[oasis04]

Hello all
I am new to this forum and learned very much already. I need a little help locating a part. My truck has a gooseneck hitch installed when I bought it 2.5 yrs ago. I haven't needed it until recently. I don't have the ball for the hitch. I have been to several trailer supply businesses as well as truck accessories places, yet nobody has ever seen the kind of hitch I have. The ball has a round shank approx. 2.5 inches in diameter with a groove milled in it as the pin is an interference fit. Most modern removeable balls have the pin through the middle. The truck portion is rounded in the bottom with a drain hole in the bottom. It is welded to the frame and I can not determine the manufacturer. Any help would be appreciated. I will try to include some pics later.

Thanks in advance.
Jeff

 

[macmaniac1]

If you can't find a replacement maybe you can have one made by local machine shop. Just make sure it is made out of the same material and has the same hardness. A good machine shop will be able to do this with no problem.
The other option is to put up a picture and maybe somebody will know where to get one.

 

[fieldtrialer]

Mine is the same way. The warranty card address is
Popup Industries
PO BOX 663
Chanute, KS 66720
Hope this helps

 

[Blk88GT]

Try Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924

 

[SmokeyWren]

I have been to several trailer supply businesses as well as truck accessories places, yet nobody has ever seen the kind of hitch I have

If it's a Popup brand, then contact Popup Industries and ask if they will sell you a new ball without having to buy the whole hitch.
PopUp Industries: Contact Us

Or when I use that website to find the nearest Popup dealer to you, looks like two dealers only a few miles away in Concord.
Pop up Hitch dealers near zip code 28023

 

[oasis04]

thanks for the help. I have looked at the pop up produsts before. I may use a product listed on the trailer acc. site and just turn my own groove in it.

thanks again.

 

[FTG-05]

$71 each: PopUp Industries: Gooseneck and Fifth Wheel Towing Products

 

[oasis04]

Sorry guys that is not the ball I need. the shank is to short and the groove needs to be milled further up the shank rather than in the middle. I wish it was that easy. by the way popup is not the only manufacturer using that exact same ball.

Thanks again
my search continues.

 

[Flyergrrl]

Gooseneck ball missing, can't find replacement either

Hello,
I came across this thread while looking for the same type of replacement ball as the gentleman who posted the question. I have photos of my receiver, but don't know how to post them. Nobody has ever seen this type of gooseneck receiver, and I have been to over a dozen trailer/hitch dealers, as well as sent photos of the receiver to nearly 18 other dealers/mechanics, with no luck whatsoever. A friend who owns a shop says he thinks it is an older model hitch, maybe from the 90's. Thanks for any assistance!

 

[SmokeyWren]

...

Hi, Flyergrrl , and WELCOME! to TheDieselStop.


I hate messing with obsolete junk, so if it were mine I'd probably remove the entire old hitch and replace it with a new B&W TurnOverBall.
Gooseneck Hitch | B & W Trailer Hitches

If the old hitch is welded to the frame, then you need a welding shop to remove it, or else you need to know how to use a cutting torch. Then you'll probably need to drill a few holes in the side of the frame and the B&W bolts right in.

 

[NYB]

Even if you can't figure out how to host and post pics on TDS, you could post a craigslist ad, and link the ad to this forum. Or change you avatar temporarily to a pic of your hitch. Or put the pic up on Facebook. Photobucket. Google Picassa. Flickr. Pinterest. YouTube. Something. Anything. Put your hitch images online somewhere. Then...

Come back to this thread, and type [ i m g ] copy and paste a link to your picture here [ / i m g ], where the ubb code [ i m g ] your link [ / i m g ] is typed without the spaces in between each character that I put up just now. Got it? OK. Now here's an example:

Easy peasy. That's a Una-Goose hitch ball by the way. These were popular hitches in the 90's, with a very stout reputation. The image shows a cutaway of the sleeve the ball slides in, as well as the actual ball shaft itself with the annular groove. I'm familiar with a lot of gooseneck hitch designs, but it is impractical for you to expect readers here to guess, or to do the work for you in posting pics of each and every possibility until we get it right.

So, to see EXACTLY how I posted the pic above, just hit the "quote" button on my post, and then observe the three letter UBB code in [ brackets ], just as I described above.

In virtually no time, you'll have pics posted here, and one of us might able to pin point your hitch exactly, if the Una-Goose above isn't it.

Holy Smokes... I just noticed that Oasis04 started this thread 7 years ago. I need new glasses.

 

[LMJD]

The most popular hitch back then and still available now is an Atwood Hide-a-Ball, here's a pic of mine, is this what you have?

 

[Flyergrrl]

THANK YOU

Hey ya'll...I just wanted to thank you for the responses...I wasn't sure there would be any on such an old thread! I think I may have the una-goose...I am trying to change my avatar to a photo of my receiver. I can't see what style of plate, or if it has any, due to spray in bed-liner. I emailed una-goose, as it looked pretty darn close to what I think mine should look like, so hoping to hear back from them. I will keep you all posted! Thanks again for all the input!

 

[klhansen]

The problem with avatar pics is they can't be enlarged to get a good look at the details. Either a thumbnail insert (using the paperclip icon to upload from your computer) or an image insert like NYB suggested if it's got a URL would be best.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Flyergrrl]

Hi again! Yes, I'm pretty sure my hitch assembly is an old una-goose, who, unfortunately, appear to be out of business now. I have talked to a few local shops, and nobody will try to install a new hitch assembly because I have sprayed-in bed liner, which they say is extremely flammable, and also because this all sits over my gas tank and external tank. The say I would need to have the hole in my bed enlarged for a new assembly, which requires cutting and welding, and nobody will do it because of the items I mentioned in the previous sentence. It looks like I am stuck with having to go bumper-pull for any trailers. Thanks again for all the info guys!

 

[chuckster57]

A torch isn't the only way to enlarge holes, just the fastest.

We have installed a few hitches with a sprayed bed liner, you may want to ask your local RV dealer.

 

[SmokeyWren]

. It looks like I am stuck with having to go bumper-pull for any trailers.

Baloney. Almost any ole shade-tree mechanic can figure out how to install Reese in-bed rails for a Reese 5er hitch in your truck.


With the bed rails installed, you can then choose to add a Reese 5er hitch or a Reese gooseneck adapter called "The Goose". I used "The Goose" to tow a 22k trailer 350 miles across the Hill Country with no hitch problems. It uses an ordinary bolt-on ball. Click on the following "Amazon.com" link to see one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008FUF8O?keywords=Reese%20%26%2334%3BThe%20Goose%26%2334%3B%20hitch&qid=1451757123&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Assemble the bedrails with "The Goose", then use the assembly to place the bed rails exactly where they must go - so the center of the ball is zero to four inches in front of the center of the axle, and centered side to side.

Yes, you have to drill holes in the bed. Measure very exactly above and below the bed to place those holes exactly where they need to be. The center of the gooseneck ball must be between exactly centered on top of the rear axle, or up to 4" in front of the rear axle. The farther in front of the rear axle the better, but not more than 4" in front of the axle or else you'll have problems with clearance at the back corner of the rear bumper. I use a tiny drill bit to drill the first hole, to be sure it's in exactly the right place. After you have the first small hole drilled, then use the The Goose assembled on the bedrails to precisely locate the other holes. Drill all of the holes with the tiny drillbit to be sure they will all work. After all are drilled with the tiny drillbit, then graduate to bigger drillbits until you have the correct size for your bolts.

Then, if you didn't use the custom install kit, have fun drilling the holes in the frame for the install brackets to bolt the bedrails to the frame. Drilling holes in the frame requires lots of muscle power and a good drill motor and sharp drill bits.

 

[Steve83]

When you go to Smokey's link, note that in the "Sponsored Products Related To This Item" section, the B&W hitches all have 5-star ratings; the Reese only has 4.

 

[SmokeyWren]

... the B&W hitches all have 5-star ratings; the Reese only has 4.

Doesn't matter. She cannot install a B&W TurnOverBall because the old hitch is in the way. "The Goose" may not be as good as a TurnOverBall, but it will work just fine for her needs.


Or with the Reese bedrails installed, she could do it right and use a fifth-wheel hitch.

 

[NYB]

Hi again! Yes, I'm pretty sure my hitch assembly is an old una-goose, who, unfortunately, appear to be out of business now. I have talked to a few local shops, and nobody will try to install a new hitch assembly because I have sprayed-in bed liner, which they say is extremely flammable, and also because this all sits over my gas tank and external tank. The say I would need to have the hole in my bed enlarged for a new assembly, which requires cutting and welding, and nobody will do it because of the items I mentioned in the previous sentence. It looks like I am stuck with having to go bumper-pull for any trailers.

Not sure what is going on with the local hitch experts you are consulting, but you might consider seeking out a new team of local hitch experts.


1. First of all, Una-Goose is NOT out of business. Give owner Paul Meyer a call at your earliest convenience during eastern time business hours , (not at 9 pm at night like I did just now, and spoke to him personally to affirm that his doors are still open, and parts are still available... and I have no affiliation with his company).

2. Here is the Una Goose toll free number (800) 992-5099

3. Here is the Una-Goose email address to send any photos of your set up to confirm what vintage Una-Goose ya got: [email protected]

4. Here is the Una-Goose website: Gooseneck Trailer Hitch by Una-Goose




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To TDS Mods...
Shouldn't this topic be moved to the Towing Forum? Wasn't it already in the towing forum earlier?