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Install your fifth-wheel trailer hitch in half the time with this -specific bracket kit. Requires no drilling and provides a custom fit for your . Includes everything you need for installation.
Features:
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on our 2016 Ram 2500 we're going to be taking a look at the CURT custom fifth wheel installation kit, part number C16427-204. Here's what these rails are going to look like once they're installed in the truck. They're going to give us a great mounting point for our fifth wheel hitch or gooseneck adapter. They have a nice carbide finish which is going to resist rust and corrosion to help provide you a nice, long, durable life. With the multiple mounting locations for a fifth wheel hitch, it's going to work with other manufacturers' hitches as well, like Reese, Husky, Valley, or Draw-Tite. What's really nice about this rail kit is it uses existing weld nuts in the frame in order to mount the frame brackets.
Now let's go ahead and show you how to install it. First thing we did to begin the installation is we went ahead and removed the spare tire to make it easier to see and work. Next we'll use a 10mm socket to remove our heat shield. There's going to be two 10mm bolts that are going to go up into the back side of this crossmember. Then on the inside of our passenger frame rail there's going to be two more of those 10mm bolts to hold this in place. Next thing, on the inside of the driver side frame rail just at the rear of the gas attack, we've got these vacuum lines, brake lines, and wires.
We're going to need to pop those out so that we'll be able to get our frame bracket in behind those. You can take a flat head screwdriver, or a trim panel tool if you have one, and just pry them outwards at each connection point in order to get them loose. Now where our frame brackets are going to go we'll need to clean out the threads that are in those weld nuts. We can take a little bit of spray lubricant, spray it in there. Then we can use a tube brush in order to clean that out. If you need one of these tube brushes, you can get that on our site, part number 814092.
We're going to do that for the weld nuts at all four mounting bracket locations. Now we can take our front brackets and put them up into place. Then we'll use our 12mm bolt with 1/2" conical tooth washer with the teeth facing in towards the bracket. We'll put them in through the holes and begin threading them into the weld nuts that are in the frame. On these front brackets, for the front hole there's this spacer block that we'll need to put behind it in order to fill the gap because the frame bends. We'll need to put that just behind.
Then because of that, we'll need to use a longer 12mm bolt for the front bolt hole location. As you snug these down, you want to make sure that this bracket is all the way as far as you can against the front side of this hat channel. You want to get those bolts just tight enough that it's going to hold that bracket in place. Then we'll repeat that process for the other side. Now we can put our rear brackets up into place. Over here on the driver side we'll need to pop our wire loom loose so that we can get our bracket into place. Now we'll take a center punch, and on our front brackets, right in the center of each hole on the underside of the bed, we're going to put a center punch, so that way, when we go up top, we can make sure that all the indents for the center punches line up with the holes in the rail. Then we'll do the same thing on the other side. Once we've verified up top that our center punch marks line up on our rail, we can come underneath and begin drilling out our holes. We'll do that same thing for the other side. Once we've got our holes drilled out, we'll go ahead and drill them out to the size indicated in the instructions. I'll continue stepping up drill bit sizes until I've reached that final size. Now I've got my holes drill out to size. I'll lay my rail back down and get it lined up with those holes and I'll drop carriage bolts down through there. With the carriage bolt down through each one I'll be able to mark and drill my location for the front hole on the rail here in the center. Now I'll remove the rail and drill it out the same way I did the other four holes. Now with all the holes drilled out for my front rail, I'm going to take some black spray paint and just spray paint just inside those holes to prevent rust in the bed. Now we can put our mounting rail back down. Then through all five of our holes now we'll drop our carriage bolts through. In order to prevent crushing of the corrugation in the bed, we're going to use these supplied u-shaped washers. Because the bolts go through the low point in the corrugation, we're going to put these in the top side of the bed. You'll just need to slide it around the carriage bolt. Then it will be the same for the rest of our carriage bolts. Now on the underside we'll loosely install our square-holed spacer blocks and our 1/2" flange nuts. Then we'll do that same thing for the rest of our carriage bolts on this rail. Then in order to check the fitment and proper positioning for our rear rail we'll want to put our hitch into place. With our hitch in place, now we'll measure between the ends of our rear rail to the sides of the bed to make sure that it's centered. With our rear rail positioned properly, we'll go on our inner holes here and use our center punch to mark the bed and put a little indentation so then we can go underneath and check to make sure that it's lined up with the bracket on the underside. Now on the underside here we can check to make sure that our indentation from our center punch is lined up properly with the hole for our bracket. If it's not, you can adjust this bracket a little bit because the holes for these bolts are slotted, so you can shift it a little bit if absolutely necessary. Now in order to drill out the holes, we can move our hitch and our rear rail. Now the front holes on this rear rail, you're going to have to drill all the way down through the hat channel, so you'll drill through the bed surface and then down through the hat channel. Once we've got them all drilled out, we'll use some black spray paint to spray paint the edge of the holes that we just drilled, the same way we did for the front rail. Now back on this driver side rear bracket we're going to need to take this bracket back off so that this hole to the hat channel, we can drill that out in order to get that pipe spacer up in there. Now we're going to drill this out to the size indicated in the instructions. Then we'll put a little bit of spray paint on this as well. Now we're going to put our rail back down into place. Then we'll begin dropping our carriage bolts through. Now for this rear row of bolts we'll be using all the shorter carriage bolts. But then for the two holes in our front row on the driver side we're going to be using the 4"-long carriage bolt. We'll drop that down through. Then over on our passenger side we'll be using this hex bolt with flat washer. What we'll need to do before we can put it down through there into place is we're going to need to get that pipe spacer into position. We'll do that once we get all these carriage bolts started underneath. Now we can put our bracket back up into place. As we put our bracket back up, we'll want to take our pipe spacer and slide it up into our hat channel around our carriage bolt. Then once we've got it up, we can take a square-holed spacer and flange nut and get that started to hold it up into position. Then for our other carriage bolt, spacer block and flange nut. Then we can get our 12mm bolt started again going into the frame. Then we can get our spacer block and flange nut started on our center carriage bolt, and then our carriage bolt that comes down through the bracket on the passenger side. Now we're going to need to feed our pipe spacer into position through the edge of the hat channel here. I have to put it up and work it over. I'm going to use a magnet to help work it over that way so I don't lose control. Then once I get it lined up I'll use a screwdriver to put it down through and secure it in place so that I can go back and put the bolt through. Now that we've got the bolt down through, what we'll need to do is put on one of our spacer blocks. Then we've got our nut on the bolt. Now we'll put our hitch back in. Once you've got everything in place, before we begin tightening, we'll want to be sure to put these u-shaped spacers underneath each bolt in our rear rail. Now we'll take a 3/4" socket and begin tightening up the nuts on the carriage bolts that connect the mounting rails to our frame brackets. Then we'll tighten up the center bolts on the mounting rails. Then we'll use the 3/4" socket to begin tightening the 12mm bolts holding our frame brackets to the frame. Now we'll go in that same order and torque them to the specifications listed in the instructions. Now on the inside of the driver's frame rail we'll need to make sure to clip back as much of this loom and lines as we can that we took off. Then we'll reinstall our spare tire heat shield. Then we'll replace our spare tire. That's going to complete our look at and installation of the CURT custom fifth wheel installation kit, part number C16427-204, on our 2016 Ram 2500.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (203 Customer Reviews)
Install your fifth-wheel trailer hitch in half the time with this vehicle-specific bracket kit. Requires no drilling and provides a custom fit for your vehicle. Includes everything you need for installation.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.....
We have a 5th wheel camper and got this hitch installed a year ago. It has done the job. Would highly recommend etrailer.com. Will not hesitate to buy another product from this company.
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!!
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.
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.
Fit and finish was good took about 4 hours to install correctly all the hardware was correct this is the second set of this brand I installed no problems with either
Great kit, good directions and came with all the hardware necessary
Seems like a super high quality kit, but I will disagree with the ease of install. The instructions are super vague. It is quite difficult without putting the truck up on a lift and having several specialized tools. I consider myself sort of an average backyard automotive DIYer and I’ll have to take this in to a shop to finish. I think the page should say installation level medium or moderate.
Great product great customer service. Will make my next rv purchase with etrailer.com only issue is the instructions are not very clear.
Geat sturdy well designed. Pretty simple to install, only downside is on the driver side with the fuel tank. If you have a lift at home it's best to use it. Also recommend using a M12 drill and a right angle impact or equivalent to make the job a bit smoother. Very happy with overall product
Installation went smoothly
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.
Joel P.
3/25/2015
Rails work flawlessly. Between two hitches and a GN adapter all have fit without any problems.
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.
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.
Tyler M.
12/16/2020
Hi Sam, Thank you for your review! If your truck does not have the OEM gooseneck package, then I would recommend getting the B&W Companion 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Dual Jaw - 20,000 lbs Custom Underbed Installation Kit for B&W Companion 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches, part BWRVK3500-5W and Part BWGNRK1384 . This setup will give you a much more solid connection to your truck and should help eliminate the jarring you are talking about.
I haven’t installed yet, but looks to be very good quality and good installation instructions
Easy to install
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.
Rich R.
12/17/2021
Little bit of rust forming around slots where Andersen mounts to rail Other than that, working well.
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.
These people continue to amaze me! Their knowledge in anything trailer related is astounding!
Thanks, Russ
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 fit and product easy install did it in the dirt on drive way with no issues on 2016 Ram 2500
Excellent product, super easy install took about an hour. Parts fit they way they were explained in the directions. Would recommend this product to everyone. Also it was delivered very quickly and arrived when they said it would! It was installed on a 2017 Ram 2500 Mega Cab.
Don B.
10/18/2020
Fantastic, would recommend it to everyone. Was an easy install and the quality is great!
These rails arrived at least 3 days sooner than expected!
I just had them installed today. While I it's too soon to make a proper assessment, the install when quicker that the service department estimated...by 3 hours!!!
So for delivery and installation "Only" I give a 5+.
I'll give a rating on functionality later.
Michael C.
3/14/2022
Theses rails have proven themselves to be sturdy, safe, well fitting and functional.
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.
Everything was heavy duty and well made. The order was shipped and delivered quickly. I had the Camper dealership install the rails in my old truck so I didn't know exactly what to expect. The installation is a little more detailed than what you see in the video but that is always to be expected. it is manageable if you are a DIY'er and it helps a lot to have a second set of hands. The rails mount directly to the frame with the included hardware.
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Doug
8/24/2024
Working as it shoul, No issues!!