Maintenance is a part of owning an RV. Sticking to the regular maintenance schedule can help you avoid costly and stressful repairs. The fifth wheel hitch is a simple but important area of maintenance. But it often gets overlooked. Like any area of maintenance, it’s one you don’t want to forget
Hitches can vary a little from one to the other, but maintaining them is pretty similar. We’re going to cover the ins and outs to help make it even easier for you.
Check the condition of your hitch
The first part of maintaining your 5th wheel hitch is to look it over. You want to check for signs of damage along with regular wear and tear.
You’re looking for things like bare metal showing through where the powder coat or paint is wearing off. You also want to check the welds for crack. While it’s unlikely the manufacturer’s welds will fail, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Take time to touch up any exposed areas to prevent more maintenance down the road.
The nuts and bolts of things
There are pins or bolts that are helping keep your fifth wheel hitch in place. You want to regularly check to make sure that nothing is coming loose or missing.
Part of maintaining the bolts is checking the torque rating. This will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Make sure you know what the rating is on your specific hitch.
It’s a good idea to keep space pins on hand. If you find that any are damaged or missing, you can easily replace them.
Grease it up
Sometimes the simplest maintenance is the easiest to skip. You may be tempted to think that it’s not “that big of a deal”. Yet, greasing the hitch on your fifth wheel is critically important.
You should always have a grease gun and high-quality grease with you. There are several types of grease that you can use. Some RVers prefer to only use grease that is specific for fifth wheels. But others just use grease designed for an automotive chassis.
There are multiple grease zerks, or fittings, on your hitch. Make sure you’re familiar with the location of these so you don’t miss any during your regular maintenance. If you find that any of the fittings aren’t taking grease, they may be damaged and you should replace them.
When greasing the fittings, you want to clean the area first. Then you can attach the grease gun. You want to stop adding grease when the old grease begins to squeeze out of the area.
If your hitch comes with bushings between the head and base, you’ll probably need a different grease. If they are polyurethane, you should use white lithium grease. Again, you want to clean the area before adding any new grease.
You can use the same grease that you use on your fittings to grease the jaws of your fifth wheel. It’s important to make sure it’s cleaned before greasing. You’ll want to use a brush or your hands while greasing. This helps ensure you’re covering every part of it.
The hitch plates are another area that should be cleaned and greased regularly. It’s important to coat the entire surface when greasing. An easy alternative is to use lube plates. If you go this route, you’ll just want to check it for signs of needing to be replaced.
Know when to do regular maintenance
The recommendations on how often to grease will depend on the brand you’re using. But it’s always a good idea to check and regrease areas as needed before a trip. This includes checking the hitch plate.
Your RV manufacturer will provide you with recommendations on when to do specific maintenance. This includes giving you information on the torque specifications and replacement part numbers. They may also recommend certain brands of lubricant and grease.
If you’re RV uses a sliding hitch, follow the manufacturer’s suggestions on maintenance and care.
Track your RV maintenance
Life is busy and it’s easy to forget to keep up with the regular maintenance when everything is running smoothly. But if you want to keep it that way, you need to stick to the schedule. This will help you keep things operating their best and help you get the full life out of your hitch.
You can put maintenance dates on your calendar or use an app like Maintain My RV.
Maintenance isn’t the fun part of owning an RV. But when you do it right it can help you enjoy your trips even more. No one wants to deal with headaches caused by a lack of proper maintenance while on the road.
