What Part of the Gooseneck Ball Does Gooseneck Hitch Attach to

Published 01/14/2020

Question:

I had ask a question about gooseneck hook and should I try different ball size to get locking jaw around the hitch neck. Reason asking because trailer sits all way down on ball, it will not go any farther then picture.

asked by: Brock B

Expert Reply:

The latching mechanism of your gooseneck trailer coupler needs to wrap around the neck of the hitch ball and does not latch to the top of the ball your like your picture and description implies. You would not be safe to continue to tow like this as a big enough bump could send your trailer into your truck or into path of other motorists. You need the latch to clamp around the neck of the ball so that in the event of a big bump it's held tight enough to the ball it won't jump off.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Brock B.

1/14/2020

Jameson C.

1/14/2020

Have you tried latching the gooseneck coupler when it appears to be on the hitch ball and then jack the trailer up to see if the coupler comes off of the ball? This will let us know for sure if the coupler is actually securing to the ball or not. What coupler do you have? If it's a B and W hitch it should be a 2-5/16 inch ball which I'd be a bit surprised if your coupler was intended for use with a smaller hitch ball. Most likely if there's an issue the coupler has a problem with the mechanism.