This is the Patriot 18K on a sliding base, which is the answer if you tow a fifth wheel with a short-bed truck. It slides back 12" and locks there for tight turns, so the nose of the trailer clears the back of the cab in a situation that would otherwise put a corner through your rear window. Rated at 18,000 lb gross trailer weight and 4,500 lb of vertical pin weight, on industry-standard rails. The 12" of travel is for maneuvering only. Tow in the forward, locked position: with the hitch slid back the pin weight sits behind the rear axle, which changes how the truck handles.
What's Included:
- Patriot coupler head with machined wrap-around jaws (RVC3200)
- Sliding base (RVB3270)
- Pins, hairpins and mounting hardware
- B&W installation instructions
Features
18,000 lb Gross Trailer Weight, 4,500 lb Vertical Pin Weight
B&W rates this hitch at 18,000 lb gross trailer weight with 4,500 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.
12" of Slide for Short-Bed Turning
The base slides back 12" and locks there, which buys the trailer nose room to clear the back of the cab in a tight turn. Use it for maneuvering at low speed only and tow in the forward locked position: with the hitch back, the pin weight sits behind the rear axle and the truck handles differently.
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
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B&W Part Number: RVK3270
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Series: Patriot
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Gross Trailer Weight: 18,000 lb
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Vertical Pin Weight: 4,500 lb
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Mounting System: Industry-standard fifth wheel rails
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Base Type: Sliding, 12" of travel
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Coupler Head: RVC3200, 1" thick machined wrap-around jaws, fully articulating front to back and side to side
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Base Part Number: RVB3270
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Handle: Cam-action latching handle
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Vibration Control: Shock absorber plus polyurethane bushings
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Finish: Powder coat
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Rails Required: Yes, industry-standard fifth wheel rails, sold separately
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Shipping Weight: About 223.5 lb
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UPC: 843233004748
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Warranty: B&W Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty
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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 RVK3270 installation sheet in the Resources tab. The assembled hitch is about 223.5 lb, 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.
