To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
The Curt E16 5th Wheel Hitch with S20 Slider is built from sturdy steel and rated for 16,000 lbs gross towing weight with a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit. This heavy-duty build gives you the confidence to haul large fifth-wheel campers or trailers securely. The carbide black finish helps the hitch stand up to years of use, and the included base rails and installation kit make setup straightforward. Once installed, it feels solid and sure every time you hook up and hit the road.
Hooking up goes smoothly thanks to the auto-locking, slide-bar jaw mechanism that clamps around the king pin for a secure hold. A rear tension bar works with the jaw to minimize rattle and movement for a steadier tow. The dual-pivoting head allows 10 degrees of lateral movement, which means easy connection even on uneven ground. Once latched, the system automatically locks in both directions so you only have to exit the truck once to couple up securely.

For tight turns at low speeds, the non-binding S20 slider gives you 12" of fore/aft travel to create the clearance needed between your truck cab and trailer. The design helps prevent contact during sharp turns and reduces stress when maneuvering in campgrounds or parking areas. The slider moves smoothly on industry-standard rails for consistent operation every time you need extra turning room.
The E16’s 4-position height adjustment (14"–17") makes it simple to set your trailer at a level height for balanced towing. An anti-rattle skid plate keeps things quiet by smoothing out movement between the truck and trailer. Add an optional nylon lube plate to help the king pin glide smoothly into place while protecting the skid surface from scratches. The result is a ride that feels steady, quiet, and controlled mile after mile.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey guys, this is Jake here with etrailer. Today we're gonna be going over the CURT E16 replacement 5th wheel head. This is designed to replace your E16 5th wheel head. If you've already got one and you're wanting to replace it. If it got damage or if it's old and rusty this is gonna be a perfect fit. It's also gonna come with the replacement bracket.
If you'd like to swap out the head on the S20 which is their new slider base, you can put this in, mount it to the correct height and then put this hitch head right in the top of it. You are gonna get all the replacement parts that initially come with the kit so you'll get new hardware, new pins, a new handle, and this bracket. The best way to get this set up inside the S20 base is to set your head height with the bracket first and then set the head on top of it. Now with our new hardware, we can set the height of our hitch a lot easier than a lot of other hitches out there. A lot of 'em are gonna have to set it with the head attached but this bracket only weighs about 10 pounds so it's really easy to get it in place.
Now to get your new head in place, it's as simple as setting it on top of the bracket. And again, it will come with two new pins. And that's, I think that's kind of nice 'cause when you're replacing you know, new parts you'd like to put new hardware in too 'cause chances are these are gonna be pretty wore out. So some of the reasons why you would need to replace your 5th wheel head is if it's got a lot of rust on it it's gonna start to affect the integrity of the strength of the hitch itself. So if it's got too much rust you might think about replacing it.
If you've not been using enough grease or any grease at all this head can start to score and once it starts scoring you can't really go back 'cause it needs a smooth surface to slide on your kingpin base. Another reason is your grease gets dirty that can cause scoring. If you're not using a lube plate. There's a lot of different reasons of why you would need to replace this head. If your mechanism isn't working correctly anymore.
But it's good to know that you can just replace the head. But with that being said, a lot of people what they'll do is they'll, if they have an A16 or an E16 head and they have the traditional base but they get a new vehicle and they'd like to switch to the slider, you can keep your old head, get the slider, and then later on you can replace the head. So there's several different options and reasons of why you would need a new E16 head. Well, with all that being said, we've got it all installed it's ready to go, and it's ready for our next trip.
Ratings & Reviews
Love that the in bed trailer wiring harness was plug and play easy install.
This is the 2nd order that I have placed with this company. I've been very pleased with the quality of the product and the Great customer service. I Highly recommend etrailer for any of your trailer/towing needs. My next order will be a shock absorber towing system for our 5th wheel. Great job etrailer, keep up the good work.
What a Pain in the Butt. Watch the Video. It will help. Be ready to order additional parts/spacers if needed. You can do it by yourself but could really use another person at times. The rear tire removal is very helpful. Drop the rear drivers side shock tower. Then the back is pretty easy. The front is a pain. My brackets didn't reach up to the bed so I had to use spacers on top and bottom. Didn't have enough to do it so I had to order more. The screws for that location were too short so I had to go to Lowes to get longer ones. Those were a pain to get the nut on. I am still working on getting that done. Other than that, it does work.
This is the second time I used this hitch mount. It wasn’t too hard to install on the ground. A vehicle lift, as shown on the product video, makes it look a lot easier but install is still very doable. The video is necessary to have in addition to the enclosed instructions.
The ordering staff has always been friendly and knowledgeable about the product.
etrailer will continue to be my first stop for all my RV products.
It installed just as advertised, the video was helpful but the one I found on YouTube shows an actual install which was even more help by showing some of the minor issues during installation. The written directions were well done too. Also a quality product with a very good website to help order the right parts with ease.
The worst hitch I have ever installed! All the pieces are nicely built and appear that they will hold up well, but I would rather install a universal hitch any day.
While I did not have to drill any holes in the frame, it was still a nightmare to put in. The bolt locations are next to impossible to get to with an end wrench much less a torque wrench.
The worst part is the exhaust hits heavy on one of the brackets. No fixing this....
I spent a few hours researching hitches before i settled on the Curt installation kit to go with my Anderson hitch. The directions were easy to follow, but i recommend watching the video as well. I installed this on my 2007 Dodge 2500 on my garage floor. I am sure this added a bit more time to the install, but for my first ever hitch install I had it installed and cleaned up in about 3 hours. I would definitely recommend this installation kit. etrailer was also very responsive to make sure they had my correct mailing info since I use a P.O. box for mail.
Etrailer is a company that I will recommend to anyone that has the need for trailer equipment. Thank you to the team that got my order shipped ahead of schedule. As for the Curt Q20/R20 hitch and installation kit it was a fairly easy installation on my Dodge Ram 2500. Everything was exactly as the videos on the etrailer site had stated.
Fish wire was too short for long bed installation. Instructions did not address how to clear my brake lines on the left side front bracket. Overall the installation was not as easy as the video depicts. I am a professional mechanic for over 30 years.
This kit fit my 2004 Ram 2500 exactly as advertised. Took way longer than the 90 minutes the directions state, to install, but I took my time and made sure all steps were done correctly. Something I should have done, that is not mentioned in the directions, is to "pre-mount" the hitch on these rails, prior to drilling and bolting. If you get it even a bit off parallel, you have binding..like I do..when trying to dismount the hitch. I will have to fight it, to put back on these rails also. My fault, not the kit. Etrailer is very helpful, quick and responsive. They have me as a repeat customer already.
Received my parts to install my 14K Reese 5th wheel hitch in a timely manner and free shipping .. Started the installation on my 2005 Ram 3500 Dually and the parts all fit GREAT... Installation time was exactly what the instructions said ... The following week we hooked up to our 2010 Cougar 34ft RV and left the Wet Coast of the Pacific Northwet and made the 2600 mile adventure to Northern Michigan.... E-TRAILER is AWESOME........
If you are towing with a Dodge with a boxed frame...This kit works perfectly. Every bend...every bolt hole...every piece and par of this kit fit perfectly....No holes to drill...
Super good seller, Super good price, Very fast shipping. Everything that I have ever bought from etrailer has been great quality, and I don't think that anyone can beat their price.
I bought a Curt 5TH wheel hitch and it took a bit longer to install then I planned for but It has worked great the customer service is fantastic! I have told my friends about Etrailer and two of them have bought their hitches from Etrailer you will not find a better price.
So here I am 1 year later and 7000 + miles later having towed/hauled a 30' Keystone Cougar with the Curt E16K hitch and bed rails.
I installed the item and it was fairly easy with the help of a friend to help tighten bolts and nuts. On the rails I have the E16K Curt Hitch in a 2007 - 2500 Dodge Ram Cummins. I used to remove the Hitch after every trip. That lasted for the first 2-3 times. It is darn heavy to remove and put back in. So now I leave it installed in the truck and remove it when/if I need to haul something in the bed.
Hope this helps your decision and Happy Hauling :o)
Took some time to install but overall wasn't horrible. I'd recommend these rails to anyone looking for this mounting style. Didn't have to remove tires or drill any holes besides through the bed of the truck. They are very strong and solid. etrailer.com is a great place to order from. Great customer service and tons of information for all your trailer and towing needs. I'll be ordering more in the near future. Overall a great shopping experience and a quality product!
Very pleased etrailer.com and very appreciative with customer service because when receiving order from UPS the box was torn open and majority of hardware was missing. After taking inventory i called customer service explaining how it arrived the representative immediately ordered another hardware kit shipping out same evening, the install took about four hours with one small modification to a mounting bracket. Works great and very pleased so far
2005 Ram 2500 Quad Cab Short Bed. Xlnt kit, easy install. The installation instructions could have been better. I suggest watching the video on youtube and setting up the rails and hitch on the garage floor first. Take measurements between rail hole rows (row 2 to row 3 - 17 3/4") and add 3/4" for front bed support clearance - 18 1/2". Looking over a rear tire and measuring from the front bed support, My row 2 needed to be rear of center by 1/2". This puts my rear rail at 26 1/4 instead of 26 3/4" from the tailgate. Then everything lined up perfect. The fish wire provided really works great ( threads on to the bolt like a nut). My only problem was the spacer that gets fished with the carriage bolt was to wide for the large hole in my frame. I cut a 1/4" off the spacer and that was the only modification I made to this kit. Not all trucks are the same. XLNT kit, I was impressed !
Installed on a 2012 Ram 3500 long box. The rail kit itself is excellent and appears to be very strong. I was able to install with the truck on the ground and the tires on. I did have to remove the inner fender liners to access some of the bolts for torquing. I do not see how the nuts can be brought to proper torque without the use of a 3/4 inch crowsfoot, as it is impossible to get a socket on some of the nuts. The shock mount welded to the frame on one side is an example...it prevents the use of a socket. The single most important step is measuring properly because there is very little margin for error. The etrailer.com video was very helpful. Took me about 6 hrs without jack stands or a lift, but I'm very happy with the finished product and they went on without interfering with my AIR LIFT 57295 LoadLifter 5000 Series Rear Air Spring Kit.
Takes a bit longer than expected. Figure in a day for the above bed install kit. I'll post back after I make a 2000 mile trip with the 40' RV. Have a great day everyone!
2012 ram 3500 mega cab short bed! Well from all the reviews I’ve read, and the video, I gathered about 5-6 hours to install by myself, which was very accurate, directions say 90 min instal, not! It was the 5-6 hour range, regardless it went in as the directions and video said! Take your time measure it out double check everything, the kit is great, follow directions and watch the video you can do it in your driveway!
Sadly, my truck has air shocks installed and the front brackets would not fit
The product is well built and came with everything needed to install on my 2006 Dodge ram 3500. The video was very helpful and installing the rails.
This is a well put together package. The fact that you do not have to drill the frame makes things much easier. That said, it is still a lot of work and if you do not have all the tools needed and a lift you will be at this install for quiet some time.
The spare tire has to be removed and if there is a spare tire shield it will have to go as well. The inner fenders need to come out and at that point you will find it is easier if the tires and wheels are out of the way. It is a bit of work to get the right rear bracket in with the tail pipe in place. Also the spacers that go into the frame are also hard to get in place. Lastly, you will still have to drill holes in the bed.
With all this work required, I am very glad that I did not have to drill the frame also.
THE RAILS AND BRACKETS WERE JUST AS DESCRIBED AND CAME VERY QUICKLY AND REASONABLY PRICED. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE VERY HELPFUL INCLUDING THE VIDEO ONLINE. INALL IT TOOK ME ABOUT 5 HOURS TO INSTALL WITH TAKING MY TIME TO DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING. IT FIT JUST AS IT SAYS AND FIT MY PICKUP PERFECTLY. GREAT PRODUCT AND GREAT COMPANY
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