I wanted to share our experience with the two hitches in case others were pondering which type 5th wheel hitch to purchase. We are glad we made the change to a Patriot!
We picked up our new 5.0TA in March and had the Reese 15k hitch installed while at Chilliwack. Our experience with this hitch was not a pleasant one! The hitch had lots of movement, especially noticeable when hitching and unhitching, while towing on any kind of bumpy or rough road, and when stopping or starting. It was clanging and banging and the fact that there was so much play concerned us. The hitch plate showed a fair amount of wear just after bringing it home from Chilliwack.
After one more trip with the trailer, we decided to order a Patriot hitch (jaw type hitch) and what an amazing difference!
We ordered it on Amazon and it arrived two days later. When Pete installed it, the front panel kept the hitch plate from tilting forward enough as we had it at the lowest height setting. After calling the company, we had a new front panel in 3 days (no added cost) and it worked perfectly. The quality of the Patriot hitch is evident as you look at it. The handle for opening and closing the jaws is much easier to slide and the trailer practically hitches itself. We could not believe how much easier it was! Our truck bed is 6'4" and we did not need a slider hitch. We practiced backing it up today and it easily turned to an almost 90degree angle with room to spare.
There was no clanging and banging with the Patriot and the ride was smoother as well. The trailer was not jerking around as it was with the Reese. The hitch is more stout and the design seems to be superior to the Reese model that we had. We also ordered a 5th wheel tailgate (a Handy metal louvered tailgate from Quality Bumper) and this also makes hitching a breeze! Pete will probably be able to do the whole hitching process by himself next time; the whole process is much less stressful!
We are happy campers!
The photo shows the "almost 90 degree turn"
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