Reese Gooseneck ball came loose with Andersen Ulitmate Hitch

[bwbarnes]

I have the Reese Elite underbed gooseneck hitch (same as Ford OEM underbed 5th wheel prep). I am using an Andersen Ultimate hitch with my 5th wheel. When I returned home and was unhitching the camper I saw the hitch move. I climbed in the bed and tried to move the hitch by hand and to my surprise it lifted the gooseneck ball lifted right out of the under bed mount hole. I have towed this camper for over 6000miles with this hitch and this is the first time this has happened. The spring loaded lock in the ball works like new. I have contacted both Reese and Andersen Hitches about this issue. Reese replied that the ball is not designed for the constant vertical pressure that the Andersen hitch puts on it. I'm still waiting to hear back from Andersen. Has anyone else had this happen? I am seriously thinking about switching to a hitch that mounts to the pucks instead of the gooseneck ball.

[poohbear]

Are you positive the locking pin on the gooseball was locked ? Maybe I'm wrong but every gooseneck hitch ball gets up & down as well as back and forth motion.
I have many a mile with gooseneck trailers and also have owned (2) Andersen 5er hitchs and allways checked the locking pin under the wheel well. Also could the pin be broken, dont those BW/Reese style gooseballs use only a single pin unlike my Curt that has 2 pins ?

[bwbarnes]

The Reese ball doesn't have a pin through it. It uses 2 ball bearings that stick out the sides of the shank when the ball is locked in placed by the spring loaded lever on the top of the ball. These balls engage holes in the side of the gooseneck ball mounting hole.

[poohbear]

Originally Posted by bwbarnes

The Reese ball doesn't have a pin through it. It uses 2 ball bearings that stick out the sides of the shank when the ball is locked in placed by the spring loaded lever on the top of the ball. These balls engage holes in the side of the gooseneck ball mounting hole.

The Andersen would easily slip down over the ball even with that lever left up. The attach point on the ball is just square tube you put a pin thru the narrow shank of the ball. That reese mechanism must have failed after installing hitch, imo, because when you start tightening the top bolt on the hitch you would see the ball rising up & no tension felt on wrench if not latched. I caught my gooseball latch not set one time when I used Andersen, cranked on torque wrench and it dawned on me it wasn't getting tight

[poohbear]

Does the reese bal have a guide groove or some other way that orients the ball shank in the correct position ?. My Curt has a groove in the shank that has to be lined up or it won't go in hole.

[bwbarnes]

No there is no alignment guide. When you drop the ball in the hole the spring loaded latch on the top will not lower completely unless the locking balls are lined up with the mating detents in the ball mount. When I insert the ball I line the balls up, lower the ball into the hole, release the latch, then wiggle and pull on the ball to make sure its locked in place.