Posted 2010-08-14 8:14 AM (#5060) Subject: Gooseneck Easy Coupler
Gooseneck Easy Coupler
review by: H. Kent Sundling
Do you know if your gooseneck coupler is latched? HammerBlow Bulldog couplers are on the majority of gooseneck trailers for decades. We've all used them and cussed them when we have to pry the handle up to unlatch and teeter-totter our belt buckles on the truck bedrail to reach in and get them latched or at least hope we have them latched.
Folks tell me about what they don't like about their trailers and gooseneck couplers are a popular complaint. I hook and unhook my gooseneck every week, in the rain, in the snow and in the dripping heat lately.
It's important to know if your coupler is latched and that the rough roads, called Interstates haven't shook things loose. I found an aftermarket gooseneck coupler that shows you it's latched and latches and unlatches from outside your truck bed. It's a big improvement instead of yet another gadget with hooks for reaching the coupler latch.
It took a rancher and machinist from Iowa to build a better mouse trap. Gooseneck Easy Coupler is heavy duty, quality all the way, complete replacement coupler tube with stainless steel latch, pin and springs.
A cable runs from the coupler to the spring loaded latch handle on the trailer. You can see it's latched, you can see the handle is open or closed with your mirrors going down the road. Spring lock on the handle that you bolt to the side of your gooseneck where it's handy to latch. 3 stainless steel springs do all the work from sliding the bottom plate in place to locking the coupler latch pin.
The Gooseneck Easy Coupler replaces your adjustable coupler tube. You just loosen the set bolts, slide out your old tube and slide Gooseneck Easy Coupler in. Even has the thru bolt holes for the newer Bulldog couplers on trailers the last 5 years. The latching parts are covered, all moving parts are stainless so you don't need to grease it.
I like being able to monitor everything on my rig while going down the road, now I can see the trailer coupler is latched with my mirrors and go back to singing along with Willie Nelson.
Heavy duty parts make the coupler reliable
The stainless steel pin mechanism is latched
The pin mechanism slides the ball plate open when the pin latch is pulled up with the cable
Attaching the cable
You can see the pin mechanism is flush with ball plate
Pin out with latch unlocked
Shield covers the moving parts and...
...looks good
Installing cable to gooseneck frame
Heavy duty cable fits handle, you can tell machinist are involved
This is the lever that locks open or closed. No more climbing in your truck bed or leaning over the bed rail to latch the gooseneck coupler. You can see it from your truck cab and know it's secure.
Or do you want a piece of sheet metal (pictures left) holding your latch pin down on your coupler? I have bent standard coupler hold-down metal before just trying to latch it. Gooseneck Easy Coupler is a dramatic improvement over what comes on most trailers.