Reese 16K Fifth Wheel Hitch Head Replacement Recommendation
Question:
Hello: I was performing maintenance on my hitch which was purchased in 2005 and I noticed that the back plate the stops the king pin from going to far has bent down. This looks like its from improperly hitching by lowering into the hitch versus sliding into the mechanism. See attached photos. Is this an an issue of concern? It is not a part that hold the king pin place, and this part and hitch still function as normal. This very well could have been like this now for 10+ years and I never noticed it. What do you recommend? If recommended to replace should I replace the head unit RP58146? Does this comes with the pivot beam? Does the cross member wear? If so its cheaper to buy the entire hitch
asked by: Thomas M
Expert Reply:
Now would be the time to replace the head of your hitch with the Reese kit part # RP58146 that you referenced. The damage is bad enough that I would not recommend towing as-is until you get the head replaced.
