how do you identify which gooseneck was installed previously?

[RamAirfreak98ss]

my 06 dually f350 had what some one told me was a "hideaway gooseneck ball" in the bed, probably a reese or drawtite brand.

It has 4 bolt holes in a square pattern and a 3" cutout hole in the middle where the ball goes as well as a 1.5" THICK plate of steel welded to the frame rails under the bed.... you can see it just past the dually wheels on the sides of the truck.

I want to get one put back in that i should be able to bolt in by myself, using all the existing holes, how would i find out what was there?

[MrJohnWayne]

couldn't even begin to tell you... maybe you can get in touch with the previous owner somehow and ask them.

Take some pics maybe that will help too.

[rjwareagle]

sounds like a fab job. i install the hide-away and they are pretty much bolt in. the only cutting is in the bed. if you uninstall it there is nothing left. someone might of made it and put it in. I have done several of those to

[RamAirfreak98ss]

Originally Posted by rjwareagle

sounds like a fab job. i install the hide-away and they are pretty much bolt in. the only cutting is in the bed. if you uninstall it there is nothing left. someone might of made it and put it in. I have done several of those to

yeah, the ones i see on the Reese catalog look like the entire "top" part of the plate that holds the ball in place, well take away that "thin" piece and substitute it with a 1.5" thick solid steel plate welded to the frame rails instead... Im almost thinking after seeing these things that the two tiny holes on each corner of the ball hole are for the rails that hold the safety chains in place?

And i think i can find a ball with a long shank/threaded bolt on the bottom that will mount on that 1.5" thick steel plate and theres my gooseneck hitch. I dont think i need all the rest of the stuff that it looks like you'd need in a reese kit.


REESE Remove-A-Ball® Gooseneck Hitch


see that main plate in the middle holding the ball/two bars for safety chains? take that out, thats whats welded to my frame rails... i dont think anything is needed to be welded to the sides of the frame rails. Its 1.5" thick steel from rail to rail, the whole width of this gooseneck shown above.