How to take care of 5er hitch

[BigMike]

I leave my 5th wheel hitch in my PU most of the year, so it's pretty much subjected to all the weird weather we have up here in the Northwest. I have notice a fair amount of rust, particularly on the top plate where the paint has rubbed off. I periodically spray it with WD-40, but I'm thinking I need to put a heavier grease on it. I've resisted doing that because it ends up on everything and collects grim. What are others out there in TDR world doing to take care of their hitch as well as their kingpin?

 

[bill threlkel]

bigmike

I use a disk made to slip over the kingpin and no grease on then top of the fifth wheel. Only grease i use is on the kingpin where it contacts the jaws of the fifth wheel. You can get on of those disk at rv dealers or camping world. Then i just use black rustolem on the rest of the hitch.

Bill

 

[B.G. Smith]

Hitch

I use the pickup bed liner in an aerasol can to spray the top and rusted areas of the hitch. I have the teflon disc but still get some paint removal on top at times. Keep an eye on the keepers that hold the pins in the jaws, if they rust away the pin could come out. bg

 

[RBales]

HITCH

I also leave the hitch in my truck all year. I put a film of grease on the fifth wheel plate as well as all pivot points and moving parts. On the trailer pin a simple application of grease keeps it from rusting away. If you notice dirt building up on on the pin or plate, wipe it off and regrease. Nothing is maintainance free, but no need to over do a simple application.



DriveBY Bob

 

[Okie-Go]

Mine gets taken in and out when I am done with it. It sits in the garage. The salt in the air down here would sureley take it's toll on it before to long. I try to keep it touched up, the teflon disc is also used.

 

[Larry Willard]

I to use the teflon disc. Mine sits in the truck all year also, all I do is a couple times a year is to liberally grease all the pivot points, and wipe the old grease off the kingpin and the portion of the jaws where it hits as needed and regrease them.

Larry

 

[Forrest]

I use the Teflon disc that stays on the 5th wheel. I put mine in the garage, but while it's in the truck in the summer, I spray it with WD-40.



Also, I took off the rails & took them down to Diamond Liners. I prepped them by grinding all the rust off & most of the paint. Then the areas where the hitch sets on the rails were masked off for painting afterwords. After the bed liner material was applied, then the masking tape was removed & spray painted. I found this paint that has glass chips. Toughest stuff I could find. So far, it's held up to the pressure of the hitch.

 

[ggorremans]

. . you might consider a product called Hammerrite for thoses rusty spots.

gary