Gooseneck hitches
B&W gooseneck ball and safety chain kit review
A factory gooseneck prep hole is a receptacle the truck manufacturer installs at the factory specifically so a ball and its safety chain anchors can bolt straight in, with no under-bed work at all. It is the gooseneck equivalent of a fifth wheel puck system, and it only exists on trucks built with that option.
The B&W OEM gooseneck ball and safety chain kit is built to take advantage of exactly that hole, in a version for Ford, GM and Nissan and a separate version for Ram. This review covers what ships in the kit, the one prerequisite that makes or breaks the purchase, and the alternative if that prep hole is not there.
On this page
- What is in the kit, and what does B&W actually publish for it?
- How does this ball kit compare against its Ram twin, a puck conversion, and the full Turnoverball under-bed kit?
- What does B&W actually publish for the two versions of this kit?
- What is the catch with an OEM prep-hole ball kit?
- What are the alternatives if your truck does not have the matching prep hole?
- What should you check before buying this ball kit?
What is in the kit, and what does B&W actually publish for it?
The GNXA2061 is built to work with OEM puck system hitches already installed by Ford, GM and Nissan, and B&W sells the GNXA2062 as the matching version for Ram trucks with the same style of factory prep. Both include a 2-5/16 inch ball, a carry handle that locks horizontally to prevent accidental unlatching, and safety chain anchors sized for commercially available chain hooks. All components are plated or stainless steel. Neither listing publishes a GTW or vertical load figure specific to this ball kit.
How does this ball kit compare against its Ram twin, a puck conversion, and the full Turnoverball under-bed kit?
The Ford, GM and Nissan version and the Ram version share the same design and the same gap in published ratings. Set beside a puck conversion kit and the full under-bed Turnoverball, the real differences are about which prep hardware each one needs already in place.
| Published rating | B&W OEM Gooseneck Ball and Safety Chain Kit for Ford, GM and Nissan | B&W OEM Gooseneck Ball and Safety Chain Kit for Ram | CURT 60639 OEM Puck Gooseneck Hitch Kit | B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch for Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.00 | $299.00 | $204.63 | $694.88 |
| Ball diameter | 2-5/16 | 2-5/16 | not published | not published |
| Mount type | OEM prep hole | OEM prep hole | Puck system | Under-bed, flip-over ball |
| OEM puck system | not published | not published | Multi-brand OEM | not published |
Every figure here is the manufacturer's own published rating. A blank is a figure the maker does not publish, and we leave it blank rather than estimating it. The rating stamped on the part you actually receive is what governs.
What does B&W actually publish for the two versions of this kit?
Both versions share a 2-5/16 inch ball and an OEM prep-hole mount, with GTW left unpublished for this specific kit.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Model | Vehicle fit | Ball diameter | Mount type | GTW rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GNXA2061 | Ford, GM and Nissan OEM prep hole | 2-5/16 in | OEM prep hole | Not published |
| GNXA2062 | Ram OEM prep hole | 2-5/16 in | OEM prep hole | Not published |
B&W does not publish a GTW or vertical load figure for this specific ball and chain kit. The trailer certification label and the truck own door jamb sticker govern the numbers that matter for a specific rig.
What is the catch with an OEM prep-hole ball kit?
This kit only works on a truck that already has the matching factory prep hole, and the Ford, GM and Nissan version will not fit a Ram prep hole or vice versa, the same brand-specific pattern that governs fifth wheel puck systems. A truck without any factory prep hole at all cannot use either version of this kit, no matter how correctly the brand is matched, and needs a full under-bed kit such as the B&W Turnoverball instead. The second catch is the missing published rating: this kit does not publish its own GTW or vertical load figure, so matching it to a trailer means relying on the trailer certification label and the truck manual rather than a number stamped on this specific product.
What are the alternatives if your truck does not have the matching prep hole?
A truck with no factory gooseneck prep hole at all needs the B&W Turnoverball, a full under-bed kit that bolts to existing frame holes rather than dropping into a prep hole that does not exist. A reader who wants a published GTW figure alongside the OEM-style convenience should compare the CURT 60639, a multi-brand puck conversion kit rated at 38,000 lb GTW and 9,500 lb vertical load, though it is built for a puck system rather than the ball-style prep hole this B&W kit uses.
What should you check before buying this ball kit?
Confirm the exact factory prep hole style on the specific truck, and buy the version matched to that brand rather than assuming any 2-5/16 inch ball kit will fit. Since this kit does not publish its own GTW figure, cross check the trailer certification label and the pin weight chart against the truck own payload using the pin weight calculator before assuming any specific towing figure.
How we chose
We did not test this hardware in person and we never claim to. Picks are researched from manufacturer specification sheets, published towing standards, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. Every pick is matched to a real gross trailer weight rating, a real tongue or pin weight rating, a real receiver size or a real load index rather than to a price bracket, and it is placed in the tier where its published capability actually belongs. We rejected the unbranded flood that dominates the search results in several of these categories, because a weight distribution hitch, a brake controller, a trailer tire and a set of safety chains are all parts whose failure puts a loose trailer on a public road. Where a figure is towing convention rather than a published standard we label it that way, and where a manufacturer does not publish a figure we leave it out instead of estimating it.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Will the B&W GNXA2061 fit a truck without a factory gooseneck prep hole?
No. This kit is built specifically to drop into an existing factory prep hole on Ford, GM or Nissan trucks. A truck without that prep hole cannot use this kit at all and needs a full under-bed system, such as the B&W Turnoverball, instead.
What is the difference between the GNXA2061 and the GNXA2062?
They are the same style of OEM prep-hole ball and safety chain kit, but built for different factory prep hardware. The GNXA2061 fits Ford, GM and Nissan trucks, and the GNXA2062 fits Ram trucks. Buying the wrong one for a given brand means it will not fit at all.
What GTW rating does this ball and safety chain kit publish?
Neither version publishes a specific GTW or vertical load figure in its listing. Match the trailer to the truck using the trailer certification label and the truck own door jamb sticker and owner manual, rather than assuming a figure this specific kit does not state.
Does this kit include the safety chain anchors?
Yes. Both versions include safety chain anchors sized for commercially available chain hooks alongside the ball itself, the carry handle and the mounting hardware, so a buyer is not left sourcing chain anchor hardware separately after installing the ball. Confirm the chain hooks themselves are rated for the trailer weight before towing.
Is installing this ball kit easier than installing a B&W Turnoverball?
Yes, when the truck already has the matching factory prep hole. This kit drops into hardware the manufacturer already installed, with no under-bed work at all, unlike the Turnoverball, which bolts to frame holes beneath the bed on a truck with no existing prep hole.
Can I move this ball kit to a different truck later?
Only to another truck of the matching brand that also has the same factory prep hole already installed. Moving it to a truck without that prep hole, or to a different brand, means the ball will not mount at all without adding the prep hardware first.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published standards, manufacturer towing guides and product specifications, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are towing convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Nothing here overrides your own ratings. Work your payload sum before your tow rating, because payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV. Load a conventional trailer to 10 to 15 percent tongue weight and a fifth wheel to 15 to 25 percent pin weight, and never lighter: a tail heavy trailer is what starts sway. Weigh the rig loaded rather than trusting a brochure dry weight. A weight distribution hitch and a set of air bags both restore ride height and control, and neither one raises a single rating. Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies by state, and a breakaway battery that has quietly gone flat is the normal condition of most trailers on the road.