Howdy to the board!

I need help with installing a B&W hideaway gooseneck hitch. I was wondering if anyone out there has installed one of these things in a shortbed RAM with a factory plastic bedliner in it. If anyone out there knows the measurement for cutting the round hole in the liner, I would be most grateful for it.

Also, if anyone has any general words of wisdom for me as I embark on this, I'd really appreciate reading them.

Have a great day,
Bill

 

Do your best to locate the hole center on your liner and cut a small hole in just the liner there. This allows you to see if you are centered between the wheelwells (exact center is in middle of ridge or valley -- valley I think).

As for the measurement from the back of the bed, I don't have the factory liner, so I can't say exactly how to do this, but I wouldn't start drilling metal measuring from a point on the liner as liners can shift.

 

I installed mine, and it is pretty straight forward. From what I understand, the only thing substantially different with a short box is that you may not want to run with a load in the bed and the ball stored upside down as it can hit the rear end housing...

If the bedliner can be easily removed, I think I would do that to make sure to get the measurements accurate. I would also recommend removing the spare tire, as it gives you more room to work. A ratcheting tie down and saw horse or whatever is really handy to reach through the hole and hold the center assembly in place while you bolt things together.

I also had to use a dremel tool to drill the holes for the passenger side safety chain ancors from the bottom, because I couldn't get the full size drill in position around the exhaust pipe. The little pilot holes let me drill the 1/2" holes in the correct positon from above.

I'd also recommend keeping the 4" cutout (in case you decide to weld it back in and cover it with bedliner) and also use some primer anywhere you have to cut or drill.

I also used high strength locktite (in additon to a torque wrench) for extra security, but in retrospect I think it would have been better to install it dry, then tow for a couple thousand miles to let everything settle in, and locktite everything while re-torquing all the bolts.

 

From the back of the cab it should be 54'' to the center of the ball.i always set mine back a little further on a short wheel base that way if you run a tool box you can cut sharper without hitting.

 

Thanks for the replies, folks!

From what I'm reading here, it would seem that you have some play regarding where the hitch actually mounts. The hitch I'm installing is a B&W 1394R hideaway gooseneck. I was thinking that the hitch was designed to be bolted into existing holes in the frame members? If this is true, it would seem that I wouldn't have a lot of choice in the matter?

It would also seem obvious that the center of the ball must be centered between the wheel wells, but it's the distance from the end of the bed and/or the front of the bed that has me wondering. As we're being forced out of New Orleans due the storm, I really need to get the hitch installed as soon as possible because of work commitments in our new state (I'm borrowing a gooseneck trailer for the move). Therefore, I'd REALLY appreciate any solid information I can get tonight.

In short, I really need to know if it's a good idea to cut the hole in the bed further back than recommended -- 44 3/8" forward from the end/back of the bed -- which B&W states will put the ball 5" forward of the rear axle. If this location will eliminate any future use of toolboxes and/or aux fuel tanks, I'd really like to mount it further back; but, once gain, I don't have a clue as to whether or not the B&W specification will cause this sort of problem.

Have a great night and thanks in advance,
Bill

 

Hey Bill,
I have the B/W installed in my truck, as per their instructions (5" forward of rear axle). I have a 2nd gen short bed and still have room for my toolbox.
You should be fine if you get a toolbox/fuel tank combo, as long as it is not much bigger than what I have for a toolbox. I can measure it for you if you want.



~Rob

 

Another thought is B/W sells an extender that moves your hitch point back


~Rob

 

The parts of the hitch that bolt along the sides of the frame have a pin that locates in a pre-existing hole in the frame, so no, you don't have any leeway in where you decide to put the hitch with the B&W. That's why they offer those offset *****.

Also, that's why you want to measure twice (or more) before going nuts with the hole saw...

Unless it changed, the hole center is to be 45 7/8" from the back edge of the bed for a short bed, 47 7/8 for a long bed.

You can download the installation instructions as a PDF from their web page.

http://www.turnoverball.com/

 

one other thing jeff is the only time you run into the ball smashing the top of the diff when its fliped over is on the 2wheel drive trucks since they set much lower. I have a 4x4 and i have had mine fliped over with 2000lbs in the bed and had no problem even driving down a bumpy road. On my old 96 it was a short box and i had the b&w in it and i had zero problems with it being a shorty the only thing i did notice is over the rail tool boxes and fifth wheels and horse trailers did not get along if your got a bed chest that sits below the rails your gravey. they sure make a wide varity too of diff accesories too for the hitch some of which i still aint figure out what they use would even be.

 

This only applies to 2WD trucks due to the lower ride height - bed length doesn't matter. The inverted ball can hit the differential-mounted speed sensor at extreme suspension compression. If you inform B&W that you have a 2WD truck, they can supply a plug that fits into the gooseneck receiver in lieu of the turnoverball when the hitch is not in use. One of these plugs came with my B&W hitch when I ordered it. I carry my turnoverball in the bed-mounted toolbox when not in use.

Rusty

 

We have put a lot of B&W hitches in trucks with platic bedliners and we always just cut throught the liner and the bed all in one shot. The liner actually makes the saw keep from jumping around and makes for a cleaner cut. We use a 4 1/8" saw instead of a 4" to give us just a little room for error.