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Ball fits your Ram factory-installed under-bed gooseneck trailer hitch and features an easy-to-use lever and ball-bearing locking system. Includes 2 safety-chain loops, rubber ball cover and storage bag.
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Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey, everybody. Ryan here at etrailer. Today, on our 2021 Ram 3500, we're gonna be checking out the Reese Elite Series pop-in gooseneck ball kit for trucks with the OEM prep package. We do get a lot of questions, people asking if this kit is gonna work with their particular truck or not, and as long as you have the OEM prep package in your truck, shouldn't have any issues. You know, this set-up should be able to just drop right in and you'll be able to utilize it. Now, Ram really did do a good job of thinking things through by incorporating the prep package into the truck bed, and it makes it super easy and convenient to use a gooseneck like this one or even a fifth wheel-type hitch.
So the way the kit is gonna work is super easy. Essentially, everything is just gonna kinda drop and lock right into place. So to kinda show that off, to get the ball out, there's gonna be a mechanism here and you'll lift up on it, kind of rotate it, that'll kinda keep it from dropping down. Ball comes right out. Let's get it in.
Same deal. Turn that, it locks, and you're unable to lift out on it. The kit does come with a rubber plug, so if you wanna use that, you can. Kind of playing around with it, I noticed that the factory cover does not go back in place with that plug in there. Not a huge deal.
If it we're me, I would probably just stick with this one. But if you did ever happen to lose this or break it, you know, at least you got a backup there. So rather have it and not need it, than the other way around. But that said, there is a couple of things I did notice about the ball itself that could potentially cause some issues that I could see is this mechanism here. So I like how it functions and how it operates.
You know, you have a couple places to grip there, but with that said, you know, this piece is plastic, all right So as we all know, plastic does tend to kind of wear down and crack and dry out and things like that over time. So just something to keep in mind. You know, that could potentially cause some issues, especially, you know, if you happen to have this like this and you're working with things, you happen to drop it and it landed, that would probably break. So something to think about. If it we're steel or metal, something you do not have to worry about there. And I can potentially see as well, you know, after putting your gooseneck on here and using it, you know, some grease maybe building up in there. One thing, you're gonna have to touch it, get your hands dirty. But also, you know, that grease might kinda cake up inside of there and, you know, start to kinda harden up and kinda limit the functionality of this. You know, it might be a little more difficult in the future after you put some miles on it. So not saying it will happen, just, you know, from looking at it and kinda playing with it a little bit, it's just something that came to my head. But with that said, you know, I do like how easy this is to get in and out, which will allow you to have, you know, that full bed access. And the same thing holds true with the safety chain hooks as well. So these are just gonna more or less be a drop in-type deal, little bit different of a setup here. You're gonna have these things that you pull up, you know, not the easiest to get up, but not hard by any means. You're gonna rotate that and these are going to just pop right out. So when you go to put it back in, one thing I do like since these kinda lock in automatically almost, you know, you're just gonna hold it like this, put it in, and those are essentially just gonna drop right into place. So a really simple, especially whenever you're putting 'em in your truck. There is something I do wanna address as far as the safety chain loops are concerned that not only myself but a lot of our customers figured out, and that's just the overall size of 'em, okay So they're nice and wide and they give you some space here, but some of the issues people are having is just the overall width here of the steel. It's really wide and that can cause a couple of issues. People are having a hard time getting their hooks to actually go in 'em. So just wanted to get a couple of examples here. So here, I have a hook. It's 5/16 in size, figured this is probably a pretty common size for gooseneck-type trailers. If you put it on there, I mean, it's not even close to locking in by any means, all right I thought, well, maybe we can go up another size here. So this one is 3/8 in size there, pretty big. I feel like most people, that's probably gonna be the biggest size on their trailer, maybe one size up. But even this one, you're still not able to get the keeper there to engage. So that could pose some issues. You know, if you had really big hooks, they would probably work. If not, what you're probably gonna have to do is figure out some other type of shackle or similar type of piece that you can put around here to get your safety chains to actually clip around everything and stay secure. So the kit actually does come with a sack. That way, you can put everything in whenever you're not using it and keep everything organized, you know, and you can just throw this under the back seat of your truck or keep in your garage, wherever you wanna keep it stored. And this will work out real well whenever you need that full bed access. You know, you keep everything together, your truck that'll be empty and you can throw in your lumber or supplies or wherever the case may be back here. So there's quite a few of these gooseneck kits available for this truck, and so I figured why not kinda pull down another one and check it out, kinda compare the two. So the one that I grabbed is the Curt one here. And side by side, they're pretty similar. However, the Curt has a few things that make it a little more user-friendly and kinda impress me a little bit more. Is either kit gonna work Absolutely. You know, they're both gonna get the job done. This one just has a couple more bells and whistles, I feel like. So the mechanism here at the top, a little bit different. You're gonna turn that like so to get it to engage. You'll turn it and that's what's gonna lock it in. You know, it's not as fine here and this is actually metal, so a little bit tougher, at least in my opinion. And when it comes to the safety chain loops, those are gonna have some improvements as well, at least in my opinion. So we kinda talked about some of the things that the Reese ran into. The Curt one, not really gonna be an issue. You know, these are much thinner as far as the width goes and they're pretty big. So you should be able to get your hooks on there. They're gonna work a little different. You're gonna have to pull these out, so that's kinda one of the downsides. You have a couple more pieces you gotta deal with, but, you know, not a huge, huge deal. And just to kinda show you what I'm talking about, I grab our chains here. You know, the big one, no issues at all, pops right on. And even the smaller one, the smaller one's a little tight, but you're still able to get that on. So probably a small improvement there. And like I said, it just makes it a little bit easier to work with, you know, whenever you're dealing with towing your trailer down the road. The ball is going to be 2 5/16 in diameter, so pretty standard size for a gooseneck-type trailer, and it's going to have a maximum capacity of 30,000 pounds. So that's gonna be the amount of weight that's pulling on the ball. Now, keep in mind, you don't wanna exceed the weight limits of your truck, so make sure to check the owner's manual. And that'll finish up our look at of the Reese Elite Series pop-in gooseneck ball kit for trucks with the OEM prep package on our 2021 Ram 3500..
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (373 Customer Reviews)
Ball fits your Ram factory-installed under-bed gooseneck trailer hitch and features an easy-to-use lever and ball-bearing locking system. Includes 2 safety-chain loops, rubber ball cover and storage bag.I recently purchased a 2016 Ram 3500 with 5th wheel tow package already present on truck. I wanted an additional goose neck product and looked at various suppliers online and found etrailer products offered for sale. After to speaking with Heather who answered all my questions as well as reviewed feedback from customers I chose to go with the Reese gooseneck kit. I received the product within the shipping date provided to me and I went out to install it. It took me all of 3 mins to install with no issues. I did my best to remove, shake and couldn't get them to budge. It took me a total of 5 mins to remove the parts and storing them back under the rear seat. The parts fit perfect, look great as well as we're the cheapest price I could find. Their online video is all the install instructions you need! I will definitely use etrailer in the future. Thanks Heather!
Product took less than a minute to install on my 2015 Ram 3500. Would highly recommend this product for those who have the factory 5th wheel and gooseneck prep package from Ram in their truck.
I would strongly suggest you purchase something else. Like many others have posted about in reviews all over the internet, this design is indeed very poor. The ball works fine and I have no complaints there. The safety chain pucks however are another story. The top loop of the puck is too wide, The safety chain hook won't fit all the way into the puck loop and allow the hook keeper to close. I have 3 big name gooseneck trailers and a 5th wheel camper with a gooseneck conversion. None of the chains out of 4 trailers fit these. I even went to a local supplier to see if i could purchase new hook ends to make them work. No luck, nothing would work due to the dimension not working out one way or the other. I had to turn around and spend a significant amount of money and buy the Curt pucks. Surely by now Reese has received hundreds upon hundreds of complaints about this. Unbelievable that Reese did not update the design even before I purchased this a year ago.
I bought this product for my 3500 Ram (with puck System) and my Andersen
Ultimate fifth wheel hitch. The components install in seconds and removal is just as easy. I would highly recommend this system.
The boxing is the only think, I thinks it needs to be better, everything else is good!
Stong and heavy duty built to last. Everything came individually wrapped and in excellent condition. Course i did notice the standard problem with the handles too wide to handle any type of safty chain. Will be getting strong weight/shock load class D rings to attach the safty chains too. within these. The storage case comes in handy and fits snug with the 2.5 to 2 in factory reciver and a 7 in drop under the back passenger seat in the factory cubby. Would buy again if needed.
Excellent customer service. They were out of the item I originally ordered. Sales contacted me immediately and showed me other similar products. I was able to purchase an even better product than I originally ordered. I’ll use etrailer.com for my future trailer needs.
Etrailers has the best customer service, and great products in stock and ready to ship!
Parts work great. Box was to weak for the heavy part and had busted open. More tape on heavy items is suggested.
Andy - 08/21/2021We use these on our hot shot trucks. High quality product. We have zero complaints.
The Reese Elite Series Pop-In Ball Kit was perfect fit for my 2014 RAM 3500 with the factory installed gooseneck prep kit. Once it arrived, my wife and I had no problem installing and removing any of the components from the kit. Being able to put all parts in the handy carrying bag is a bonus to. As for etrailer.com, delivery was faster than expected and much appreciated. The video and reviews on the website for this product (not to mention the price) were the main reasons why I purchased this product and purchased it from etrailer.com.
If I had one con, it would be that ball hitch needs a sleeve to protect it from being dinged or scratched in the carrying bag, but no big deal.
Thanks etrailer.com!
Have used this product for about a year, and over 4500 miles. Haven’t had any issues with fitment or function. Grease the ball when you use it and you will get a long life out of it. This has been exclusively used in a 2017 Ram 2500.
Very nice working well with the Andersen Ultimate
Bruce - 02/18/2021I called to confirm the product would fit my vehicle, it was a very good experience and all my questions were answered. Product was delivered on time to the door which was a refreshing change. I highly recommend etrailer and will buy from them again when I need to.
Fit Perfectly on my 2018 Ram 3500 HD. Great item - just as described at a portion of the cost from the OEM... Great purchasing experience - will definitely use again for any future trailer/hauling needs.
When the package arrived, I set to opening it, (very well packed). Everything that I ordered was there. Got the Gooseneck adapter figured out and got the kingpin collar installed. After I moved the truck so that I could place the adapter under the fifth wheel assembly the set up was very simple. Setting up the ball and the adapter took me about 1.5 hours to complete. Very good equipment. Would recommend to anyone that wanted to have the versatility in towing options. Sorry, no photos. The reason I went this way was due to the cost of a fifth wheel hitch for the 2016 Ram 3500/ with the pucks per-set in the bed and on the frame this worked out to be a little less expensive to do.
I bought the Reese gooseneck ball for my 2015 Ram with factory hitch prep and etrailer shipped it fast, with free shipping. Next I am ordering the 5th wheel hitch, front hitch for bikes and maybe kayak rack. they are lowest priced dealer I can find and fast delivery.
I bought the Reese Elite pop-in ball for my 2013 Ram3500 and put it to use with a heavy load. It fits perfect and is easy and fast to install or remove. I am very happy with it and can't understand why anyone would want a different system. The safety chain hook-ups are good also, but require a large hook as a smaller hook won't work. I will recommend this product to anyone.
Arrived quickly, and in great shape. Got my 5th wheel hitch installed back, and worked great! I purchased a new 2020 Ram 2500, and works perfectly in Rams Hitch System!
Haven't got to use the gooseneck yet but dealing with George and Bill at etrailer was great. The kit was back ordered and they kept me up to date the best they could with the info they could get from reese. I'd definitely recommend them to everyone.
I called etrailer to inquire about a hitch for my Ram 3500. I was quickly connected with a customer rep and she had me set up with a hitch in just a few minutes. The hitch shipped the same day and I received it in two days! The quality of the hitch seems good. Easy to install and has a bag to store everything. So far very happy.
Very knowledgeable information when selecting a Gooseneck ball. Easy to order and was delivered in a timely manor.
The people at etrailer have been very helpful.
They follow on your order!!
They keep in touch! !
They make it easy to track shipment! !
I would highly recommended etrailer! !
Nice Product, Geat delivery. The Safety chain pucks are to large for all of the hooks I could find, so I added 1/2" closed loop links and solved the issue.
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