Maintaining The Hitch On Your Towable RV

RVs can turn any campsite into a luxury hotel suite, and travel trailers and fifth wheels are easier to maintain, transport, and maneuver. But to get it to the campsite, you rely on your hitch to keep the trailer connected to the tow vehicle. We here at The Outpost RV know it can be easy to overlook maintaining that small but vital part, so we’ve put together some tips on caring for your hitch. To learn more, or to see the RVs we have for sale, contact our store in Middlebury, Indiana, today!

Remove Grease

Your first step here is to clean any and all debris and grease off the hitch. This helps improve your visibility when inspecting it for damage, but also avoids letting the grease settle and attract more potentially-damaging dirt. Adding grease is also an important part of hitching, but old grease can prevent the new stuff from working properly.

Inspect For Damage

Next, carefully look over all parts of the hitch for any signs of damage or excessive wear and tear. Test moving parts to make sure they still have their full range of motion. Corrosion and rust can build up and cause various pieces to stiffen up or malfunction, which is incredibly dangerous. If any parts have too much corrosion or other damage, replace them before using the hitch again.

Replace Liners

For fifth wheels, make sure to replace the truck’s bed liners every 300,000 miles or so. Check bracket liner thickness any time you conduct maintenance and replace liners that are worn or broken.

Lubricate Moving Parts

With old grease removed and all maintenance complete, it’s time to re-lubricate all the moving parts of your hitch. Use a water-resistant lithium grease on all parts that connect the RV to the tow vehicle, and to the king-pin lock if you have one. Then use a light oil on all other moving parts.

Preventative Measures

Finally, there are a few things you can do to prevent some of this maintenance nightmare from reoccurring. Any time your RV is going to be sitting still for prolonged periods of time, you’ll want to ensure that all parts of the hitch and receiver have protection from the elements. A hitch cover can be added to the hitch receiver to prevent water, dirt, and other debris from accumulating on it. The tongue of your travel trailer should also be covered to avoid the same damage.

We hope these tips help you keep your hitch healthy and your travel trailer or fifth wheel on the road! For more information, or to see our RV selection, contact us at The Outpost RV. We proudly serve the people of Middlebury and Kalamazoo, Indiana—let us serve you today!