part.
Ram 2500 and 3500 kit
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2019-2026 Ram 2500 & 3500, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1320)
From $599 · One box holds the whole kit. 2021 to 2026 trucks need the updated hole template.
What does a gooseneck hitch tow?
Gooseneck couplers are common on flatbed, livestock, horse and equipment trailers. Reviews on file mention a horse trailer and a 15,000 lb GVWR fifth wheel RV converted to a gooseneck coupler.
A fifth wheel hitch is the other bed-mounted option. Our B&W listings say the Turnoverball socket accepts the single-point Companion and Companion Slider fifth wheel hitches, so one under-bed install can serve either style. Gooseneck vs fifth wheel sets the two side by side.
What ratings should you check?
The Turnoverball listings give two. Gross trailer weight is the loaded trailer's total weight, listed at 30,000 lb with the 2-5/16 in ball. Vertical tongue weight is the downward load the trailer puts on the ball, listed at 7,500 lb. Both carry the same condition: not more than your truck's rating.
The rule that sets your limit
The weakest rating in the chain sets the limit, from the hitch and ball to the trailer and the truck. Your truck maker's own towing capacity and payload are never to be exceeded, and a hitch rating does not raise them.For loads over 30,000 lb, the listings point to B&W's 3 in ball, GNXA2025, which is not one of our listings. They also name SAE J2638 as the testing standard.
Can you tow a gooseneck trailer with a regular hitch?
No. A gooseneck coupler needs a ball mounted in the bed, which is what a gooseneck kit provides and a receiver hitch does not. In our range that means the Turnoverball, because our towing line is all B&W trailer hitches and we sell no receiver hitches or loose hitch balls.
A bumper-pull trailer, which couples at the bumper, needs a different setup. Gooseneck vs bumper pull compares the two, and types of trailer hitches sorts receiver, gooseneck, fifth wheel and weight distribution hitches.
How much does it cost to put a gooseneck hitch on a truck?
In our range the Ford F-150 kit starts at $599 and the Ram 2500 and 3500 kit at $599. The Chevy and GMC 2500 and 3500 kit is $699 and the Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 kit is $699. Every complete Turnoverball kit we list falls at one of those two prices, and each covers both halves, the ball, the latch and the two chain U-bolts.
Ford F-150 kit
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2015-2026 Ford F150, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1121)
From $599 · Two boxes. Not for the Tremor, Lightning, Raptor, 2019 to 2020 Limited or trucks with dual exhaust.
The kit price is not the whole job. Our listings say the kit bolts to existing holes in the truck's frame with no drilling and no welding. The bed floor gets a 4 in round hole for the receiver plus small holes for the two safety chain U-bolts. If a shop does the work, its labor comes on top of the kit price. How to install a gooseneck hitch lists the tools and steps from B&W's install sheets.
Of the 62 owner reviews on file, 61 are 5-star. The one 1-star review says a kit ordered for a 2017 Nissan Titan did not fit, so match your truck's year, make, model and trim to the kit's fit table before you order. Four reviews give an install time, from about an hour for one owner working alone to about four hours for two.
How do you look after a gooseneck hitch?
B&W's maintenance video shows how to grease the four corners of the square post, keep the latch spring clean by working the handle a few times and deal with a ball that has started to stick.
What do you need before you order?
- A kit cut for your truck: check the year, make and model table on its page. Our guide to Turnoverball kits by truck matches them up.
- A trailer with a gooseneck coupler made for the 2-5/16 in ball in the kit.
- Ratings that add up across the hitch, the trailer and your truck.
- A 4 in hole and the small U-bolt holes in the bed floor, plus time under the truck or a shop to do the work.
Chevy and GMC 2500 and 3500 kit
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2020-2026 Chevrolet & GMC 2500 & 3500, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1020)
From $699 · For 2020 to 2026 Silverado and Sierra 2500 and 3500, except trucks with the CarbonPro bed.
Pros
- The ball flips over and leaves the bed clear
- Bolts to existing frame holes with no frame drilling or welding
Cons
- Needs a 4 in hole plus small U-bolt holes in the bed floor
- Cut for one truck platform, so a neighboring year may not fit
Skip it if your trailer couples at the bumper, your truck is not on a kit's fit list or it has a body lift: our listings allow a suspension lift but not a body lift, because the hitch needs the factory gap between bed and frame.
Frequently asked questions
What does a gooseneck hitch look like?
In the bed you see a ball standing in a receiver set into the floor and two spring-loaded U-bolts for the safety chains, which drop flush when nothing is hooked to them. The latch handle is not in the bed: our listings put it in the wheel well, where it works the 5/8 in pin.
How are gooseneck hitches installed?
A Turnoverball bolts to existing holes in the truck's frame, and the bed floor needs a 4 in round hole for the receiver plus small holes for the two chain U-bolts. Each kit has its own install sheet, so follow the one in your box.
What is a fifth wheel hitch, and is it better than a gooseneck?
A fifth wheel hitch is the other kind of bed-mounted hitch. It has a plate that the trailer's pin locks into instead of a ball, so the trailer you tow decides which one you need.
Can a gooseneck hitch go on a half-ton truck?
Yes, if a kit lists your truck. Our B&W range has Turnoverball kits for half-tons including the 2015 to 2026 Ford F-150 (GNRK1121, not for the Tremor, Lightning, Raptor, 2019 to 2020 Limited or trucks with dual exhaust), the 2019 to 2026 Ram 1500 (GNRK1325), the 2019 to 2026 Silverado and Sierra 1500 (GNRK1019) and the 2022 to 2026 Toyota Tundra (GNRK1222). Each kit lists its own exclusions, so check the fit table on its page.
Who makes the Turnoverball and what is the warranty?
B&W builds it in Humboldt, Kansas, according to the listing. The listings name B&W's Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty and a powder-coat finish. The listing gives the warranty's name, not its terms, so ask us or B&W what it covers before you make a claim.
Is it hard to drive a gooseneck trailer?
It takes practice, like any big trailer. The coupler sits in the bed over or just ahead of the rear axle rather than behind the bumper, which generally lets a gooseneck turn tighter than a bumper pull of the same size. Practice backing up in an open lot before you tow on the road.
Find the gooseneck kit for your truck
Related guides
- How to Install a Gooseneck Hitch: Tools, Steps and Cost, From B&W's Install Sheets
- Best Gooseneck Hitch: Pick the Right B&W Turnoverball Kit for Your Truck
- Gooseneck vs Fifth Wheel Hitch: Which Is Better for Your Truck and Trailer?
- Types of Trailer Hitches: Receiver, Gooseneck, Fifth Wheel and Weight Distribution