To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
This heavy-duty 5th-wheel hitch is rated for 16,000 lbs gross towing weight and a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit. The sturdy steel construction and carbide powder coat finish give it the strength and durability needed for long hauls with large fifth wheels. It mounts securely in the truck bed using the included base rails and installation kit, creating a solid connection that feels stable on the road.
The interlocking 2-jaw system wraps fully around the king pin to create 360-degree contact. This design cuts down on rattle and movement compared to slide-bar models, giving you a quieter, safer ride. The fully articulating torsion head helps suppress road shock and towing noise while self-aligning for smooth coupling. With less chucking and more control, long trips stay comfortable from start to finish.
The built-in color-coded lock indicator shows exactly what the hitch is doing—red means uncoupled, yellow means ready to couple, and green means locked for towing. The indicators are visible from the cab, so you can check the status before pulling away without climbing into the bed. The handle locks for added security and resets itself after uncoupling, staying ready for the next hookup.
When maneuvering at slow speeds or backing into a site, the non-binding S20 slider provides up to 12" of fore/aft travel. It moves easily to create clearance between the trailer and cab during sharp turns, helping prevent contact in tight spots. The slider automatically latches in both directions for simple operation and smoother transitions when switching between drive and turn positions.
Clearing the bed doesn’t have to be a chore. The A16 head removes quickly with a single pin, making it possible for one person to lift it off without extra tools. Built-in zerk fittings simplify lubrication, and an included plastic lube plate helps the king pin glide smoothly during hookup. It’s a well-thought-out design that works hard on the road and packs up easily when you’re done towing.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everyone, Aidan here with etrailer. Today we're gonna be taking a look at this replacement fifth wheel head for your A16 or your Q16 fifth wheel hitches from Curt. So if you're getting this as a replacement head it's gonna function just like your old one. You can see right away It's got the same torsion system that's acting as a sort of cushioning system. When we're hooked up to our trailer it's gonna help us create a smoother ride going down the road with that side to side, front to back and even on the diagonal movement, all absorbing that shock but also helping us with the hookup process by moving and meeting the kingpin as we're guiding it back. The dual jaw system here, they overlap with each other to create really solid contact on the kingpin 360 degrees around.
And if we move over to the side here those jaws can be controlled by the handle secured in place by a pin and clip that can be swapped out for a padlock if you want that security aspect, pulling the handle out and back, we'll open up those jaws or in the coupling mode I've got a dummy king pin here that will slide back in. The open flare here will guide it into position and then as it backs up, we're hooking up to our trailer. The handle will snap back into place fully locked in and we can just resecure it with our pin and clip. Now a good way to know if we're fully coupled is the indicator on the back. You can see it's green right now which means we're positively coupled and good to go.
But if I undo that handle here, partially you'll see it switched to that red and in the fully open position it'll switch to yellow letting us know we're ready to back up to our trailer. And then as we back up that kingpin slides in, it'll swing past that red and when it's fully latched in, go back to green. With the positioning of this, it's easy to see from the cab of the truck so you don't have to get out to check on it. You can just look back there and see if you've got a good couple. With the fifth wheel head here we are gonna have a weight capacity.
It can handle 16,000 pounds of gross trailer weight rating. That's how much weight it can pull and has a vertical load limit, that downward pressure of 4,000 pounds. Be sure to check whether it be the leg kit, the slider base or your truck and go by the lowest rating component in the system but know that that's what the fifth wheel head can handle. You've got your three different points of height adjustment on the side. Again, depending on whether you're using the slider base like we are today or the just regular legs that are fixed, that height may change but you do have three different options for the adjustment.
What I can tell you though is that the whole spacing is 2" apart for each interval of that height adjustment. So just take that into account whenever you're setting this up for your truck and trailer combination. The whole fifth wheel head is gonna be a steel construction with a carbide black powder coat finish over top of it to help it resist rust and corrosion over time. Now with any sort of finished scratches and scuffs can be a danger to it because if you scratch away the finish it's way more susceptible to rust and corrosion over time. It does come included though with a lube plate which will sit between the head of the fifth wheel and your pin box with the kingpin right in the center here and reduce that metal on metal contact to make sure that the finish hopefully lasts a lot longer, keeping your whole fifth wheel looking like new. Speaking of keeping things operating like new you do have two zerk fittings on that dual jaw design here. So you can apply grease regularly to keep them operating smoothly. If you don't wanna leave this in your truck bed full-time and you want to take it out, it can be pretty heavy but you can separate the head into two pieces by taking out that first pin and clip and this large pin that runs through the center of the fifth wheel head. And that will allow us to actually separate the head from the body of the fifth wheel here. So it makes everything a lot lighter and easier to get in and out. And with it out you can see the rubber isolators that are located inside. That's part of the torsion system that we're talking about earlier. And what helps cushion the whole movement here and keep everything operating nice and smoothly as well as reducing noise. Being able to break it down really helps with the installation process because you can do it all on your own relatively easily. So let's go ahead and walk through that process with you now. Now since this is a replacement head you could be replacing it on a standard fifth wheel rather than this slider kit that we're doing this with in which case you'll be needing to use the hardware that came with your fifth wheel originally that bolt, lock washer and flat washer that threads into the legs on your A16 hitch. With that being said, if you are missing these, you will need to get new hardware because the hardware that comes with the replacement head is going to be that bolt and nut. Getting this installed, it might be a little easier to have a second set of hands, but if you can grab it by the center and get one of your bolts started just to help hold it in place on either end, that would be ideal and then we can get the nuts installed later after repeating this on both sides. Now at this point you wanna take your wrench and socket and actually start to tighten these down in all four corners and then we can torque it to the specifications found in our instructions. For the torque wrench, it's pretty easy to rent these out or borrow them but if you wanna get your own you can find those here at etrailer. Just make sure to find the proper torque spec and your instructions and repeat that for the other three bolts. With everything torqued down we can take the head unit and drop it down into place, securing it with the large pin going in through the back of the whole assembly and securing out front with our smaller pin and retaining clip. And that's really all there is to it for the installation process, it's gonna be a very basic easy to use replacement for your A16 or your Q16 fifth wheel hitches. Just deep in mind that if you're replacing one with the standard legs that you do have the appropriate hardware either reusing the old one or getting new hardware. And if you're gonna be dropping it in place in a situation like this with the S20 slider, know that the hardware it comes with is gonna be exactly what you need. But that'll do it for our look at this replacement fifth wheel head for your A16 or your Q16 hitches from Curt. Thanks for watching.
Ratings & Reviews
Works great and easy install. The kit had the wrong nuts sent but curt sent me the right ones. It needed castle nuts and they included nuts and lock washers making the bolts to short. They did not know why but it was through Covid supply issues. Had great service through both teams. Thanks.
Great customer service... I keep coming back because of there customer service. I can find it cheaper on [online store] but the customer service is above and beyond. Just picked up new hubs and wheel and tire assemblies for my double ski trailer...Again great service and free shipping.... Hally and Lindy were both very friendly and went above and beyond. That kind of customer service is rare in todays market...Thanks again...
The only reason I am not giving a 5 star is I get a lot of noise out of the unit I bought. I had the Ram dealer install my unit so I would hope it’s installed properly however I get a noise when towing my fifth wheel that sounds like the bed is twisting and moving. I had the dealer lift the truck up and I personally checked to make sure the sleeves that go in the bed supports were properly installed. After everything was checked for tightness and proper installation I still get the noise. This is my first fifth wheel that was not factory installed so perhaps this noise is common. This is my only complaint. This has otherwise been a great product.
Does what it is supposed to do. I’ve pulled my 5th well 4000 miles with no problems since I installed it. Very happy with the product.
However, Installing it is no easy task. Every truck is slightly different, and Directions are vague but You-Tube videos help. Swivels and various lengths of extensions are necessary and even then getting a torque wrench on the bolts is tricky. Drilling is required as well as a step bit. Final alignment is very important. If you are not mechanically inclined and patient, you might consider getting it professionally installed.
Haven't installed 5th wheel rails yet but the service and shipping was great. Thank you
Brackets and rails were of high quality and were a perfect fit on my 2015 Dodge Ram 2500 HD, using the factory frame 'jig' holes for attachment
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INSTALLATION NOTES: I looked up eTrailer's installation Video on the Dodge-specific custom brackets (in this case on a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 HD). It was invaluable! It stated the task would take 1 and 1/2 hours for an expert; 3 to 4 hours for a novice. I am NOT an expert but have torn down and rebuilt an engine, replaced clutches and transmissions, and done brake jobs on my vehicles. Being admittedly slow because I want to be thorough (I wanted NO mistakes in drilling the holes needed into my new truck's bed), the task took about 3 days.
THE ISSUE: Though the under-bed brackets were perfectly made, there are two differences between the 2014 Dodge shown in the video (which I suspect was Gas engine equipped) and my 2015 Dodge 2500 (Cummings Diesel).
- CLEARANCE BETWEEN DIESEL FUEL TANK AND FRAME appeared to be MUCH less on my 2015 Dodge than the fuel tank on the 2014 Dodge (Gas?). The front left (in front of rear axle) frame bracket installation was WAY more difficult than in the video due to this clearance issue. A standard Torque wrench head with socket could not be fitted over the forward-most bolt due to this clearance issue between the Diesel fuel tank and the frame. I finally broke down and used a 'breaker' bar/socket combo and a piece of pipe to get that particular bolt tightened within a reasonable range of the proper torque.
- The rear axle suspension in the 2014 Dodge installation in the video was different than my 2015 truck. A significant mounting bracket for the new torsion bar was attached to the right-rear portion of the axle. I was adamantly against temporarily removing it (not even sure if I could have -- I THINK it was welded in place). Again clearance issues made installation of the right rear bracket quite a challenge for me.
Still I applaud eTrailer for making a high-quality kit that fits the bill!
the no drill kit was just that,no drilling except the bed and that was not too bad. I would reccomend this kit to any one installing rail for a hitch.....
Took about 5 hours to install but fits great using factory holes. Take your time lining up bracket before drilling. Only issue so far paint did flake and rust where hitch locks into bed rails. Will need ocassional sanding and touch up.
This product worked perfectly on my truck, bolt holes lined up nicely and was easy to install.
I've pulled my fifth wheel travel trailer on it and with the gooseneck adapter I've pulled some serious weight on my 32' gooseneck trailer without issue, very pleased with it.
It fit my truck and’s was exactly what I needed
Perfect fit,easy installation I’m happy with the product.
Product was great, installation instructions were well written and easy to follow.
I think after using it for about 5,000 miles of pulling our fifth wheel there must be a better system out that reduces the expected jarring from the movement of the hitch due to needed clearance to use pins.
I might have the hitch welded to the rails or find one that is not removable.
If you have a solid mount hitch, please let me know.
Simple install, didnt have to drill frame ,seems to be very heavy duty
Before even starting the install I was sure to read the directions a couple of times to make sure this was something I wanted to attempt on my own. I hadn't installed a hitch before but had assumed since it was a custom kit it wouldn't be too difficult. The directions stated that the total install time for the diy'er was 180 mins. I read through and took note of all the tools I was going to need. What I would have REALLY appreciated was a "tools required" list at the top of the instructions. I thought I had all the tools needed but at the very end when you get to the rear rail you need a 7/8" bit for the bottom of the bed support. I advise you have one at the ready. I had to hone it out with my 9/16 which was a giant pain. Everything else went really smooth. On my particular application I had a real hard time torquing the front right bed bolt on the rear rail to spec (110ft-lbs) as the mount for a cross-bar makes it nearly impossible to fit a torque wrench in. (I ended up having to use 3/8" drive extensions to go up inside the bucket and torquing it from the bottom.
Total time:(including a couple of breaks, meltdowns, and a bunch of swearing and a 2yr old hiding dad's parts) 180 mins. Touche' Curt Mfg., touche'...
Experience level of installer: None
This is something that the average person can do. Make sure to watch all the helpful videos here on etrailer.com, read through the directions before starting, and make sure you have all the necessary tools to help ensure your installation goes as smooth as possible.
Haven't had a chance to use the hitch yet but I got it installed without too much trouble. It took about 4 hours to install, the frame mounting brackets and rails, at a leisurely pace. The unit seems to be very sturdy and it is certainly built heavy. I'm looking forward to testing it out soon.
I haven’t installed yet, but looks to be very good quality and good installation instructions
Smooth transaction,Celiese made it very easy to order .
Great fit and product easy install did it in the dirt on drive way with no issues on 2016 Ram 2500
Excellent product. It took about 6 hours to install. The customer service is second to none and is highly recommended.
Product was as described. Fit and price were great. Just wish shipping would treat the package as their own. First couple pictures are from damage due to shipper carelessness.
The installation Kit for the Ram Truck was great. Had it installed within 3 hours and ready to use. picture is attached.
the service from etrailer was just great. Order shipped the same day and I had it on the 2nd day.
Great people, great service and great products. Installation went as smooth as one could wish for with no mistakes thanks to the helpful advice given in the videos. Etrailer will be my only source for my trailer and hitch needs. A special thank you to Katherina.
Thank you for such a fine product!! We installed the fifth wheel hitch in my 2015 RAM 2500 Mega Cab without any problems. It took us 5 hours to complete the installation and all the brackets and bolts went in without an difficulties!!
A little tight to get into but overall a pretty simple straight forward install. Great quality and heavy duty material.
Looks good just opened the box. Waiting for mounting brackets.
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