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The B&W Patriot 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch uses a 3/4" thick dual-jaw system that wraps completely around the king pin for 360-degree contact. That tight fit gives you less rattle and a rock-solid feel on the road compared to slide-bar designs. It’s rated for 16,000 lbs gross towing weight and a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit, so your trailer feels secure even over long hauls. The polyurethane bushings between the head and pivot arms help absorb vibration and cut down on clanking, making your ride quieter and more comfortable mile after mile.
When it's time to unhook, the cam-action latch handle makes it simple. Even if your truck and trailer aren’t perfectly level, the handle lets you release the jaws without fighting binding pressure. Once unlatched, just pull forward and the jaws open on their own. The included pin and clip secure the handle in place for towing, or you can add a padlock with a 5/16" shackle to lock it up when you’re parked.
The Patriot gives you flexibility to set up your hitch exactly how you want it. The pivot arms mount in different holes on the base so you can adjust both height—between 16" and 19"—and fore/aft position by up to 4". That range helps dial in proper bed rail clearance and fine-tune cab spacing for smoother turns. Once it’s set, the fully articulating head pivots front-to-back and side-to-side with the trailer, keeping things level and steady through rough or uneven ground.
Every part of this fixed fifth-wheel hitch is built from heavy steel with a gray powder coat that resists corrosion. It mounts to above-bed rails that follow the industry-standard pattern used by B&W, Curt, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Pro Series, Reese, and Valley systems. You can pair it with a matching semi-custom bracket kit to simplify installation (sold separately) and know that once in place, this hitch is ready for years of dependable towing duty.
Ratings & Reviews
My first impression of the hitch as I was unpacking it was that the fit and finish was superb. The hardware was easy to work with and good instructions. I also ordered the B&W custom rail installation kit and began installing the rails after assembling the hitch. Again, great fit and finish of the hardware but the instructions might need a little bit of modification. All went well until I finished installing the second rail and test fit the hitch. Because of the tight tolerances, I had to loosen all of the hitch bolts in order to get it to drop into the rail slots and pin it, then re-torque the bolts while mounted on the rails. Also, there is a bracket inside the drivers side frame rail that must be relocated. The almost identical kit from Reese includes a new bracket to remount the old bracket that must be moved. The B&W kit does not have this bracket although it was easy to fabricate one.
I am waiting for my new trailer to arrive so I haven't hitched up anything yet. However, I am confident that the B&W hitch will certainly do the job well. I purchased the Patriot hitch based on actual user comments I found on the RV forums and can see now that it is a quality product.
The BW Patriot is an excellent hitch for our Jayco 5th wheel. The best thing about it is that it is made in the USA. We installed ourselves and installation was not to difficult with the instructions provided. etrailer was excellent when I placed the order and met my needs when I made a last minute decision to pick up in person instead of having the hitch shipped.
I purchased this hitch one year ago and it is very high quality. I tow a light 21 foot 5th wheel with my RAM 1500 Eco Diesel. I was able to adjust the hitch so that the trailer moved back several inches from the cab that provided better maneuverability compared to my other hitch. I was also able to adjust so that the trailer was perfectly level with the truck. The hitch provides a much tighter connection with the king pin which substantially reduces movement and noise. It was easy to assemble and etrailer did a great job with the entire purchase/shipping experience. Would highly recommend.
great product. easy to install with the help of my son-in-law. When I had an issue with the clamped I could not unhook my 5th wheel I called the company and they helped me thru it immediately. Was able to talk with a real person and turns out it was my fault not the products. I would highly recommend this to anyone. I am also able to remove it from my flatbed during the off season which is wonderful. It is not too heavy with the help of one other person.
Looks like a great hitch. Positive lock ing.
Extremely satisfied with B&W Patriot hitch. Easy to hitch and release. Like it better than Reese I had. E trailer made it easy to order and was shipped promptly to my home. Will do business with them again.
Dennis
9/14/2024
Very satisfied with performance of B&W patriot hitch. Would buy again
Received the hitch in two separate shipments in a timely manner. It was easy to assemble and install on my truck. I can not believe how quite the hitch is when I made my test run it was like the trailer was not behind me. Well Done etrailer and B&W
Alric
4/6/2019
Outstanding, it is a great hitch and guilt when maneuvering.
Putting the hitch together was easy following the instructions, it seems to be was built...time will tell. I only used the hitch one time for only a 60 mile tow...hitching and unhitching was a breeze
A great, well made American product. Easily assembled if you choose to install it yourself as I did. I am a big fan of the cam lock and handle assembly for the jaws. There is no movement or noise when pulling our 5th wheel. I would recommend this hitch to anyone needing such a product and would recommend you buy it from etrailer.
James R.
2/3/2018
It is working great, No problems what so ever..
I bought the B&W 16K Patriot hitch knowing it was a bolt together hitch. Having said that the process was complicated by nut retainers supplied by B&W were not strong enough to do their designed job. I spoke with B&W about this and they offerd to replace them but the design was the same.
The hitch itself, once assembled, is fantastic. It is solid and quiet and the adjustability of the head position makes it very versatile as well.
I would recommend the B&W Patriot, but think it would be better if you can, to spend the other $200 and get the welded base 18K model.
Scott L.
7/10/2018
After having this hitch for a year and towing my 34ft 5th wheel for thousands of miles, I would 100 recommend this hitch for anyone considering it. It is solid, quiet, and made and backed by American workers.
Hitch is very well made and worked beautifully for my 2006 Duramax. Installation was fairly easy with clearly illustrated and written instruction. Very pleased with this purchase and it arrived in record time.
Installed myself on a 97 F-350 DRW. Having never done this before, I was a bit uncertain, but it was really quite simple. Honestly the hardest part was reaching all the bolts with my torque wrench (purchased some long extensions and a creeper). Don't forget the odd drill bit size if you are going to DIY.
Don't forget to order the "lube plate".
Maiden Voyage:
Towed 14k 5th wheel from CA to Arkansas and back. No issues with the hitch whatsoever.
Hooking up is pretty straight forward. It takes some practice to get the level of the kingpin on the trailer just right. Unhooking seems to require getting the height of the trailer just right, taking most of the weight off of the hitch.
I'm still a bit confused on the release lever. When unhooking, I remove pin and pull lever. It seems like it wants to snap back into closed position, but if the weight is off the hitch, when driving away it seems to just let go.
As a noob, I made one fatal mistake. I didn't put the tailgate up after my first post-install test. I only wanted to pull the trailer forward and back it up, turning the wheel slightly to move trailer over a couple feet. The tailgate made contact with the trailer and punched a hole in the underside. Paybattention to the tailgate!
Jenny N.
12/21/2021
I believe that the trailer may be on uneven terrain or there remains too much pressure from the trailer that is keeping the jaws closed. Readjusting the landing gear can relieve the pressure enough to allow the jaws to open. Use the safety pin to lock the handle in the open position and when you are sure that the landing gear will support the trailer, move the truck forward to release the jaws from the kingpin. The jaws will always open when the pressure of the trailer is taken off the coupler as the truck pulls away.
You guys are awesome, on time every time and very knowledgeable, thank you.
Great product and you have to appreciate made in America with American steel! It arrived in good shape in only three days. I ordered on Sunday and shipped the same night. etrailer is great company to do business with!
Product was easy to order and arrived in less then a week. Took a short time to assemble and install on my PullRite rails.
Beautiful craftsmanship.
Arrived without a scratch.
All bolt holes lined up perfect.
Replacing a noisy slide bar hitch. This one looks like it will be very quiet.
Love that it's made in America with American steel.
Hitch looks to be built very strong. Easy to assemble.
Wow what a big difference my new 16k Patriot hitch has made. Easier to hook up and unhook my 5th wheel. Definitely makes a smoother ride, no up and down, up and down. My only regret is I should have bought it sooner. Thanks for a superior product!
Hitch came quickly and installation was easy. Only hiccup was I have a curt rail adaptor for a turnover ball and one of the braces rubbed a support for the rail but was easily corrected. Hook up to and disconnects from my fifth wheel camper with ease. I have not towed with the hitch as of yet.
This came with 7 of the 8 needed 1/2 bolts so I have a hunk of metal that I can’t use until the company gets me the missing parts.. But my main gripe is with customer service. I have emailed two times, two days in a row, and called and left a voicemail but still haven’t heard back. Very dissatisfied with the service.
Product is very well made. Glad I went with B and W Patriot Hitch. Once the bed rails were installed the rest was a breeze. Now it's time to get a 5th wheel and hit the open road. etrailer, my go-to website.
Dude D.
4/5/2023
Been working great. No issues at all. Thanks again.
I bought this hitch to replace a slider hitch from another manufacturer. I wanted something I could get out of the bed without help, and with the 2" offset, I can get plenty of angle in a tight turn, thus eliminating the need for a slider.
So far this hitch is fantastic. Hook up is so easy. Handle moves with zero effort. Same for unhooking. As soon as it was installed, I did a test run, and it was rock solid. I tried to make it chuck when starting and stopping. It wouldn't do it. Zero slop. On that note, the tolerances are tight on this thing from the bolt holes to the legs that insert it into the rails. My rails we're not perfectly lined up and required a little dremel and foot stomping to get it in the rails.
In summary, if your looking for solid, conventional, non-slider FW hitch, this one is a great choice.
Sean C.
9/10/2018
The hitch has been flawless. I have nothing bad to say about it. Does what it should without any issue.
I received my BW Patriot hitch today. They processed my order quickly and shipping was quick, it arrived in two days. I assembled and installed it. Directions were clear. It is very well built and seems like it will tow like descripted. Looking forward to trying it out. I'm happy that these hitches are all American made.
Very good instructions and easy install. This hitch pulled my camper smoothly with no vibration or noise
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Rick F.
4/5/2021
19,000 miles on it and it still works great. No problems with it