SEMA 2015: B&W’s Fifth-Wheel And Receiver Hitches For HD Trucks

On the surface, a trailer hitch might seem like a relatively straightforward product that does a very simple job; and that might be the case if you’re just hauling around a lightweight John boat behind your pickup, but for those that have more universal towing needs, not all hitches are created equal. With that, manufactures all across the industry put their own unique features and designs into their hitches to improve ease-of-use and compatibility.

At the SEMA Show, we caught up with the team at B&W Hitches to look at both their fifth-wheel and Tow-N-Stow Receiver hitches that speak directly to the diesel truck market.

B&W offers fifth-wheel hitches of all configurations, but its Puck-style hitches present the cleanest overall appearance of fifth-wheel designs, with small pucks mounted in the bed of the truck that the hitch can be mounted to or removed, leaving few obstructions behind when not in use. The companion line of hitches have an effortless hookup and release through the use of cam-actuated jaws. Made of one-inch thick cast metal, the jaws are machined with tight tolerances to give you a perfect connection to the fifth-wheel and an ultra-smooth towing experience.

B&W offers companion puck hitches for Ford and Dodge Ram pickups, and a set of release handles easily convert the truck to a flat, level bed. Without any mountains rails, you can use the bed of the truck for purposes other than towing. The hitch head articulates front to back and side-to-side, and plenty of vertical and front to back adjustments are possible.

A new product that B&W will be launching in the near future is a 2.5-inch Tow-N-Stow adjustable ball mount, with a large shank for heavy-duty trucks, that will be available in a dual- and tri-ball configuration. B&W’s Tow-N-Stow line of hitches come with multiple ball sizes to eliminate the need for acquiring several different ball mounts, and they quickly and easily stow under the vehicle when you’re not towing, to save you and others from those painful knee-strikes into the unused hitch. The hitches are locked into the receiver to prevent theft, and height adjustments are made in one-inch increments, giving you a range of options, depending on the length of the drop purchased. The receiver hitches have a 10,000 pound GTW and 1,000 pound VTW.