5th Wheel Trailer Hitch for a 2008 Ford F-250 Short Bed

Question:

Besides price what’s the difference between the Curt C16521 and the comparable Husky brand for my 2008 F250 super duty crew cab short bed and do you recommend any specific brand. Ill be towing a 13,000 dry Open Range 3X.

asked by: Shawn

Helpful Expert Reply:

The biggest differences between Husky 16K hitch # HT31326-31196 and Curt hitch # C16521 are the slider base, jaws, and head.

The Husky slider base has a lot of moving parts. It is unlike anything else I have seen. I have used it and find it to be a bit complicated which is not a benefit if you find yourself stranded on the side of the road. The Husky slider base also can only travel 10 inches compared to the simpler Curt design with 12 inches of travel. More travel means more clearance for tight turns and every inch counts.

The Husky hitch has a single latch jaw which allows the least amount of movement of all jaw designs. A very good and secure jaw design. The Curt hitch uses a dual jaw design. Still good kingpin contact and limited movement of the coupler in the hitch, but not as good as on the Husky hitch.

And finally the head designs. The Husky head can tilt side to side and front to back. This is called a 4-way pivot or double pivot head. Many hitches have this design. The Curt A16 on the other hand has a fully articulating torsion head. This means that it is not as restricting as the double pivot head making hook up easier. The Curt head is also cushioned for a smoother ride.

If it were me, I would go with Curt hitch # C16521 because I find it to be the better hitch. And it costs less so that's a bonus.

Now all you will need is an installation kit. For your 2008 Ford F-250 you can use the Curt custom installation kit # C16448-204.