After spending a fortune on a fifth wheel and tow truck, you’ll also need a reliable connection between the two. A fifth-wheel hitch allows you to safely connect your 5th wheel trailer and truck and tow as smoothly as possible. However, there are plenty of hitches out there, so choosing the best one isn’t always straightforward.
Read on to find out about the best 5th-wheel hitches for towing your camper, as well as a few factors to consider when shopping.
Best Overall: B&W Trailer Hitches Companion
Our top pick of the best fifth-wheel hitches in the market is the B&W Trailer Hitches Companion. This product is trusted by many 5th-wheel owners thanks to its durability and versatility. Installation is a breeze, as it has a square post that latches to a 4-inch hole In the bed. It has a fully articulating head, which gives you a smoother ride. You can disassemble it with ease to create room on your bed. And once removed, it leaves a clean level bed.
You’ll appreciate the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty, it’s made in the US and tested for both strength and durability. In addition, it comes with a coat that’s resistant to UV and other weather-related damage. To top it up, it’s been voted as the favorite Fifth Wheel Hitches for 5 consecutive years by 10,000+ RV Magazine readers. It costs $1,099, weighs 70 lbs, and has a maximum weight capacity of 20,000 lbs.
Best Option for those on a Budget: CURT E16
If you’re looking for an affordable fifth wheel hitch, consider the CURT E16, which costs around $550. It has four height adjustment settings between 13.0 and 17.0 inches, and it mounts on base rails. It features a dual pivot head that allows 10 total degrees of side-to-side movement. There’s also an anti-rattle skid plate to minimize noise when pulling.
Although budget-friendly, this hitch has superior quality. It has a gross trailer weight rating of 16,000 lbs and can bear a vertical load of up to 4,000 lbs. Further, it offers easy, single-handle operation, and is compatible with all industry-standard base rails. It’s protected by a highly durable finish Limited and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Best Lightest Hitch: Andersen Hitches Ultimate Fifth Wheel Connection
The Andersen fifth-wheel hitch is not only the lightest and easiest hitch to use, but it’s also one of the most versatile. Instead of locking jaws, which are common with 5th wheel hitches, it has a gooseneck ball. This allows it to work with gooseneck trailers, while still providing the benefits of a standard fifth wheel hitch.
It comes in three versions: the flatbed mount, rail mount, and raised mount. Each variant has about 3 feet of adjustable height. Although it weighs less than 40 lbs, this system is pretty powerful, towing up to 24,000 lbs (gross trailer weight rating) and 4,500 lbs tongue weight. It costs between $830-$1,240, and the funnel on the kingpin coupler is covered under a lifetime warranty.
Best Heavy-Duty Hitch: Pro Series Fifth Wheel Hitch
Boasting a tow weight rating of 20,000 pounds and a 5,000 pound vertical weight capacity, the Reese 20K Fifth Wheel Hitch is one of the most powerful options in the market. It comes with a wider footprint, providing enhanced stability when pulling the rig. Impressively, its skid plate is a solid 5/8 inches thick. A double jaw system surrounds the kingpin, which offers a secure connection that also reduces wear and tear on the kingpin.
Moreover, it allows you to adjust the hitch vertically from 13.5 inches to 17 inches, which ensures the trailer is level while towing. Its head can pivot in 4 directions to give you a full range of motions. Many owners love the fact that it works with many universal 4-bolt and 10-bolt rail kits. It’s backed by a 10-year warranty and costs $1,833.
Best Hitch for Short Beds: AutomaPullRite SuperGlide
The PullRite SuperGlide is hands down the best fifth-wheel hitch for short-bed trucks. It’s an automatically adjusting hitch, which protects the trailer from hitting the cab of your short bed truck when negotiating tight turns. It moves the trailer up to 14 inches away from the cab while you make a turn and then returns to a safe towing position once you complete the corner.
It has a quick connect mechanism allowing you to hook up the fifth wheel trailer to the truck fast. Also, it places the weight of your trailer over your truck’s rear axle, which greatly minimizes the stress on your vehicle, as well as sway. This system has a weight rating of 16,000 pounds, making it ideal for small fifth wheels. This sliding hitch goes for $1,683 and is backed by a 5-year warranty.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Fifth-Wheel Hitch
Here are some things to consider before selecting a 5th-wheel hitch.
Towing Capacity
Fifth-wheel hitches have varying towing capacities. They range from 16,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs. Choose depending on the gross vehicle weight rating of your RV and your truck’s towing capacity.
Length of Truck Bed
Not all hitches can work on a short bed, standard bed or long bed truck. If you have a short or standard bed, look for a 5th-wheel hitch with a sliding rail system. It creates more separation between your trailer and truck, preventing the vehicle and camper from coming into contact during tight turns.
Truck Bed Mounting Platform
Consider whether your truck has a built-in puck mounting system which is a standard towing package of modern trucks. This allows your fifth-wheel hitch to easily and securely drop into the truck bed for streamlined towing. This means you don’t need to drill, add brackets or get additional hardware for the bed of your truck. If the truck doesn’t have a puck system, you’ll need to install permanent base rails or removable base rails.
Truck Usage
Before selecting a new hitch, consider how often you’ll need the truck. If you’ll use the truck frequently, get a hitch that’s easier to remove. If you’ll be RVing full-time and don’t need to use the truck bed, you can consider a permanent hitch.
Price and Features
Of course, you’ll want to compare features and prices before settling on one. Fifth-wheel hitches vary in so many ways. Some have legs, others have sliders, others are automatic, some are manual, and some have better warranties than others. You’ll also want to know whether a fifth-wheel hitch you’re considering is compatible with different trucks in case you want to upgrade your tow vehicle in the future.
FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about fifth-wheel hitches.
What Is a Fifth-Wheel Hitch?
A 5th wheel hitch is a large solid plate shaped like a horseshoe that is installed in the truck bed. This hitch is designed to connect to the kingpin, which is on the fifth wheel pin box. The pin box is a heavy-duty metal frame on the lower front section of the trailer. The king pin is the bottom circular piece of the pin box. It slots into the hole in your fifth-wheel hitch plate on the truck. Once the kingpin locks, a strong pivot point is established for maneuvering and making turns.
The main benefit of this system is that it creates a smoother pulling ride. There’s less swaying because the plate articulates forward and backward and side to side, thus creating more stability and a quiet ride. Further, it doesn’t stress the trailer’s frame compared to gooseneck hitches, so you are less likely to void your 5th-wheel warranty. Cons include that the fifth wheel hitch is expensive, occupies more space on the truck bed, and is heavy — meaning removing it is a hassle when you need to use the bed.
How Is a Fifth Wheel Hitch Different From a Gooseneck Hitch?
Some fifth-wheel owners tow their trailers using a gooseneck system, which is a ball hitch installed within the bed of a truck. The main body of this hitch is installed on the underside of the truck bed. Only the hitch ball sits above the cargo bed’s floor. On the trailer’s pin box, there is a gooseneck coupler instead of a kingpin. This coupler is lowered onto the ball on the truck bed and latches onto it.
The main benefit of the gooseneck hitch is that it leaves the bed unobstructed when you need to use the truck for other purposes. In addition, it’s lightweight, easy to operate, and less expensive. On the downside, it causes significant stress on the trailer’s frame, which can damage the frame, thus voiding your camper’s warranty. Further, your ride will be noisy when towing, and it offers less stability compared to a fifth-wheel hitch.
Tow Your Fifth Wheel With Confidence
Whether you’re new to towing or seasoned, you can’t go wrong with any of the above best 5th wheel hitch options. They will give you more confidence and greater control whether you’re cruising on the highway, on uneven terrain, or when you need to negotiate tight corners in campgrounds and gas stations. We recommend taking some time to research the different fifth-wheel hitch models on YouTube, where you can find video reviews from actual owners of each kind of fifth-wheel hitch — often with demos of the hitch on their camper.
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Cynthia Measom is the founder and main content creator of RV Top Tips. Not just a writer, she’s a dedicated RV owner and enthusiast, alongside her husband, Joe, who is an experienced RV tech. With their joint knowledge, the two are up on the latest trends and technologies in the RV industry, as well as practical camping and lifestyle tips.
The couple own a 2020 Coachmen Chaparral fifth-wheel that they absolutely love. Their secret to being so satisfied? They purchased the model after a solid year of researching different fifth-wheel campers in person and online to find the perfect fit for their family of three.
- Cynthia Measomhttps://rvtoptips.com/author/admin_rvtoptips/
- Cynthia Measomhttps://rvtoptips.com/author/admin_rvtoptips/
- Cynthia Measomhttps://rvtoptips.com/author/admin_rvtoptips/
- Cynthia Measomhttps://rvtoptips.com/author/admin_rvtoptips/
