B&W RVK3200 patriot 16k rail-mounted fifth wheel hitch on a plain background, shown on its base, with the coupler set on the arms and both release handles in view

B&W Patriot 16K Rail-Mounted Fifth Wheel Hitch, 16,000 lb GTW, 4,000 lb Pin Weight, Powder Coat (RVK3200)

Brand: B&W Trailer Hitches FREE Shipping Low Stock

$699.00

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The Patriot is the lighter, less expensive rail-mounted cousin of the Companion, and this is the 16,000 lb GTW version. It pins into industry-standard fifth wheel rails: drop the base into the rails, pin it, then set the coupler on the upright arms and pin that. Its install sheet rates it at 16,000 lb trailer weight with 4,000 lb of tongue weight, and it ships in two boxes as a bolt-together unit. Rails are sold separately and are not optional: a Patriot has nothing to sit on without them. B&W's own current 16K Patriot part number is RVK3250, which is the same hitch with a revised base.

What's Included:

Patriot coupler head with machined wrap-around jaws (RVC3200)
Fixed base
Pins, hairpins and mounting hardware
B&W installation instructions

Features

16,000 lb Gross Trailer Weight, 4,000 lb Vertical Pin Weight
B&W rates this hitch at 16,000 lb gross trailer weight with 4,000 lb vertical pin weight. Those are the hitch's numbers. What you can actually tow is the lowest of the hitch rating, your truck's own fifth wheel rating on the door jamb, and, on a rail-mounted hitch, the rails underneath it.

Machined Wrap-Around Jaws
The jaws are 1" thick and they wrap the king pin for full contact all the way round rather than gripping it at two points. That is what stops the chucking you feel through the cab when a loose coupler lets the trailer take up slack every time you lift off. B&W machines the jaws to the pin instead of relying on a wedge.

Cam-Action Handle That Releases on Uneven Ground
A cam in the handle takes the bind out of uncoupling. Open the handle and the cam moves aside so the jaws can release as you pull away; close it and the cam blocks the jaw from opening at all. The practical benefit shows up on a sloped campsite, where a conventional handle can jam solid under load.

Shock Absorber and Polyurethane Bushings
The whole coupler rides on polyurethane bushings, with a shock absorber taking the side-to-side movement instead of letting it slam. B&W set out to build the smoothest-riding fifth wheel hitch in the industry, and this is the part of the design that does it.

Two Pieces, So One Person Can Handle It
The coupler lifts off the base without tools by pulling up on the saddle handles. That turns a hitch too heavy to shift in one go into two manageable pieces, which matters every time you take it out of the bed for the week.

Built and Tested in Kansas
Made in the USA, built by B&W in Humboldt, Kansas. B&W's own testing goes past what SAE J-2638 asks for: rather than using a fresh sample for each test, it puts a single hitch through all three 300,000-cycle dynamic tests and the six static tests in sequence.

Fitment & Compatibility

Requirement	Detail
Mounting	● Industry-standard fifth wheel base rails, sold separately
B&W rail options	● RVR3200 universal rail kit, or an RVK24xx / RVK25xx / RVK26xx custom bracket rail kit for your truck
Other rails	● Any rails built to the industry-standard pattern
Attachment	● The base pins into the rails; the coupler sets on the upright arms and pins
Bed when not towing	● The rails stay in the bed. Only the hitch lifts out

Fit guidance: Rails are sold separately and this hitch will not mount without them. B&W's own options are the RVR3200 universal rail kit or one of its custom-bracket rail kits for your truck, and any other manufacturer's rails built to the industry-standard pattern will also take it. The rails stay bolted in the bed when the hitch comes out, which is the trade-off you accept for a lighter and less expensive hitch than the under-bed Companion. Those are the hitch's numbers. What you can actually tow is the lowest of the hitch rating, your truck's own fifth wheel rating on the door jamb, and, on a rail-mounted hitch, the rails underneath it.

Specifications

B&W Part Number: RVK3200
Series: Patriot
Gross Trailer Weight: 16,000 lb
Vertical Pin Weight: 4,000 lb
Mounting System: Industry-standard fifth wheel rails
Base Type: Fixed
Coupler Head: RVC3200, 1" thick machined wrap-around jaws, fully articulating front to back and side to side
Handle: Cam-action latching handle
Vibration Control: Shock absorber plus polyurethane bushings
Finish: Powder coat
Rails Required: Yes, industry-standard fifth wheel rails, sold separately
UPC: 843233004724
Warranty: B&W Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty
Made In: Humboldt, Kansas, USA

Installation

Type: Bolt-together, then pin into industry-standard fifth wheel rails · Time: About 1 to 2 hours to assemble and fit, once rails are installed · Tools: Socket set and a torque wrench capable of 110 ft-lb · Difficulty: Straightforward, but heavy

Work from B&W's RVK3200 installation sheet in the Resources tab. The assembled hitch is heavy, so lift it in two pieces: the coupler comes off the base by pulling up on both saddle handles, and each half is manageable on its own. Grease the polyurethane bushings on the pivot arms before setting the coupler down, check the pins and hairpins are all home, and do a pull test with the trailer wheels chocked and the landing gear down before you take it on the road.

Warranty, Shipping & Returns

Warranty. B&W backs this product with its Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty: for the original consumer, and for as long as you own the product, B&W warrants it against defects in material and workmanship. B&W's remedy is replacement, or at B&W's option repair or a refund of the purchase price. Installation, removal and shipping costs are not covered, and B&W requires a return authorization (800-248-6564) before any warranty return. B&W does not authorize its dealers or distributors to create any other warranty in connection with the product, so the terms above are B&W's own, described here rather than added to.

Free shipping. This item ships free to the lower 48 states. Because it is an oversized item, it ships by freight and typically arrives in 3 to 7 business days.

Inspect on delivery. Please inspect the packaging before signing. If you see any damage, note it on the delivery receipt and contact us right away, and we will make it right.

About B&W Trailer Hitches

B&W Trailer Hitches started in a Humboldt, Kansas garage in 1987, when Roger Baker and Joe Works were building custom truck beds and wanted a gooseneck hitch that did not leave a ball standing up in the bed the other six days of the week. Their answer was the Turnoverball, a ball that flips over and stows flush with the bed floor, and it is still the product the company is best known for. B&W has built hitches in Humboldt ever since and is one of the last hitch makers still manufacturing in the United States.

The company has been 100% employee-owned since 2007, with roughly 500 employee-owners who have a stake in what they build. That shows up in how B&W tests. SAE J-2638 is only a recommended practice for gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches, and where the standard would allow a separate sample for each test, B&W puts a single hitch through all three 300,000-cycle dynamic tests and the six static tests, one after another. The Tow & Stow receiver line is tested to SAE J-684.

Prestige Truck is an authorized B&W Trailer Hitches dealer. Every hitch we ship is new, factory-packed, covered by the full B&W factory warranty, and supported by B&W's own service team in Humboldt, Kansas.

The B&W Story

B&W started in 1987 in a rented garage in Humboldt, Kansas, when Roger Baker and Joe Works began building truck beds and the first Turnoverball gooseneck hitch. This short film tells that story in the founders' own words. The same family of employee-owners still builds every hitch in that Kansas plant today, which is why the company puts its name on a lifetime warranty.

Safety Chains Done Right

B&W's guide to trailer safety chains: how to size them, how to cross them under the coupler, and how much slack is right. Two minutes here is the cheapest insurance in towing, and it applies to every trailer this product will ever pull.

How To Hitch Your Trailer

B&W walks through a complete, safe hookup from lining up the ball to the final tug test, in the order that catches mistakes before the road does. Worth a watch even for experienced haulers; most towing incidents start at the hitch, not on the highway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers on specs, fit and support

How much can it tow?

B&W rates it at 16,000 lb gross trailer weight with 4,000 lb vertical pin weight. Those are the hitch's numbers. What you can actually tow is the lowest of the hitch rating, your truck's own fifth wheel rating on the door jamb, and, on a rail-mounted hitch, the rails underneath it. Pin weight is the part people forget: a fifth wheel puts roughly 20% of the trailer's weight straight down onto the truck, so check that figure against your truck's payload as well as its tow rating.

What do I need in the truck before this will mount?

You need industry-standard fifth wheel base rails already installed in the bed. Rails are sold separately and there is no way around them: the base pins into the rails and has nothing to attach to otherwise.

Do I need the sliding version instead?

It depends on your bed length and your trailer's nose. On a short-bed truck a fifth wheel trailer can swing its front corner into the back of the cab in a tight turn, and a sliding base is the fix. Measure from the king pin to the widest point at the front of the trailer, and compare that to the distance from the hitch to the cab. B&W has a film on working this out in the videos on this page.

How heavy is it, and can I get it in and out on my own?

It is a heavy hitch, which is more than most people want to lift in one go. The design accounts for that: the coupler lifts off the base by pulling up on the two saddle handles, with no tools, so you move it in two pieces. Most owners take the coupler out and leave the base in, or take both out for a completely clear bed.

What maintenance does it need?

Grease the saddle through the grease zerk about every six months so the coupler keeps pivoting freely, keep the jaws greased with a multi-purpose chassis grease, and either grease the top face of the coupler or run a nylon lube plate on it. Check the pinned and bolted connections before every tow and look for cracks or damage. That is the whole routine.

How is the Patriot different from the Companion?

The Patriot is lighter, less expensive and mounts to industry-standard rails, where the Companion mounts to B&W's own under-bed system or to a factory puck system and leaves the bed flat. Both use the same design ideas, the machined jaws and the cam handle. The Patriot's trade-off is that the rails stay in your bed all the time.