Video Transcript for Reese Elite Series Pop-In Underbed Gooseneck Hitch Ball Kit Installation - 2024 GMC Sierra 2500

Hey, everyone, Ryan here at etrailer. Today on our 2024 GMC Sierra 2500, we're gonna be checking out the Reese Gooseball Kit for trucks with the OEM prep package. So it's pretty convenient that these late-model trucks, a lot of them are coming with these prep packages. It makes using a gooseneck hitch or even a fifth wheel for that matter really convenient because it just drops right into place. You don't really have to install anything. So there's several different gooseball kits available for the Sierra.

And so what we're gonna focus on today is checking this one out and kind of comparing it to the others that are out there. With this particular kit, it's gonna be good for 30,000 pounds. That's the gross trailer weight rating. So just make sure to check your truck's owner's manual and make sure it can handle that amount of weight safely. And it's gonna have a 2 5/16 diameter ball, which is pretty much the norm when it comes to gooseneck trailer.

So you should be in good shape there. And with this kit, there's a couple things that I like about it and a couple things that I wish were a little bit different. We'll go ahead and start out with the ball. So the way this is gonna work is it has this mechanism in here, and you rotate it like that, and that lets you pull the ball out and put it back in. You turn it, it locks down, and stays in place.

And so when you have a trailer hooked up to this, it's a good design in this regard where this is never gonna come undone. There's no way, with the trailer on it, that this gonna come and turn like this and be able to be released. (metal clanging) On the same note, and I don't know this for sure, this is just a thought that I could foresee happening, is with this little mechanism here, I could just foresee grease, and debris, and stuff getting caked up in here. And might be difficult to operate once you.. A year or two down the road or you get some miles on it.

Might have to fight with that a little bit. That's just my thought. And you end up getting your hands dirty too by having to operate that as compared to some of the other ones. So for example, here, I have the CURT ball and it's a pretty similar design. I honestly like the mechanism on the Reese a little bit better. It's almost easier to operate. So CURT's pretty similar, not super crazy about that mechanism either, but I'm sure it works just fine. The one that I like the most is made by B&W. So this one is almost completely different, right It has this big handle here. And when you drop that in, this handle locks down and keeps the ball in place. So I really don't foresee. There's no little openings in here for stuff to get caked up in, and there's no way you're gonna not be able to get this out, at least in my opinion. You got good leverage there, you pull it out, you got a good handle on it, so you don't get your hands dirty or anything along those lines. Well, we'll talk about the safety chain openings now. And I do like this setup here. The way these are gonna work, you'll have a little piece that you grab, turn, and that lets you pull it out. When you go to put it in, you don't even have to mess with that. You just drop it down in there, rotate it, and locks it in place. So no extra parts or pieces or nothing like that you have to worry about keeping track of. And I like that these are a little bit thinner in diameter. So even if you happen to have a smaller hook, like this one for example, this is a 5/16, you can still get that on it and off it with a relative ease. (hook clattering) And if you happen to have a little bit larger hook, this one is. It says 3/8 on it, a little bit bigger, it's even easier. But these aren't too small that even a larger hook would be too big, if that makes sense. So I am a fan of these here. And we'll just compare here, I'll get this one out of the way. The B&W has a very similar design. If I'm being honest, I like it a little bit better. (metal clattering) These drop in. (metal clattering) And you rotate them and they come down like that. My thought is when you go to pull it out, you have a little more leverage there if you need it. If it does get hung up in there, something for whatever reason as to where the Reese, you just have these little tabs you grab to release that. So just trying to foresee, look a little bit further into the future, and when you get grime and stuff in here, how easy is this stuff gonna be to operate So I like the B&W a little bit better and has a good profile on it as well for the larger hooks. (chains rattling) And the smaller ones will work just fine. (chains rattling) So you kinda get the best of both worlds there. And for the CURT. The CURT ones are extremely stout. I mean, these things are super heavy-duty, they're gonna work just fine, but you are gonna have a couple extra parts and pieces to keep track of. So find yourself misplacing stuff all the time. This might not be the best solution for you, but they drop in, rotate it, put your pin in there. And this other pin, that's gonna keep it locked down. Now, with these, they're so stout, the larger hooks won't have any issues going around it. (hook clattering) But the smaller ones are really tight fit. I'm not even gonna snap that in 'cause it's super difficult to get off. So if you end up going with the CURT kit, make sure that you have fairly decent-sized hooks on your trailer just to make life a little bit easier on you. Aside from that, there's really not a whole lot to these kits. This one's gonna come with both your safety chain openings and the ball, so you'll have what you need to hook your trailer up and pull it down the road. They give you a little plug, too, so if you happen to lose your factory one or whatever, you always have a backup or a spare, and pretty easy to take in it out actually too. Those factory ones are kind of a pain sometimes. So I'd probably end up using this if it we inchesre me. But that is your call, and it gives you a soft carrying case, too, which is a nice touch. When you're not using this, you got a place to put it, keep it out of the way and organized and everything else. But other than that, pretty decent kit, and one that'll get the job done. But with all that in mind, I think that'll about do it for our look at of the Reese Gooseball Kit for trucks with the factory prep package on our 2024 GMC Sierra 2500.