B&W RVK3255 complete fifth wheel hitch. This listing supplies only the base in this photo, the lower structure the coupler sits on; the coupler head on top is not included

B&W Patriot Fifth Wheel Base, Base Only for RVK3255, 18,000 lb GTW, Powder Coat (RVB3255)

Brand: B&W Trailer Hitches FREE Shipping Low Stock

$424.00

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This is the base ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: it has no coupler head, so it cannot hold a king pin and cannot tow anything on its own. The complete hitch is B&W RVK3255, which is this base plus the RVC3200 coupler head. B&W sells it as a service part, so this is the listing to use when a base has been damaged, when you are moving a coupler head to a different truck that needs a different base, or when you already own a RVC3200 head. It mounts to industry-standard fifth wheel base rails exactly as it does in the complete hitch, and it carries the 18,000 lb rating that gives RVK3255 its number.

What's Included:

Fixed fifth wheel base for RVK3255
Pins, hairpins and base mounting hardware

Features

Component Part, Not a Complete Hitch
This is the base ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: it has no coupler head, so it cannot hold a king pin and cannot tow anything on its own. The complete hitch is B&W RVK3255, which is this base plus the RVC3200 coupler head. If you need a hitch rather than a spare base, RVK3255 is the part number.

The Half That Sets the Rating
On a Companion or Patriot the coupler head is shared across models and the base is what changes, which is why B&W can sell 20K and 25K hitches that look the same. This base is the 18,000 lb half of RVK3255, and it is rated for 18,000 lb gross trailer weight with 4,500 lb vertical pin weight once the RVC3200 head is on it. 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.

Mounts Exactly as It Does in the Kit
It attaches to industry-standard fifth wheel base rails, the same way the base in a complete RVK3255 does, and it uses the same installation sheet.

Steel and Powder Coat
Powder-coated steel, the same finish as the complete hitch. Made in the USA, built by B&W in Humboldt, Kansas.

Fitment & Compatibility

Requirement	Detail
Complete hitch	● RVK3255. This base is one of its two halves; the other is the RVC3200 coupler head
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: This base fits the same trucks as the complete RVK3255 hitch. 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: RVB3255
Type: Fifth wheel hitch base, component part
Coupler Head Included: No
Complete Hitch: RVK3255 (this base plus the RVC3200 coupler head)
Rating in the Complete Hitch: 18,000 lb GTW, 4,500 lb vertical pin weight
Base Type: Fixed
Mounting System: Industry-standard fifth wheel rails
Finish: Powder coat
Shipping Weight: About 86 lb
UPC: 843233003543
Warranty: B&W Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty
Made In: Humboldt, Kansas, USA

Installation

Type: Mounts to industry-standard fifth wheel base rails, exactly as the base in a complete RVK3255 · Time: About 15 to 30 minutes · Tools: Socket set and a torque wrench · Difficulty: Straightforward, but heavy

Follow B&W's RVK3255 installation sheet in the Resources tab; B&W documents the complete hitch rather than the base on its own, and the base section of that sheet is what applies here. Grease the polyurethane bushings on the pivot arms before the coupler head goes on.

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.

Built The B&W Way

A look inside B&W's Kansas plant at how the company approaches quality, from raw steel to the finished hitch that goes in your truck. If you want to know what separates a B&W from an import hitch, this is the culture that does it.

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.

How To Back A Trailer

B&W's plain-language lesson on backing a trailer: hand position, mirror use and the small corrections that keep a trailer tracking where you want it. If trailers are new to you, practice this in an empty lot before the first real trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers on specs, fit and support

Will this tow a trailer on its own?

No. This is the base ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: it has no coupler head, so it cannot hold a king pin and cannot tow anything on its own. The complete hitch is B&W RVK3255, which is this base plus the RVC3200 coupler head. A base with no coupler has nothing to grip the king pin with.

What is in the photo, and what is in the box?

The photo is B&W's own picture of the complete RVK3255 hitch, because B&W publishes no separate photograph of this component. In that photo, the lower structure is this base and the head sitting on top of it is the RVC3200 coupler. Only the base is in this box.

Why would I buy a base on its own?

Usually one of three reasons: a base has been damaged, you are moving a coupler head onto a different truck that needs a different base, or you already own a RVC3200 head from another B&W hitch. If you are starting from nothing, buy RVK3255 and get both halves.

Which coupler head goes with it?

RVC3200. It is listed separately in this range. Buying this base and that head together gives you the same hitch as RVK3255, and B&W's installation sheet for RVK3255 covers the assembly.

What does it weigh?

About 86 lb on its own. That is one of the two boxes of a complete RVK3255, and it is worth knowing before it arrives on a pallet.

How much will it carry?

In the complete RVK3255 hitch, 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. A base on its own carries no rating, because a rating only means something for an assembled hitch.