CURT Q20 fifth wheel hitch review

The Q20 uses a spherical axial bearing so the head can tilt in any direction, which CURT markets as the source of a quieter ride than a fixed pivot. A 3 position coupling indicator shows whether the hitch is coupled, uncoupled or ready to tow, and the whole unit operates from a single short throw handle that locks for security. CURT rates it at 20,000 lb gross trailer weight and 5,000 lb vertical load, tested to SAE J2638, and it fits industry standard base rails such as the CURT 16204 or the 16104, both sold separately.

The Q20 published rating sits in the middle of the rail mounted category. What actually separates a shopping decision is as much about what ships in the box as the GTW figure.

The Q20 listing states plainly that it is not compatible with articulating or turret style pin boxes, naming Rota-Flex and Sidewinder as examples. That is a real limitation for a reader who has already fitted, or plans to fit, one of those pivoting pin boxes to gain cab clearance on a short bed truck, since the fixed dual jaw head on the Q20 does not accommodate the extra motion those pin boxes are built to provide.

The second catch is the one every rail mounted hitch shares: the price on the hitch alone is not the price of an installed hitch. Rails and vehicle specific installation brackets are both separate purchases, and a bed with neither already in place needs all three line items priced before the total cost is known.

A reader running an articulating or turret style pin box needs a different hitch entirely. The CURT E16 is explicitly compatible with kingpin extension boxes, including common pivoting pin boxes, which makes it the better match for that hardware even though its published rating is lower at 16,000 lb. A reader who wants the rails included in one purchase rather than sourced separately should compare the CURT A16 instead, at the same 16,000 lb rating as the E16. A truck with a factory puck system skips rails and brackets altogether with the CURT A20, the puck mounted hitch at the same 20,000 lb rating as the Q20.

Confirm the trailer pin box is a fixed style rather than articulating or turret before ordering, since that compatibility gap is not something an adapter fixes. Price the rails and the vehicle specific brackets alongside the hitch itself using the puck versus rail comparison to decide which mounting style actually costs less installed. Once mounted, weigh the loaded trailer and check pin weight against the fifth wheel pin weight calculator and the pin weight chart, since that weight comes directly out of truck payload rather than out of the hitch rating.