Heavy-duty hitch comes in 2 lightweight pieces for fast, easy installation and removal. Sturdy wraparound jaw has a locking bar for extra security. Pivoting head eases hookup and helps limit chucking. Polyurethane bumpers ensure a smooth ride.
Features:
Specs:
Note: This fifth-wheel hitch is compatible with rotating pin boxes, such as the Reese Sidewinder, Reese Revolution, and 5th Airborne Sidewinder, only when used with a wedge (sold separately).
The single-piece, strong wraparound jaw completely surrounds your trailer's king pin for 360 degrees of contact. This wraparound jaw provides a more secure connection than standard 2-piece jaws that close in on the king pin from the sides. The increased jaw-to-king-pin contact on the Recon hitch offers tighter tolerances around the king pin, which minimizes both rattle and chucking, for a smooth, quiet ride.
A 3/4" thick solid steel locking bar spans the area in front of the jaw. This bar provides an added barrier of protection against accidental disconnection so you can have peace of mind that your trailer is secure. The locking bar is attached to the jaw and to the spring-loaded handle. The bar automatically locks when the jaw closes around your king pin.
The double pivoting, cushioned head improves your towing experience dramatically by helping to reduce jarring and unwanted noise. Built-in pins allow the hitch head to pivot back and forth and side to side. And hookup is easy because the hitch head will automatically pivot to the proper angle when it comes into contact with your pin box.
Polyurethane dampeners help to cushion the movement from the pivoting head and to reduce towing noise. These dampeners are built into the head assembly to cushion the head's side-to-side pivoting.
The Recon hitch is designed to mount to the included industry-standard base rails, which install in your truck bed and are anchored to the included custom brackets that attach to your vehicle's frame.
Assembling the hitch is quick and easy because of its lightweight, 2-piece design. First, attach the base to the base rails. Then simply slide the head assembly into the opening in the base. There are 3 different height settings to choose from - just slide the head up or down to find your desired height.
Once you have chosen your desired height, use the included pin to secure the head to the base. Finally, tighten the bolt to eliminate any movement and rattle.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hello everybody. This is Jeff at etrailer.com. Today, we're gonna take a look at this replacement head for the Demco Recon 5th Wheel trailer hitch. Has a 21,000 pound gross towing weight capacity. Now, this part here will replace the head assembly on your Demco Recon 5th Wheel trailer hitch. It does work on part numbers DM8550043, part number DM8550045, and part number DM8550046.
Those three hitches we do sell separately on our website. Now, this head here will have a nice wraparound, single-piece jaw. Provides a nice, secure connection. Does give you a 360 degree jaw-to-king-pin contact, and because of that, it'll give you less rattle, more security than the slide bar jaws. Also, if you noticed on this, it has this large 3/4 inch thick solid steel locking bar.
Right in the front here, that'll reinforce that connection of your coupled trailer. And when it does close, this will automatically lock into place when the jaw closes. Now, this is a double pivot hitch head, which will ease hookup, help limit chucking. Basically, when this is installed into the yoke head on the hitch, it'll pivot front to back and side to side. Does have a nice spring loaded handle over here with a nice comfort grip.
Allows for simple coupling, and has a nice tethered safety pin here that lets you secure the handle in the open or the closed position. Right now, it is closed just to show you how you open it. You just take out the pin, and again, it's tethered so you can just let it hang there. And then what you'll do is pull this handle all the way out. And once you get it far enough you can hear it locked into place.
And now you can see the jaws open, ready to accept your connection. So once you slide the king pin in there it'll wrap around there, lock into place, and then just put your pin back through the hole to secure it. This is a sturdy steel construction. Has a nice rust resistant black powder coat finish on it. It is made in the USA. Few specs on this. The gross towing weight capacity is 21,000 pounds, vertical load limits 5,250 pounds. But again, if you have it in the open position you can even flip the pin and clip through there to lock it into the open position if you prefer. But that should do it for the review on the replacement head for the Demco Recon 5th Wheel trailer hitch..
Parts arrived for the DM 8550043, received only the hitch base plate and adjustable shaft for the hitch head. Have been told that the hitch head is shipped separately. Now have a problem with the hitch plate fitting the bed rails. The holes for the pin that secures the hitch plate to the rails are to close to the bottom of the hitch plate photos are given of the problem a pencil was used for reference. There is NO WAY the pin will go through the rail and hitch plate. Waiting on a solution from etrailer. The hole that you can barely see the pencil is tailgate rails pin fits fine.
The truck that got the install is a 2002 Ford F350 Super Duty 7.3 L Diesel dually. The Demco Recon 5th wheel hitch (DM8550043) looks like a well made, heavy duty hitch. All the welds are precise and well done. I like the single wrap around jaw with the real thick bar that backs that up. The handle that pulls out to unlock the jaw moves with ease and locks in the out position when the jaw opens. When the king pin comes in contact with the back of jaw, the jaw wraps around the king pin, the handle closes, you put in the safety pin and your ready to go RVing. I chose the Husky Custom Rails and installation kit (HT31405-686) for my install. The reason I chose these rails over the ones that etrailer had matched up for the hitch is, I had previously installed a set of Airlift Airbags and I didn't want the rail install to interfere with the airbags. It was a good choice, there was no interference at all. If I had not had the bags, I would have chose the rails and install kit that require no drilling. Drilling the holes went very fast and easy, it was torking the rear bolts down that was very difficult. There was not enough room to get a wrench of any kind around the nut. I wound up using a set of vise grips on the nut while a friend of mine torked the bolt slowly from above.
All and all I'm happy with the product and I'll give another review in a year.
Well it came in two pieces the head and the base not a big deal but they came A WEEK apart when I paid for expedited shipping. They tried to blame it on ups but I looked at the second tracking order after the first boxes arrived and it says the label had been made but not at ups so it shipped far after the other boxes. Then when I took the 5th wheel had out of the box the bolt that holds the handle on had a smaller size nut so you can’t even assemble the head. I went here hoping to get the stuff I needed for my 5th in a timely matter but got the opposite… not saying I will not order from here again but I will definitely think twice before I do.
Already pulled the rv with it. I like the design. Literally ripped open the box and put it together in a matter of minutes. The three pieces come apart fast lightening it up to remove it from the bed
Rugged product, easy to install, quick latch system. easy to remove. Purchased the Reese adapter with this hitch, and installation was easy. Some minor adjustments with the cam over lugs, and setting the hitch posts into the adapter. Overall very easy set up. Looks good, and can be taken apart in pieces, for ease of removal and installation, after set up. Ordering was simple and all parts came in about a week.
This hitch with the Airbourne Sidewinder worked great with the 2018 Ram 2500 Mega cab short bed with Ram boxes. Can maneuver a 90 degree turn without issue. Still have to get trailer lifted higher to get the trailer nose lowered, but for the complicated research we had on the right combo, this is tested and verified
Excellent product and customer service was outstanding. I just bought the product so I haven’t towed with it yet but after many many years of towing with other fifth wheel hitches, I can tell this is going to be an huge improvement!
Ordered hitch late Wednesday evening and received early afternoon on Friday, that is super fast delivery. Two cartons received with no damage and all parts were there as expected. It looks exactly as advertised online and it was at a great price. AND FREE SHIPPING.
Also made in the USA.
I am replacing my Demco Hi Jacker Auto Slider that weighs approximately 300 lbs with the Demco Recon that according to the shipping labels weighs 91 lbs. It will be installed on a Ford F150 with 5 1/2 ft bed and fiver with a Lippert Turning Point Pin box.
This is a really nice hitch for the money. Extremely easy to installl for one person. I can’t wait to pull my camper with it. The only problem I had was how badly damaged the package was when delivered. Fortunately the hitch was not damaged. The picture shows how it was when I got it.
very good product although when unhitching rv it wants to trip the latch. I had to address that problem by drilling a hole in the trip bar for the pin to hold it open.
The only issue I am having with the fifth wheel hitch is latch handle will not stay open (out) when hooking up or disconnecting from king Pin sometimes (and yes, I know how to work a fifth wheel hitch). If it wasn't for that I would give it 5 stars.
works every time has never failed, replaced a curt 20k that i used for 10 years,lots of times it wouldnt click and lock .easy to use no chucking.very happy with this hitch.3 years ago i installed air lift air bags ,love them too!!etrailer is a great place to buy from
Hitch came in two boxes UPS. The head was stapled and secured in one box. The base and upright piece came, not in a box, but rolled up in cardboard and taped up with clear packing tape. I put it together so I could hook up and set the height and there is no hitch pin and lynch pin. I don’t know if it was rolled up in the cardboard and lost in shipping or wasn’t packed at all. I also didn’t get the instruction manual and had to go to Demcos website for it. The base and upright being rolled up together banged up the base or it was used and returned and that is why it was rolled up and not in a box. Now I have a hitch that I can’t use because I didn’t get all the parts. Called etrailer for the hitch pin and lynch pin and don’t know when it’ll arrive because it’s not an etrailer part. I can’t review the hitch because as of yet I can’t use it.
The product arrived as scheduled and all the parts and pieces were in the two boxes. It installed quickly in my pickup and I hooked it to the fifth wheel and moved it forward and back. Seems to work well, takes all the slop out of the hitch. The hitch seems to be well constructed and the double latch is what I was looking for.
This was an upgrade from the dealer installed hitch. Best purchase since I didn't know how much longer the old hitch would last. After purchase, I was at the dealership and saw they were now selling the same hitch. Solid and rattle free.
This was my first (and only, so far) fifth wheel hitch. I am towing a Jayco 25.5REOK Eagle HT, with a 2019 F150. (Before you all "go there", we ordered the truck especially for this purpose, with the max payload package, max tow package, FX4, etc. I've weighed the truck and trailer combination on certified scales, and actual payload, axle, and tow weights are under the rated capacities for t he truck. The truck sits perfectly level with the trailer loaded). Anyway, with a 6 1/2' bed, I wanted to use a rotating pin box, and the lightest hitch I could find that would satisfy that requirement. Enter the Demco Recon.
What I like: It is very light, as all steel construction hitches go - right at 100 lbs. And it breaks down easy into three primary component - the lower base, the head, and the thing in between. So not component is more than 40 lbs or so. Takes 5 minutes to break down and stow away, leaving the truck bed with only the standard hitch rails.
A few things I don't like (but have simple solutions for): The assembly has too much play, resulting in a very clunky operation and feel. The base assembly has too much play between the upper and lower parts of the base. There is a set bolt provided to take this play out, but the set bolt is located so that you can't access it with a socket, and it's tough to get to with an open end or box wrench as well. With some effort you can get it tight, but it loosens up after a couple hundred miles. My solution was to insert sheets of nylon (plastic) between the shaft of the upper part, and the tube of the lower part, so that the fit is tight, eliminating the play without use of the set bolt. Also the play between the lower base and the hitch rails are pretty generous. (I don't know how other hitches are, but this one has about 3/16" of play). My solution was to add leather pads as gaskets, between the base and the rails, which makes the J-pins a little tight, but eliminates the gap and play. Eliminating the play in these two areas makes the hitch much quieter and feel much better. The last complaint isn't an issue with the hitch per se, rather, the combination of the Sidewinder Pin Box and the hitch head. I am using the recommended locking wedge (SWW-05), but he hitch head has a rather steep ramp, and the wedge really doesn't "wedge" much of the head. That is, there isn't an abundance of contact between the wedge and the head. It's enough when the wedge is tight, but the the head will work the wedge back and out of the slot over time, even when tightened to the recommended 150 foot pounds. If the wedge moves more than a fraction of an inch, the trailer will start to handle poorly. You can feel it. And if you let this go, it will quickly become dangerous. So, I've leaned to recheck the wedge and retighten if necessary after every couple of trips, and I carry my torque wrench with the trailer.
Thanks for reading.
Looks great nice workmanship. Easy to install.
Packaging on large components should be changed??? Need custom molded styrofoam to slide on two sieds and hold product in shipping box. Will include pictures of delivered packages
Seems to be a well built hitch and the 3 piece design is VERY nice in the load/unload space. Why this received 3 stars is that it was missing parts and the base was beat up badly (cosmetic) when received. Missing parts included the pins to connect the base to the rails and the pin to connect the neck to the base. Not usable at this point. Etrailer is sending out the parts, and I'll contact Demco for new stickers. Will update review and photos once I have used it.
The hitch arrived in four days was easy to install in truck not too heavy for a 70 year old man hooks up easy and I really like the double locking jaw the only issue I had was the wedge for my sidewinder the bolt holes did not line up took me about an hour making holes longer to be able to bolt up
Looks great
Haven't used it yet but it's unlikely to be anything but 5 stars. I'll update review if so. The hitch came in 2 boxes. The head was packages in a HD box. The box that the base came in was battered pretty bad. But, no marks in the base. All hardware arrived. Took about 15 minutes to assemble and get set up.
It was a SOB! getting it installed, welding process warped feet and did not just fit into place as expected. It took some coaxing with a nine pounder on the feet tabs to fit my rails, luckily mild carbon steel is workable, however it did upset the finish. A QA check needs to be done on final dimensions prior to powder coating!
Product arrived on time, correct and in perfect condition.
First shipment had a problem, the box with the base was ok. The box with the hitch head was empty except the release handle. Etrailer promptly sent out a second box with the hitch head that arrived intact. Etrailer had me send some pictures of the damaged first box and then handled the problem with UPS completely on their own. Prompt service to resolve the problem is highly commendable.
product delivered on time and as described. This hitch is easy to move in and out of the bed of my truck with it being able to come apart. Thanks.
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