To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
This hitch is rated for 16,000 lbs gross towing weight and a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit, giving you solid capacity for hauling full-size 5th wheels. The sturdy, steel construction with a carbide black finish provides a reliable base you can count on every time you hitch up. It’s a setup built to perform trip after trip with stable towing and solid connection.
The dual-pivoting head offers 10 degrees of lateral movement, which helps with easy trailer connection even on uneven ground. Once the king pin slides in, the auto-locking slide-bar jaw secures it in place. A rear steel tension bar clamps around the king pin for a tight hold that minimizes movement and rattle, giving you a smoother, quieter ride down the road.
When maneuvering at slow speeds, this non-binding S20 slider gives you the clearance needed to safely make tighter turns. It allows 12 inches of fore/aft roller travel so the trailer can move rearward for extra cab clearance. The slider’s quiet, solid design helps make short-bed towing more comfortable and stable through campsites or parking areas.
With 4-position height adjustment from 14" to 17", this hitch lets you dial in the right setup for level towing. The included base rails and installation kit keep the mounting process straightforward while giving you an above-bed rail system that’s ready to tow once installed. It’s built for users who want a simple, strong connection without extra complexity.
Alternate Instructions
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
Well, I haven't towed with it yet but we'll see how that goes.
I purchased this hitch because I needed to drop the height as much as 6 inches.
My previous hitch was dropped to the lowest setting and still 17 inches high!
This E16 goes down to 14 inches...
Assembly was straight forward and all pieces were present ( even 4 big washers which were not illustrated anywhere in the instructions as to where they went)
The hitch seems well built but the welder needs to be more thorough in cleaning his Slag (got my finger good when I picked up the top plate)
Stickers were falling off everywhere (my heat gun fixed those)
But a couple notable design flaws...
The top cradle for the 5th wheel plate is a triangular shaped arch and the top plate has an axle which is perfectly round. So when the 5th wheel assembly is down in the cradle, there are only two little points of contact instead of the cradle fitting uniformly around the axle rods...we'll see what kind of wear this causes.
Next, the green ring on the indicator rod looked like a 3 year old toddler wiped lipstick on it. (Green paint is supposed to be in the little groove cut in the rod but instead, is smeared all over the end of the rod)
Lastly...
The side plates have a two rows of holes for height adjustment...I have installed the bolts to position the overall height at the lowest possible setting. However, there are two more holes in the tie plate but the casting prevents the sideplates from dropping down even lower. Definitely confused as to what the extra holes are for and disappointed that I can't drop this even lower...
Definitely seems heavy duty, but again, I haven't towed yet, so hopefully the play in the base rails doesn't translate into obnoxious clanking and rattling....
If so, I will definitely be doing another review
Etrailer sent me a one year follow-up email. Since purchasing this I've used it to tow our 11k lb camper about 5k miles. The hitch and slider have worked exactly as they should and I have no complaints.
Customer service was great!! Replaced my damaged parts right away and am pleased with the rest of the parts. Thank you!!
Received hitch as promised, assembly was not too difficult but since I chose the universal mounting kit I needed a 17/32 drill bit which wasn't easy to get ahold of (etrailer should include this with the kit) assembly took about 5 hours but was not working on hitch the whole time. Used for the first time this weekend to pull my 35' camper... no issues, as of now I am happy with my purchase but may look into upgrading the head unit in the future
I have a short bed truck, and using the Curt 16516 system Curt E16 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ R16 Roller, will give me the added clearance I will need for tight turns and maneuvering. Curt's instructions were fairly clear, and parts were well defined. These products are extremely well-made.
Once again, etrailer shipped quickly. Their communication and customer service are great. Thank you etrailer team. I am now ready to get my rig on the road.
The hitch was in perfect condition when it arrived. I installed it with no problems. Thank you for everything. Joy is the best!!!
Haven’t received all of my order
We have the turning point pin on our rig so we had to get a wedge. I don't know if it was the wedge or the hitch but unless we were perfectly straight and level, we couldn't hitch up. Same with unhitching. After the 3rd time of not being able to unhitch without taking the entire head of the hitch off, we locked up the turning point and got a new hitch and do not use a wedge. Also, with only a bar going across, the pin seemed to wiggle around a lot.
Overall hitch quality is very good. Ordering and delivery went well. Good customer service. Installation of rail is straightforward except driver side forward bracket. That was the only burp in installation. This is a good choice bargain hitch.
Installed nice no instructions on the right rear front bolt on a 2017 3 quarter ton Ram pickup rear end mounted were they wanted you to put the bolt on the coil suspension Dodge
First of all, etrailer was awesome to work with while I tried to determine what hitch I wanted, they get 5 starts. As for the hitch, installation was easy and while I feel the hitch works just fine, I would prefer one with "jaws" that lock. I would feel better if it did. That being said, I ordered this hitch simply because it was the lowest one I could find and after using it on several trip, it gets the job done. It can be locked and it easily opens and closes.
Bought this to be easier to take out or put in truck. It wasn’t long until the little catch that holds it open was worn down and no longer held it open to connect or disconnect trailer. Next it came to where I was having to hit the handle with a ball peen hammer to disconnect from trailer or to open to connect and have my wife hold it open while I back under camper. I took this one to scrap yard and bought a different brand.
Successfully installed this hitch even in a RAM Box. I did remove 2" from the handles so I have the proper clearance for the RAM box. That shortened length hasn't changed my ability to unlock the hitch for either function even being 5'-8". I do think this installation method with U-bolts that go around the frame is easier than the 1/2 ton version I installed which pulled knurled bolts through the factory frame holes to hold the support brackets.
Well packed, free 5 days shipping, easy to assemble and nice looking hitch. Im extra amazed because i can remove the king pin base/head from the bridge leg assembly to easily transport them. Still not tested with the coach. Practically no lateral movement and have the suspicion bushings. Very firm and easy mechanisms. Do not leave the gate open for long term because could damage the main spring. I plan to pull a 11k 334FWFLS. Nothing compared to this hitch in this price range. I will add some extra feedback after couple travels.
Arrived in three boxes. The largest looked as though Ace Ventura was the delivery man. However all the parts were inside. Took me two full hours to assemble, install, inspect and adjust. Clearly a formidable hitch for my '19 Silverado HD with PUCK system. Thankfully I have a pulley system in the garage to install/remove the entire hitch in one piece. The weight on this hitch is no joke. If you take the hitch out during non-use a pulley or hoist of some sort is a must. This is replacing a Husky which had a slightly different locking system but the Curt is rock solid and will be a great hitch for years to come. Excellent price, assembly was a challenge but the instructions were very good. One problem: the included (4) rubber shims were too thick preventing me from inserting any of the rail pins between the rail and PUCK adapter. So I didn't use them.
Easy installation. Seems well built. I guess time and longer trips will tell.
Packaging was damaged but luckily all hardware was present and nothing was physically damaged in anyway. Instructions provided were reasonable but I absolutely loved the video instructions etrailer and curt provide. I searched the part number for the custom 5th wheel mounting brackets and got perfect in-depth instructions. Made for a seamless install.
So far, this hitch has been fine to use. I had it installed by a professional installer company. The next day we went to pick up our new/used 5th Wheel. I set the hitch to receiver and backed into the king pin and checked the connection. Set the handle and connected the emergency brake carabiner. When we arrived home, I tried to disconnect and could not pull the release handle out. No matter what I tried it would not release. I finally pulled to pins that connect the head to the hitch and lifted the head with the trailer. I finally called the installer, and they did not have an answer. I then called Curt, and they told me that most likely the problem was that the release handle was probably installed 180 degrees out. I removed the handle and reversed its position, and the head released. It was an inconvenience, but no harm done. I drive a 2017 Ford F-350 Short box, so I purchased a slider hitch. I have not had to slide the hitch because the trailer has always cleared the cab of the truck.
Works like it should
Good product. Easy install. Good price. Highly recommended!
I use it all the time. Great purchase. I would recommend it to anyone
Very pleased everything fitted the way it should plenty nuts& bolts I think there was extra not like some places that shorts you would definitely buy again
Got it in 2 days with free shipping. Good quality looks great.
Kit was shipped in a few days arrived in good condition. Instructions for installation were good. Good service from etrailer. Thanks Cathy.
Info for this part was:
At etrailer we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.