New 5th Wheel Hitch Option

[Helihawkins]

Noticed this new Curt Crosswing Hitch which may be a good option for those with 5.0’s. What do you guys think?

5” Aft will help the short box guys! Looks like in a video they show a possible gooseneck version as well.

[HarleyD]

Originally Posted by Helihawkins

Noticed this new Curt Crosswing Hitch which may be a good option for those with 5.0’s. What do you guys think?

5” Aft will help the short box guys! Looks like in a video they show a possible gooseneck version as well.

About twice the weight of the Andersen, and about 50% more costly. Interesting design and hitch looks most sturdy. Closing mechanism might be a little weak for the task. Application will determine the trade off costs.

[davidmurphy02]

This hitch looks very similar in concept, except for the attachment mechanism, to the Demco Recon. I've been very happy with the Recon, the pyramid shape of the base takes up less space in the bed than other conventional fifth wheel hitches and it is also lighter in weight - although still quite a bit heavier than the Andersen, characteristics shared by this new Curt hitch.

The one thing I'm not quite clear on is the attachment mechanism on the Curt - supposedly it makes it easier to back in and line up, although once you have used any hitch for a while that's not usually a problem. I think I would still prefer the conventional locking jaws on the Demco, the attachment mechanism on the Curt strikes me as a solution in search of a problem. Curt is certainly a respected name and I would be confident that their new attachment mechanism is solid, safe and functional, especially being rated for 4 times the weight of the 5.0.

The one advantage to this new hitch, to me, would be the offset to the rear - I just barely have enough room to open my tailgate and a little more clearance back there would be welcome. I have a 6-1/2 foot bed so forward clearance is not an issue for me, although I can see how that might offer an advantage in tight situations with a short bed truck.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Helihawkins

Noticed this new Curt Crosswing Hitch which may be a good option for those with 5.0’s. What do you guys think?

5” Aft will help the short box guys! Looks like in a video they show a possible gooseneck version as well.

Hi: Helihawkins... We inherited a Husky 16K EZRoller 5th. wh. hitch w/ an 8" Aft roll n lock. It's been in 3 trucks, full size/ mid size & now bigger full size and we just never need to roll it. Just makes the hitch heavier to R&R so we leave it in at almost all times. I don't like the Andersen cause you need to use safety chains after converting the hitch pin to a ball coupler w/ lock... the way I see it anyway. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Centex]

Originally Posted by escape artist

... I don't like the Andersen cause you need to use safety chains after converting the hitch pin to a ball coupler w/ lock...

Not that any LEO is likely to raise the question, but I wonder how safety chain laws in some jurisdictions would strictly apply to this Curt hitch, given that the truck-to-trailer connection is neither via a 5th-wheel kingpin nor a ball?

David's Recon allows a certain amount of 'twist' between the truck and trailer (the 5th-wheel plate can tilt side-to-side) but this Curt, like many 5th-wheel hitches, does not. Is that ever an issue when, for example, the ground cross-slope is different between the trailer tires and the truck tires (e.g. 'binding' when hitching / unhitching)? I ask having personally towed with true goosenecks, with the Andersen with fully articulating ball, but never having used a traditional 5th-wheel.

It's certainly an interesting and different 'mousetrap', whether a 'better mousetrap' than others already on the market isn't immediately obvious to me, but I suppose it's nice to have choices in the marketplace. It's lighter than many traditional 5th-wheel hitches, and the 5" rear offset may be useful for some applications.

The Curt maintenance instruction to "Torque lower bolt to 300 ft-lbs ... Before each use and every 1,000 miles" is certainly an attention-grabber.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Centex

Not that any LEO is likely to raise the question, but I wonder how safety chain laws in some jurisdictions would strictly apply to this Curt hitch, given that the truck-to-trailer connection is neither via a 5th-wheel kingpin nor a ball?

This would depend on how the local regulation is worded; since most probably specify a pin-and-plate fifth-wheel as the only connection not requiring chains (rather than specifically requiring chains for ball hitches), I think that this would typically be something other than "fifth-wheel" and would require safety chains.

On the other hand, a fifth-wheel is no more secure than a ball hitch. The reason that traditional fifth-wheel hitches are exempt is that if they are not latched, the trailer falls out of the hitch as soon as the truck tries to pull away, so driving with an unlatched hitch is at least highly improbable; in contrast, a normal socket-over-ball hitch works fine with no latch at all... until a big enough bump is hit or something else "interesting" happens. Without the pin in, would pulling away drop the trailer, or would the pin weight hold the trailer part in the socket? It seem likely that it would drop the trailer, but I would still put it in the "should have chains" category for safety.

Originally Posted by Centex

David's Recon allows a certain amount of 'twist' between the truck and trailer (the 5th-wheel plate can tilt side-to-side) but this Curt, like many 5th-wheel hitches, does not. Is that ever an issue when, for example, the ground cross-slope is different between the trailer tires and the truck tires (e.g. 'binding' when hitching / unhitching)? I ask having personally towed with true goosenecks, with the Andersen with fully articulating ball, but never having used a traditional 5th-wheel.

I noticed the lack of roll articulation, and I think it's both strange and - with a light tow vehicle and relatively rigid trailer - undesirable.

Whenever a coupling joint other than a ball in socket is used, the ability to articulate (pivot) in each axis needs to be considered. Like other hitch systems offered as an alternative to fifth-wheels (including the Andersen Ultimate) it uses an adapter mounted to the trailer's king pin - yaw (turning a corner) pivoting is done by that. The truck-side pyramidal (or "corner of a box") socket is mounted with a lateral pin so it and the attached trailer can pitch (nose up and down), limited by the rubber block. Roll articulation seems to have been ignored.

Originally Posted by Centex

The Curt maintenance instruction to "Torque lower bolt to 300 ft-lbs ... Before each use and every 1,000 miles" is certainly an attention-grabber.

I'm not so surprised - other hitches have unreasonable and never-followed instructions with them, for similar legal liability reasons.

Originally Posted by Centex

It's certainly an interesting and different 'mousetrap', whether a 'better mousetrap' than others already on the market isn't immediately obvious to me, but I suppose it's nice to have choices in the marketplace. It's lighter than many traditional 5th-wheel hitches, and the 5" rear offset may be useful for some applications.

I agree that choice is good. The weight reduction is mostly due to the single-post mounting frame, like the Demco Recon. The offset is easily achieved with mounting frame features of a conventional fifth-wheel (as in the B&W hitches).

The big difference to me is the hitching alignment, using a guided drop-in approach rather than the straight-down of a ball-and-socket or the level back-in of a traditional fifth-wheel.