I am looking to order a Reese 5th wheel hitch very soon. The problem is
there are two that I am considering. The 16K and 20K. The trailer I'm
going to be pulling has a GVW of 15,000. If I load the trailer up to
the max, that would put my truck right at it's max GCVW. I would assume
that everything has a fudge factor built into everything (Truck, trailer, hitch,
etc). In everyone's opinion, which hitch should I get? I would think
the 16K would be fine, but it also couldn't hurt having the extra
heavy-duty hitch. I would just like to try to keep the cost down while
staying safe (the 20k is about $230 more than the 16k). If not for
that, I would just get the 20k. So anyway, should I get the 16k or the
20k?
Edited by: Cougar281

I don't have a 5th wheel but I would say that $230 is cheap insurance and good peace of mind. Specialy when it is a saftey factor. Just my.02

Well I went to the B&W so I'm not familiar with the Reese stuff. BUT, you can believe there is a fudge factor and it's not in your favor. The truck may have a little, but not much and it has more to do with braking than anything.


The trailer manufactures are the ones really out there on the fudge factor. They publish figures based on ideal scenarios and most people will not be able to attain those figures they publish in normal use. Pin or hitch weights are the big fudge, but they push the envelope on total weights as well. Usually you'll find that it's very easy to load your trailer in a manner that will exceed the published max weight, at least on the pin or tongue if not the gross weight rating.


That being said, you've got quite a chunk of money tied up in your truck and trailer, so I'm with Bowtie, it's cheap insurance to spend the additional $230.00 for the bigger hitch...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley9.gif

I'm with Zeeb and went with the B&W. The B&W starts out as a 30k gooseneck hitch. I've added the companion hitch, which is a 18k 5th wheel hitch.


The cool thing about the B&W is when the companiion hitch is removed, there is no obstruction in the bed. The entire set up is a little more expensive, but I like having my bed clear.


MaxRock