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 puts the coupler on a ball in the truck bed over the rear axle, which by the common rule carries more weight and turns tighter for big trailers, while a bumper pull uses a receiver and ball mount, works with any truck that has a receiver and keeps the bed clear.
We carry B&W trailer hitches: Turnoverball gooseneck hitches from $599 and, for bumper pulls, Tow & Stow ball mounts from $329 plus the Continuum weight distribution hitch from $1,299. We sell no receivers.
Quick answer
Pick a gooseneck for a heavy or long trailer if you drive a pickup and want the bed back between trips. Pick a bumper pull if a ball mount's rating covers the trailer or you want one hitch to move between vehicles. In our range a bumper pull that needs weight distribution costs more than a gooseneck kit.
| Difference | Gooseneck | Bumper pull |
|---|---|---|
| Where the ball sits | In the truck bed, over the rear axle | On a ball mount in a receiver behind the truck |
| Vehicle it needs | A pickup with a hitch installed in the bed | Any truck or SUV with a receiver |
| Trailer weight rating on our listings | 30,000 lb on all three kits here | 21,000 lb on the 3 in shank Tow & Stow; 16,000 lb on the Continuum |
| Tongue weight rating | 7,500 lb vertical | 1,800 lb on the largest Tow & Stow; 600 to 1,600 lb on the Continuum |
| Stability | Weight sits over the rear axle | Weight sits behind it; weight distribution with sway control helps |
| Turning | Cuts corners tighter but takes more practice, says trailer maker Cimarron Trailers | Normal turn radius; the trailer follows the truck (Cimarron) |
| Ball size | 2-5/16" included; a 3" ball (GNXA2025) is sold separately for loads over 30,000 lb | 2" or 2-5/16" on the Tow & Stow; 2-5/16" on the Continuum |
| Install | A 4" round hole in the bed floor; bolts to existing frame holes with no drilling or welding on the frame | The Tow & Stow slides into the receiver and pins in place, about 5 minutes the first time; we sell no receivers |
| Bed space | The neck takes the bed while you tow; the ball flips over and stows in the hitch's socket under the bed floor when you do not | The bed stays clear |
| Hitch price in our range | $599 to $699 | $329 to $349 for a ball mount; $1,299 for the Continuum |
What a gooseneck and a bumper pull have in common
Both hookups are only as strong as their weakest link: coupler, ball, hitch, receiver or bed mount and the truck itself. The lowest rating in that chain is your limit. Your truck maker's towing and payload figures, in the manual or on the door sticker, cap the whole setup. No hitch raises them.
Capacity: what the B&W listings rate
All three Turnoverball kits here carry one rating set: a 30,000 lb trailer, with 7,500 lb pressing down on the hitch, on the 2-5/16" ball. Our guide to the best gooseneck hitch sorts the kits by truck.
Gooseneck for the F-150
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2015-2026 Ford F150, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1121)
From $599 · Listed for the 2015 to 2026 F-150. The hitch is rated for 30,000 lb on its 2-5/16-inch ball, but never more than your F-150's own towing and payload ratings.
Skip it if your F-150 is a Tremor, Lightning, Raptor or 2019 to 2020 Limited. The listing also excludes trucks with dual exhaust.
Bumper-pull ratings follow the shank and ball. The Tow & Stow with a 2.5" shank and 7" drop takes an 18,000 lb trailer with 1,800 lb of tongue weight on the 2-5/16" ball, and the 2" shank, 5" drop mount takes 10,000 lb with 1,000 lb. On the 2" ball both fall to 7,500 lb with 750 lb.
Ball mount for heavier bumper pulls
B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount, 2.5" Shank, 7" Drop, Dual Ball 2" x 2-5/16", Black (TS20040B)
From $349 · 2.5-inch shank, 7-inch drop, rated for an 18,000 lb trailer on the 2-5/16-inch ball.
Skip it if your receiver is 2": this mount needs a 2-1/2" receiver.
The ratings show the difference: each Tow & Stow rating puts tongue weight at 10% of trailer weight, while the Turnoverball's vertical rating is 25%. The truck carries that share either way.
Stability and sway
Trailer maker Cimarron Trailers calls stability the most notable advantage of a gooseneck, with the tongue weight over the truck's rear axle instead of at the back of the frame. It warns that heavy loads on a bumper pull risk swaying and lack of stability.
A weight distribution hitch is how a bumper pull narrows the gap: pumping the Continuum's handle moves weight onto the truck's front axle, and the listing calls its friction sway prevention "immediate and continuous because the bars stay loaded."
Weight distribution for a standard coupler
B&W Continuum Weight Distribution Hitch, 2" Shank, 2-5/16" Ball, Standard Coupler (WDHK4500)
From $1,299 · Rated up to 16,000 lb gross trailer weight and 600 to 1,600 lb tongue weight.
Skip it if your receiver is 2-1/2": this kit has a 2" shank. Skip it too if your trailer has an underslung coupler, a center rail on its frame or tongue weight outside 600 to 1,600 lb.
Turning and maneuvering
Cimarron says a gooseneck can cut corners tighter than a bumper pull but takes more practice. It adds that misjudging the tight turn can take off the trailer's fender or damage other cars, so practice in an empty lot first. A bumper pull has a normal turn radius.
Cost: hardware and labor
In our range a ball mount costs less than a gooseneck kit, as the table above shows. On the trailer itself, Cimarron says bumper pulls are smaller than goosenecks, which means lower costs.
Labor is the other cost, and our gooseneck hitch install guide lists the tools and steps.
Budget ball mount
B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount, 2" Shank, 5" Drop, Dual Ball 2" x 2-5/16", Chrome (TS10037C)
From $329 · 2-inch shank, 5-inch drop, rated for a 10,000 lb trailer on the 2-5/16-inch ball.
The Tow & Stow reviews average 4.9 from 217. Among the 200 on file, the most common complaint is security: seven owners wish it came with locking pins, four of them citing the price. It ships with stainless pins held by clips, so budget for a set. One owner reports rust spots on the insert and pins, one reports noise that Teflon tape on the pins helped and one says the pins and ball arm seized after months unused on dusty, muddy roads. Another owner likes the height adjustment:
“I can adjust the height in seconds with just a pull of two pins.”
B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount, 2" Shank, 5" Drop, Dual Ball 2" x 2-5/16", Chrome (TS10037C) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Skip it if your trailer is rated above 10,000 lb on the 2-5/16" ball or your receiver is 2-1/2".
Bed space
A bumper pull leaves the bed alone. A gooseneck needs a hitch installed in the bed of a pickup: the trailer's neck reaches over the bed while you tow, and the Turnoverball listing says the ball stows upside down in the hitch's own socket under the bed floor the rest of the time. One owner who moved a 15,000 lb GVWR fifth wheel RV onto a gooseneck on a 2024 F-250 writes:
“Love having capability and not sacrificing my bed space. Couldn't ask for a better towing setup.”
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2023-2026 Ford F250 F350 & F450, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1123) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Gooseneck for Chevrolet and GMC HD
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2020-2026 Chevrolet & GMC 2500 & 3500, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1020)
From $699 · Listed for the 2020 to 2026 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500, rated for a 30,000 lb trailer and not more than your truck's rating.
Skip it if your truck has the CarbonPro bed: the listing excludes it.
The trailer you already own decides
If the trailer is already in your driveway, the hitch is settled. A straight tongue with a coupler is a bumper pull. A neck that rises and reaches over the truck bed is a gooseneck. A pin box under the front is a fifth wheel.
Fifth wheel: the third option
A fifth wheel also puts the weight over the rear axle, but the trailer's king pin locks into the jaws of the hitch head instead of a coupler closing over a ball. Neither tows better on type alone: the trailer's coupler picks the hitch, and the hitch rating, the trailer's weight and your truck's limits set what you can pull. B&W's Patriot 18K, from $799, is rated for an 18,000 lb trailer with a 4,500 lb pin weight and pins into industry-standard fifth wheel rails, sold separately. The Turnoverball listings also name a fifth wheel upgrade: the single-point Companion and Companion Slider models. See types of trailer hitches for the full list.
Do you need a CDL to pull a big gooseneck?
Not for length alone. Federal rules in 49 CFR 383.5 define a commercial motor vehicle as a vehicle or combination used in commerce to transport passengers or property. A combination qualifies by weight when its gross combination weight (rating or actual, whichever is greater) is 26,001 lb or more and the towed unit's gross vehicle weight (rating or actual, whichever is greater) is over 10,000 lb. The rule calls this a Group A combination vehicle.
Whether your use counts as commerce, and what license your state wants, is a question for your state's licensing agency. Ask before you buy.
Which hitch for which trailer
Your receiver's rating and your truck maker's towing and payload figures cap every row.
| Your trailer | Hitch | In our range |
|---|---|---|
| Several horses or livestock, or living quarters | Gooseneck | Turnoverball for your truck, $599 to $699 |
| Flatbed or equipment trailer over 21,000 lb, the top bumper-pull rating in our range | Gooseneck | Turnoverball, rated to 30,000 lb on the 2-5/16" ball |
| Travel trailer with a standard coupler, up to 16,000 lb with 600 to 1,600 lb on the tongue | Bumper pull with weight distribution | Continuum, $1,299 |
| Utility, boat or ATV trailer up to 10,000 lb on a 2" receiver | Bumper pull | Tow & Stow TS10037C, $329 |
| Heavier utility or equipment trailer up to 18,000 lb on a 2-1/2" receiver | Bumper pull | Tow & Stow TS20040B, $349 |
| Fifth wheel RV | Fifth wheel | Patriot 18K, $799, on rails sold separately |
The Turnoverball reviews on file average 4.9 from 62, and fit is the one problem the tallies show: one 1-star complaint about a 2017 Nissan Titan. Check the year, make and model on the listing before you order. A 2019 to 2026 Ram 2500 or 3500 takes this kit:
Gooseneck for Ram 2500 and 3500
B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch, 2019-2026 Ram 2500 & 3500, 2-5/16" Ball (GNRK1320)
From $599 · Listed for the 2019 to 2026 Ram 2500 and 3500, rated for a 30,000 lb trailer and not more than your truck's rating.
On a 2021 to 2026 Ram, the listing notes an updated hole template, so check that before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What are the disadvantages of a gooseneck trailer?
You need a pickup with a hitch installed in the bed, so the trailer cannot go behind an SUV or a car. Cimarron adds that goosenecks are less common than bumper pulls and harder to store. The kit also costs more than a ball mount in our range, and Cimarron says you will likely need a mechanic to install it, which adds cost. One F-250 owner on file installed it themselves and calls it definitely a job, but worth the effort and money saved.
What is a bumper pull trailer?
A trailer whose tongue coupler sits on a ball behind the tow vehicle. Cimarron describes the ball hitch as jutting out from the vehicle's frame, which on a truck usually means a ball mount in a receiver.
Is a gooseneck or a bumper pull better for a horse trailer?
Cimarron says a gooseneck suits several horses or livestock and offers more room for living quarters. It says a bumper pull fits hobby farmers better and can limit how many animals you haul.
Will a 1500 pull a gooseneck trailer?
A half-ton can take a gooseneck hitch: we list Turnoverball kits for the 2015 to 2026 Ford F-150, the 2019 to 2026 Chevrolet and GMC 1500, the 2019 to 2026 Ram 1500 and the 2022 to 2026 Toyota Tundra. What the truck can pull is the figure its maker publishes, not the hitch's 30,000 lb rating. Check the payload figure too, because the trailer's vertical load sits on the truck.
Why do campers use a fifth wheel and not a gooseneck?
The hitch follows the trailer. A fifth wheel RV has a pin box whose king pin locks into a hitch head, while a gooseneck trailer has a coupler that closes over a ball. A fifth wheel hitch is built for that pin box: the Patriot 18K's head has 1" thick machined wrap-around jaws, articulates front to back and side to side and adds a shock absorber and polyurethane bushings to damp vibration. A gooseneck ball has none of those parts.
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