Pro Series 20K hitch - Montana Owners Club

Cindy and Ray's Grand Tour · 01-26-2018, 11:38 AM

Hello, my first real post so hopefully I don't mess it all up. I just bought a 3791RD and will tow it with a RAM HD3500 Diesel. The dealer is storing the Monty for me till spring. I asked them to pair me with the proper hitch and they are planning on using a relatively inexpensive Pro Series (PS) 20K model 30119. Do you have any advice for me on its suitability? Should I be asking for something much better? I figured since I have some time before having to get it installed, I would see what some experts think.

L0veless · 01-26-2018, 12:08 PM

I was in the same spot as you. Ram 3500 DRW only I had factory goose neck.
dealer told me the only hitch that would work is the BW companion. great hitch just HEAVY. knowing what I know now I would have gone with that Anderson. we travel part time and want my truck bed when we are at home. so its a pain to switch out. at the park we are at now the guy next door has 20,000 miles on his Anderson and no issues. lucky you have time to research. good luck

WeBeFulltime · 01-26-2018, 01:39 PM

I also would take my time and do my research on this. I am not a fan of Reese fifth wheel hitches but have had B & W and they work well. Presently have a Curt Q24 that is working out just fine and have also heard good things about the Andersen hitch. Don't rush into anything the dealer says.

mtlakejim · 01-26-2018, 02:17 PM

Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for answers to your questions. Lot of really knowledgeable people on here.

I have a 2017 Ram 3500 myself and opted for the 24K factory 4 point hitch. My friend got the same hitch from Curt for less. I REAAAAALLLLLLYYYYYYY like the 4 point mounting system in the Ram. When you take the hitch out your bed is completely flat with no rails which makes it nice when your hauling something like lumber.

The Curt has a full wrap around pin capture system that has zero slop. It eliminates a lot of hitch noise and balking.

There is one down side to the Curt and that is it heavy (but aren't all well built hitches). Since I have a tractor to remove it that isn't a problem at home but it is aggravating if we are camping and want to take it out to haul say our kayaks.

I had a pro series 15K in my last truck. It had a pin capture that only went across the back of the pin and did not fully wrap around tight. It had more slop than I liked and made a lot of noise.

There are a lot of good threads on here about hitches. I would suggest some more research on the subject. The type of hitch and also the use of a flexible king pin will make a substantial difference in the ride of your setup.

The Curt is certainly not the only brand out there and I am sure others will chime in on what they have.

RoadRunnerTR21 · 01-26-2018, 02:48 PM

How long is your truck bed? That makes a big difference on your hitch selection.

prndl · 01-26-2018, 03:59 PM

Being a dually it would be a long bed. Don't think they make a short bed dually.

I have a Demco Recon 21K hitch. Wraparound jaw, adjustable height, and only weighs 100#. I can easily disassemble the components and each piece only weighs only 45#. Much easier to put in and take out. Locks tight and no slop. Mounts to ISR I already had in the bed

mtlakejim · 01-26-2018, 04:17 PM

prndl,
What does ISR stand for?

"Wrap around jaw" that was the term I was looking for...... Does make a big difference.

I didn't mention it earlier but I also really like the Curt connect/disconnect control arm. It is far more reliable and easier to use than the Reese. Also feels better built and is color coded to boot. Only thing I wish it was removable so it would not be in the way of our kayak on the drivers side. Very annoying when we want to put the kayak in that space.

prndl · 01-26-2018, 04:21 PM

Industry Standard Rails.
Wrap around jaw WITH a secondary bar. Easy to use single handle control arm. Check out the Demco Recon. Got it etrailer.

mtlakejim · 01-26-2018, 07:04 PM

Yep I really like the wrap around design. The slack in the Reese was really an issue. The Ram/Curt have a single control arm as well with a nifty color coded latching system.

However I was really glad to get rid of the rails in my truck bed. I don't know the official name of the Ram 4 point mounting system but it is great, especially if you use your truck bed to haul anything. Once you remove the hitch you can put provided plugs in the holes and you have a completely flat bed. I have a bed mat and really don't need the plugs other than to keep dirt and gravel out of the holes. It was this feature that sold the factory hitch to me.

GLS3950 · 01-26-2018, 07:18 PM

I have the Curt Q24 also and really like it. When you want to remove it You just remove 2 pins and it breaks down into 2 pieces. I bought mine from J. C Whitney, when I was looking the had the best price. I had the Reese prior to this one and was not impressed. Your dealer probably sells the Reese that's why he is trying to sell it to you.

Dam Worker · 01-26-2018, 09:12 PM

Seems like a lot of Reese haters on this thread. I actually like mine, very little slack, wrap around cast jaws, positive latch indicator and a plastic cover over the fifth wheel for lubercation along with grease zirks. Minimal chucking and I think it might be adaptable for the puck system on a new F350. Just my opinion and yes everyone has an opinion.

Tom Marty

jking · 01-26-2018, 11:05 PM

I just got the B&W Patriot 18k. Really liked the last one I had in the King Ranch and it is American made!

CaptnJohn · 01-27-2018, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jking

I just got the B&W Patriot 18k. Really liked the last one I had in the King Ranch and it is American made!

I ran a Reese for years. Went to a B&W Patriot 18K slider, best move ever!

WeBeFulltime · 01-27-2018, 07:50 AM

My first hitch was a Reese and I called it my "Rice Krispies Hitch" because it snapped, crackled, and popped so much. Was GLAD to be rid of it when I went with B & W!

RoadRunnerTR21 · 01-27-2018, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeBeFulltime

My first hitch was a Reese and I called it my "Rice Krispies Hitch" because it snapped, crackled, and popped so much. Was GLAD to be rid of it when I went with B & W!

Same here.

mtlakejim · 01-27-2018, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dam Worker

Seems like a lot of Reese haters on this thread. I actually like mine, very little slack, wrap around cast jaws, positive latch indicator and a plastic cover over the fifth wheel for lubercation along with grease zirks. Minimal chucking and I think it might be adaptable for the puck system on a new F350. Just my opinion and yes everyone has an opinion.

Tom Marty

Sounds like you have a different model Reese than the Pro Series that all of us are talking about. As far as I know the Pro Series does not have wrap around jaws. The original poster did say the dealer wanted to sell him a Pro Series model.

Dam Worker · 01-27-2018, 07:30 PM

James you are probably correct as mine is a 20k but there is nothing light about it. Deffently take it apart when putting in or removing from truck. It is very heavy, I can't remember the model but oh well. Always a different brand or even a different model if people don't like what they are currently looking at. Happy roads to you.

Tom Marty

mtlakejim · 01-27-2018, 08:40 PM

Tom,
No worries. Reese does get a bad rap from it's lighter and cheaper Pro Series. The one I had did not have wrap around jaws only a flat piece of bar stock that caught the back of the pin. It had a LOT of slop in the connection and made an awful lot of noise. There was so much slack in fact that it would actually chuck when you made a stop or started forward. It was also a manual slider so there may have been a bit of slack in that part of the hitch as well.

I haven't seen the Reese you have but I will take your word for it. Happy trails.

Cindy and Ray's Grand Tour · 01-28-2018, 08:14 PM

Thanks for the comments. I've been busy moving houses the last couple of days and did not have time to respond. The Pro Series Hitch proposed is 20K and the 20K is supposed to have wrap around jaws. I will take a look at Curt, B&W and also what brand my RAM truck dealer sells as standard.

mtlakejim · 01-28-2018, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soon 2B snowbird

Thanks for the comments. I've been busy moving houses the last couple of days and did not have time to respond. The Pro Series Hitch proposed is 20K and the 20K is supposed to have wrap around jaws. I will take a look at Curt, B&W and also what brand my RAM truck dealer sells as standard.

We bought the factory hitch from our Ram dealer when we bought our truck. It is built by Curt because my friend liked it so much he bought the same hitch as an aftermarket for his Ram. He paid less for his but ours is on the truck note so we didn't have to out of pocket for it. You can get the factory hitch in either 20K or 24K (we got the 24K of course because that is just me as others on the forum will tell ya). It came with the bottom that fits right in the 4 point Ram mounting system. Works like a charm, easy in and out with flat bed when out and solid as a rock when towing!

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