3” ball round Gooseneck hitch ?

[Hay Dude]

Anyone make a round 3” gooseneck receiver or adapter?
My current Kaufman trailer is set up for 3” ball, but the gooseneck hitch is square.
I think all the 3” couplers are square, but thats just based on what I've seen on line.

Found this on etrailer

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-Coupler/Redline/WF2.html

 

[ddbackhoe]

Is it a B&W hitch?

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Hitch_Ball-sf-Gooseneck_Hitch_Ball-pc-3_Inch_Diameter_Ball.aspx

 

[Hay Dude]

No
What Im looking for is on the trailer side, not the truck side.
For example, lets say you have a 3” ball already set up in your truck bed.
You buy a gooseneck trailer with a 2&5/16” hitch on it.
How would you convert it (trailer) to 3”?

From everything I see, trailers with round tube receivers are 2&5/16”. Only square has 3”.
Heres my Kaufman with 3”
Notice the hitch is square, not round tube.

So what I am trying to figure out is how to purchase a GN trailer with a round 2&5/16” receiver and convert it to 3”

 

[ddbackhoe]

No
What Im looking for is on the trailer side, not the truck side.
For example, lets say you have a 3” ball already set up in your truck bed.
You buy a gooseneck trailer with a 2&5/16” hitch on it.
How would you convert it (trailer) to 3”?

From everything I see, trailers with round tube receivers are 2&5/16”. Only square has 3”.
Heres my Kaufman with 3”
Notice the hitch is square, not round tube.

View attachment 736139

So what I am trying to figure out is how to purchase a GN trailer with a round 2&5/16” receiver and convert it to 3”

gotcha, far as I know, you cant convert your trailers, just swap the truck balls.

https://www.redneck-trailer.com/

 

[Hay Dude]

BULLDOG | 1289200300 | BX1® Gooseneck Coupler, 3 Inch Diameter, Outer & Inner Tube, 22.0-24.6 Inch Adjustable Height, 40,000 lbs. Capacity, Square, Raw

BULLDOG is the leader in heavy duty trailer jacks and trailer couplers.

www.bulldogproducts.net

Thats square.
I need round

 

[ddbackhoe]

Thats square.
I need round

yea, I didnt finish posting yet

 

[Hay Dude]

gotcha, far as I know, you cant convert your trailers, just swap the truck balls.

https://www.redneck-trailer.com/

I have the extra 2&5/16” ball I can swap. Would rather just have trailer with 3” ready to roll. One less trip up into the bed and one less item flying around in tool box.

 

[flyerdan]

You should be able to take that ball coupler linked in the first post and weld it to a chunk of 4" round to use in the exiting trailer neck. If it's an odd size like 4.25, you could probably cut the 2 5/16" close and use the existing tubing.
Other option would be to skinny wheel the round neck off the trailer and weld on a whole square setup, but that's a lot more work for the same basic result.

 

[Hay Dude]

You should be able to take that ball coupler linked in the first post and weld it to a chunk of 4" round to use in the exiting trailer neck. If it's an odd size like 4.25, you could probably cut the 2 5/16" close and use the existing tubing.
Other option would be to skinny wheel the round neck off the trailer and weld on a whole square setup, but that's a lot more work for the same basic result.

Yeah I was thinking same, but then I began to wonder why doesnt anyone take the 3” coupler in the link and simply add an inner tube to the top, so we dont have to weld anything?

 

[flyerdan]

Probably for liability reasons, as some chucklehead would put it on the lightest trailer he could find and try and haul a D-6, winding up on the towing something wrong thread.
Standardization makes sense, you want all the light plugs and ball hitches to be the same size, and putting heavier hitches on the lighter stuff is the only way to do it safely.

 

[Hay Dude]

Probably for liability reasons, as some chucklehead would put it on the lightest trailer he could find and try and haul a D-6, winding up on the towing something wrong thread.
Standardization makes sense, you want all the light plugs and ball hitches to be the same size, and putting heavier hitches on the lighter stuff is the only way to do it safely.

A heavier coupler won’t allow anyone to tow any heavier more than putting heavier tires on.
But yeah, I guess.
Kinda funny, I called etrailer tech line and stumped ‘em with my question haha

 

[jyoutz]

My hide a ball hitch has easy to change balls. Don’t all of them have this option?

 

[Hay Dude]

My hide a ball hitch has easy to change balls. Don’t all of them have this option?

Yes, my hitch does, but as I said in post #7, if its easy to slap an inner tube with a 3” coupler on a future trailers outer tube, I don’t have to

1. crawl up in the bed and change ball out
2. carry a 2&5/16” ball anymore freeing up space.

Now it’s become a sort of “challenge” just to find a inner tube with a 3” coupler. I have my doubts it even exists. I think it’s only in square tube.

 

[flyerdan]

I just did a quick google nose-about and I concur, it looks like round is only available in 2 5/16, pre-built.
Your best bet is getting the weld on; fortunately it looks like 4" tube is the standard so you should be able to get a rem of shed 40 from a fencing company for next to nothing, if you don't want to cut the coupler off the existing tube.

 

[Rustyiron]

Give Weaver Distributing in PA a call.
Old fashioned folks with no website.
1 800 weaver d
Worth a call to these good folks.

 

[Hay Dude]

Just weird how they make the bottom coupler part of a 3” gooseneck coupler, but won’t weld a blank tube to it to make it a complete piece

 

[Rustyiron]

Just weird how they make the bottom coupler part of a 3” gooseneck coupler, but won’t weld a blank tube to it to make it a complete piece

I agree but wonder if the round pipe g/n hitch is not strong enough for the additional rating of the 3" coupling?

 

[Rustyiron]

I'm not an engineer, but have heard the strength of a metal "part" is related to its cross section. If this applies to structural metal there's more metal in a square than an equivalent circle.???

 

[ddbackhoe]

Just weird how they make the bottom coupler part of a 3” gooseneck coupler, but won’t weld a blank tube to it to make it a complete piece

If you have the tubes, you could cut the coupler off and weld new ones on once they get restocked

Wallace Forge 40K 3" Gooseneck Coupler Head w/Pin, Couplers & Acessories, WF2

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Well you learn something everyday, I have never even heard of a 3" ball, I thought all goosenecks were 2&5/16.