B&W RVK3255 complete fifth wheel hitch. This listing supplies only the coupler head in this photo, the upper unit with the jaws and the release handles; the base it is sitting on is not included

B&W Patriot Fifth Wheel Coupler Head, Head Unit Only, 18,000 lb GTW, Powder Coat (RVC3200)

Brand: B&W Trailer Hitches FREE Shipping Low Stock

$375.00

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This is the coupler head ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: there is no base under it, so it has nothing to mount to the truck with. A complete hitch is this head plus the matching B&W Patriot base, sold as RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270 and the other kits listed below. This is the part that does the actual coupling: 1" thick machined jaws that wrap the king pin, a cam-action handle that releases even on ground that is not level, and a head that pivots front to back and side to side on polyurethane bushings. B&W sells it as a service part, so buy it when a head is damaged, when you want a second head to move between trucks, or when you already own the base.

What's Included:

Patriot coupler head with 1" thick machined wrap-around jaws
Cam-action latching handle and safety pin

Features

Component Part, Not a Complete Hitch
This is the coupler head ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: there is no base under it, so it has nothing to mount to the truck with. A complete hitch is this head plus the matching B&W Patriot base, sold as RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270 and the other kits listed below.

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.

Fully Articulating Head
The head pivots front to back and side to side, so the trailer can pitch over a driveway crest and roll on a cambered road without trying to twist the hitch. It rides on polyurethane bushings rather than steel on steel, which is where the quiet comes from.

Rated to 18,000 lb, but the Base Sets the Hitch
The head itself carries a 18,000 lb rating, which is why B&W can put the same head on hitches rated 16,000 lb and 18,000 lb. The assembled hitch is rated to the lower of the head and the base, so a 18,000 lb head on a 20,000 lb base is a 20,000 lb hitch. 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.

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

Fits	Detail
B&W Patriot hitches	● RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270
B&W Patriot bases	● RVB3255, RVB3270
Other manufacturers	✗ No. This head is machined to B&W's own base arms and does not fit another brand's base
Trucks	✗ No direct vehicle fit. The truck-specific part of a Patriot hitch is the base

Fit guidance: This head has no vehicle fitment of its own, because it never touches the truck: the base under it does. Pick the base that matches your truck and mounting system, and this head goes on top of 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.

Specifications

B&W Part Number: RVC3200
Type: Fifth wheel hitch coupler head, component part
Series: Patriot
Base Included: No
Head Rating: 18,000 lb GTW
Assembled Hitch Rating: Set by the base it is fitted to, never higher than 18,000 lb
Jaws: 1" thick, machined, 360 degree wrap-around contact with the king pin
Handle: Cam-action latching handle with safety pin
Articulation: Front to back and side to side, on polyurethane bushings
Fits: B&W Patriot bases: RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270
Finish: Powder coat
Shipping Weight: About 52 lb
UPC: 843233002041
Warranty: B&W Lifetime Exclusive Limited Warranty
Made In: Humboldt, Kansas, USA

Installation

Type: Sets onto the base pivot arms and pins in place · Time: A few minutes · Tools: None, beyond grease for the bushings · Difficulty: Easy, but it is a heavy lift

Grease the polyurethane bushings on top of the base pivot arms with a high grade lithium grease, lift the head by both saddle handles so the saddle latches open, set it over the arms and let the latches fall back. Check that the saddle handles sit parallel with the base in the latched position before towing. B&W's installation sheet for the complete hitch covers this step.

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.

Tested For The Unexpected

B&W's testing story, filmed at the factory where these hitches are built. One hitch is run through every dynamic and static test in sequence rather than using a fresh unit for each. That single-specimen approach exceeds what the SAE recommended practice asks for, and it is the standard behind the rating on this product.

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.

Trailer Tires Matter

What B&W wants every hauler to know about trailer tires: load range, age, and pressure, and how each one changes how a trailer behaves behind your truck. Tire trouble is the most common roadside failure in towing, and most of it is preventable at the walk-around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers on specs, fit and support

Will this tow a trailer on its own?

No. This is the coupler head ONLY. It is not a complete fifth wheel hitch: there is no base under it, so it has nothing to mount to the truck with. A complete hitch is this head plus the matching B&W Patriot base, sold as RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270 and the other kits listed below.

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

The photo is B&W's picture of a complete RVK3255 hitch, used because B&W publishes no separate photograph of this component. The upper unit with the jaws and the two saddle handles is what you are buying. The base underneath it is not included.

Which hitches does it fit?

B&W's Patriot hitches: RVK3200, RVK3255, RVK3270. It sets onto the pivot arms of those bases and pins in place. It does not fit another manufacturer's base, because the saddle is machined to B&W's own arm spacing.

It says 18,000 lb. Does that make my hitch a 18,000 lb hitch?

No, and this is the important part. The assembled hitch is rated to the lower of the head and the base, so this 18,000 lb head on a 16,000 lb Patriot base gives a 16,000 lb hitch. That is exactly why B&W can sell hitches at different ratings that use the same head. 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.

Why would I buy a head on its own?

Three normal reasons: the head has been damaged, you run two trucks with bases in both and want to move one head between them, or you already own the base and need only the top half. If you are starting from nothing you want a complete hitch, not this.

What maintenance does it need?

Grease the saddle through the grease zerk roughly every six months so it keeps pivoting freely, keep the jaws greased with a multi-purpose chassis grease, and either grease the top face or run a nylon lube plate on it. Check the handle latches fully and the safety pin goes home before every tow.