Gooseneck hitches
B&W Turnoverball gooseneck hitch review
A gooseneck ball sits over the rear axle rather than behind the bumper, which is why it carries more weight than a receiver hitch and why the trailer pin weight it produces comes straight out of truck payload the same way fifth wheel pin weight does.
The B&W Turnoverball puts that ball under the bed rather than on top of it, so it can flip over and drop flush into the floor between trips. This review covers what B&W actually publishes for it, the real install work behind the no-drill claim, and when a factory prep hole makes the whole job unnecessary.
On this page
- What is the B&W Turnoverball, and what does B&W actually publish for it?
- How does the Turnoverball compare against a factory prep-hole kit, a puck conversion and a rail-mounted gooseneck ball?
- What does B&W actually publish for the Turnoverball, and what is left unpublished?
- What is the catch behind the no-drill claim, and how much bigger a job is this than bolting on rails?
- What are the alternatives that skip the under-bed work?
- What should you check before buying a Turnoverball kit?
What is the B&W Turnoverball, and what does B&W actually publish for it?
The Turnoverball is built to fit 2020 to 2026 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 trucks, bolting to existing holes in the truck frame with no drilling required. The ball itself flips over and stores below the bed surface, leaving the bed flat and usable for hauling other cargo when nothing is hitched. It ships as a two box kit with all mounting hardware included, finished in a corrosion resistant powder coat, and it is also the mount that a B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch drops into, which lets one under-bed install serve both a gooseneck trailer and a fifth wheel.
How does the Turnoverball compare against a factory prep-hole kit, a puck conversion and a rail-mounted gooseneck ball?
All four of these put a gooseneck ball on a truck. What actually separates them is how much of the truck already has to be prepared for that ball before any of them can go on.
| Published rating | B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch for Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 | B&W OEM Gooseneck Ball and Safety Chain Kit for Ford, GM and Nissan | CURT 60639 OEM Puck Gooseneck Hitch Kit | CURT 16055 Fifth Wheel Rail Gooseneck Hitch, 25,000 lb, 3 inch offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $694.88 | $299.00 | $204.63 | $190.33 |
| Gross trailer weight rating | not published | not published | not published | 25,000 lb |
| Ball diameter | not published | 2-5/16 | not published | not published |
| Mount type | Under-bed, flip-over ball | OEM prep hole | Puck system | Rail mounted |
| 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 Turnoverball, and what is left unpublished?
B&W publishes the mount type and installation method for the Turnoverball, but does not publish a GTW figure in this listing.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Published spec | B&W Turnoverball GNRK1020 |
|---|---|
| Mount type | Under-bed, flip-over ball |
| Installation | No-drill, bolts to existing frame holes |
| Vehicle fit | 2020 to 2026 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 |
| Kit configuration | Two box kit, hardware included |
| GTW rating | Not published in this listing |
A blank or "not published" row is a figure B&W does not state in this listing, not a figure this table estimated. Check the trailer certification label and the truck door jamb sticker for the numbers that actually govern a specific rig.
What is the catch behind the no-drill claim, and how much bigger a job is this than bolting on rails?
No drilling required is true and it is also a narrower claim than it sounds. The Turnoverball still mounts underneath the bed, using existing holes in the truck frame that a person working from above the bed cannot easily reach. A rail based fifth wheel hitch, by comparison, bolts to brackets that are largely accessible from on top of the bed floor. Under-bed access, whether from a lift, ramps or working on the ground beneath the truck, is a real and different job from a bolt-through rail install, even when neither one requires a drill.
What are the alternatives that skip the under-bed work?
A truck already built with a factory gooseneck prep hole skips the Turnoverball job entirely. The B&W OEM prep-hole kit for Ford, GM and Nissan, or the CURT 60639 for a multi-brand factory puck system, both drop into hardware the manufacturer already installed, with none of the under-bed work the Turnoverball requires. A truck that already carries fifth wheel rails has a third option: the CURT 16055 puts a gooseneck ball onto those existing rails rather than adding a fresh under-bed kit at all.
What should you check before buying a Turnoverball kit?
Confirm whether the specific truck already has a factory gooseneck prep hole or existing fifth wheel rails before committing to an under-bed install, since either one removes most of the labor a Turnoverball kit requires. Compare the Turnoverball against a full fifth wheel setup using the fifth wheel versus gooseneck comparison, and once installed, weigh the loaded trailer and check pin weight with the pin weight calculator, since gooseneck pin weight comes out of truck payload the same way fifth wheel pin weight does.
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
Does the B&W Turnoverball gooseneck hitch require drilling to install?
No. B&W states it bolts to existing holes in the truck frame with no drilling required. It is still an under-bed install, which means working from beneath the truck rather than only from the bed floor, and that access is a genuinely bigger job than a rail-mounted install even without a drill involved.
What GTW rating does the B&W Turnoverball publish?
B&W does not publish a gross trailer weight figure in this specific listing. Check the trailer certification label and the truck own door jamb sticker and owner manual for the numbers that actually govern a specific rig, rather than assuming a rating that is not stated.
What happens to the ball when the Turnoverball is not being used?
It flips over and stores below the bed surface, leaving the bed floor flat and usable for hauling other cargo. That is the main advantage of an under-bed gooseneck design over a ball that sits permanently on top of the bed.
Which trucks does the B&W Turnoverball GNRK1020 fit?
B&W built this specific kit for 2020 to 2026 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 trucks. A different truck brand or model year needs a different B&W Turnoverball kit or a different mounting approach entirely, since the frame holes it bolts to are vehicle specific.
Is a factory prep-hole gooseneck kit easier to install than the Turnoverball?
Yes, when the truck already has the factory prep hole. A kit like the B&W OEM prep-hole ball kit or the CURT 60639 puck conversion drops into hardware the manufacturer already installed, skipping the under-bed frame work the Turnoverball requires on a truck without that prep.
Can the B&W Turnoverball be used for both gooseneck and fifth wheel towing?
The Turnoverball ball itself is for gooseneck towing, but it is also the mount that the B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch drops into. That lets one under-bed install serve both a gooseneck trailer and a fifth wheel, rather than needing two separate hitch systems.
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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.