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The Curt E16 5th Wheel Hitch with S20 Slider is rated for 16,000 lbs gross towing weight and 4,000 lbs vertical load. It’s made from sturdy steel with a carbide black finish that feels solid every time you hook up. This hitch gives you consistent strength for hauling heavy fifth wheels, so you can stay focused on the road instead of worrying about what’s behind you.
Once the king pin slides into place, the auto-locking, slide-bar jaw clamps down tight. A rear steel tension bar activates during hookup to hold the king pin firmly, cutting down on rattle and movement. Together they create a more stable connection for towing and make it easy to know when you’re fully latched without extra steps.
The dual-pivoting head allows 10 degrees of lateral movement so it can flex naturally with the trailer on uneven ground. An anti-rattle skid plate helps smooth out bumps and reduces noise through the cab. The result is a steady, more comfortable tow that feels controlled whether you’re cruising straight or turning through tight spots.
With up to 12 inches of front-to-back roller travel, the S20 slider solves clearance issues during slow turns. It moves smoothly to create the extra space needed between your truck cab and trailer when maneuvering. The non-binding design stays quiet and solid while you drive, giving you confidence in tighter spaces.
The E16 offers four height settings between 14 and 17 inches to help level your trailer setup. This flexibility lets you fine-tune your towing height so your rig stays even and stable. Once dialed in, the hitch keeps that alignment steady from hookup to haul.
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
Product is good. I had some issues on the installation on the drivers side of my ‘16 Ram 2500. The bolts didnt seem to be long enough for me to use the washer and nut. I consider myself pretty handy, I work on my own cars, I have a sufficient amount of tools and special tools.
In the end I managed to get the rails installed. The rails are compatible with the Ram OEM M20 Hitch. Natalie was outstanding when I asked her about compatibility and she advised that Curt is the manufacturer of the Ram M20 hitch, Ram just rebrands it with their stickers.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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