Important Fifth Wheel Hitch Maintenance

Owning a fifth wheel is arguably one of the lower maintenance recreational vehicles. You don’t have to worry about many of the vehicular issues that motor-homes have and you can quickly attach and detach your RV when camping. Despite not requiring a great deal of maintenance there is one part that you simply don’t want to neglect and that is the hitch. If you choose to do so you may end up with a “stuck” hitch release.

These fifth wheel hitches have moving parts such as the locking assembly that prevents your king pin from sliding out of the saddle. Since this has multiple steel parts that work together they need lubricant regularly. To check your hitch and perform maintenance you will need to rotate the hitch around so you can see the underside where all of the gears and moving parts reside. Many 5th wheel owners use a plastic “hitch disc” so they don’t have to lubricate the skid plate but there are other places in and on the hitch that need lubrication. White lithium grease is a common lubricant that many RVers use and can be purchased at any auto parts store. Be sure to apply the lube to all moving parts especially where your jaws or locking bar slides through. To move the lubrication through the parts open and close the fifth wheel mechanism several times. This should not only protect the interior workings of your fifth wheel but also make it easier to hitch up and unhitch with the parts moving more freely.