Lube plate

[vickark]

Does anyone use the lube plates on their 5th wheel hitches?

I have a reese elite hitch and a cf335ss on order and wondering if i need one. I have read that some folks use 1 or even 2 of them to also take up slack in the hitch.

Or do i just need to lube the bare plates? Thanks

[Lloyd]

I use it. Also used one when we were pulling the HH. If nothing else, you get to eliminate the grease on your plates. It works good, and it's just that much less mess to get into.

[Hunter11]

We had one on our old Cruiser from the time we bought it until we sold it. We don't use one now with the Sidewinder hitch because it does not swivel at the hitch. If it can be used with your hitch have Topper throw one on when you pick the new trailer up.

[cowboy_71]

We have one, it works great...

[Dayle1]

I used one for a number of years. But is seems like the newer ones are made of softer plastic and don't last as long. I had some of the inner tabs on one get jambed between the king pin and hitch head and had a difficult time getting everything unjambed. Haven't used one in several years. Do what you think is best.

[BipeFlier]

I have my original one, now on it's 3rd camper. Bought new in 2001.



Much cleaner than grease. Also, I would not suggest using 2 as some folks have trouble with "high hitching" and this would only make it worse.

[dalemac377]

have use one on both our fifth wheels. No mess. Would never use grease, to messy.

[geondebi]

We use the teflon lube plate also and have a extra on below. I have seen some that grease the hitch but what a mess.

[fhenn]

me X 3

[Sirsea]

The salesman at Topper's gave us one when we bought our CF335. No grease, really appreciate that when you have to remove the hitch to load something big in the truck bed !!

[Pull Dog]

I did not have one on my first 5th wheel but the dealer gave me one when I purchased my new trailer. My first reaction was that the king pin should still be greased to prevent wear so why all the fuss about no grease if using a lube plate. I continued to use grease on the pin itself



Then I became aware that I was always having trouble hooking up. The hitch would have to be pre positioned just right or I would get a "high hitch" condition where the king pin is over top of the jaws in the receiver. I tried various height adjustments with the landing gear but still ocassionally I would not get a smooth glide back into the jaw area. Then one day I realized the square front of the pin box was designed to push squarely on the plates of the hitch and "cam" it into the same horizontal alignment of the pin box. The rounded nose created by having the lube plate was preventing this caming action. I removed the lube plate and no more problems.........ever!!



I'm not a fan of lube plates. You need to grease the pin anyway so what is the big deal about no grease requirement. Others may feel differently.

[vickark]

Thanks for all the info folks. We're just kind of getting our "ducks in a row" before the awaited arrival date. I'me quite sure we'll have more questions to come-LOL

Thanks a bunch .

[artgpo]

I respectfully differ about the need to grease the king pin. The RV mechanics I have spoken with at several different repair shops all say "no grease on the king pin if you use a lube plate". I have towed the Cruiser about 7,000 miles so far with no apparent wear showing on the ungreased kingpin. I did replace the original lube plate after a year with a larger one but most will last many years. I figure $11 every year or so is like cheap insurance.



I have a Curt Q5 20k hitch. The Q5 requires the pin box to be about 1/2" below the hitch head for hitching. I have NEVER had an issue with hitching usingthe lube plate and the hitch locks securely all the time.



All the "experts", Gary Bunzer, Mark Polk, etc., all say "no grease needed" on the king pin with a lube plate.

[Ridgeman]

Art, I wonder if you are confusing the "PIN" with the hitchplate and the pinbox. The lube plate provides the necessary lubrication between the horizontal surfaces of the hitch and the pinbox. I agree that there is no need for grease to be used on the horizonal surfaces if you use a teflon lube plate.



However the lube plate does nothing to lube the round pin on the pin box or the jaws of the hitch. There ismetal to metal contact at that point regardless of whether you use a lube plate or not. Depending on how much movement your hitch allows between the pin and the jaws, you can get wear on either or both. Take a look at your pin if you don't lube it. You will probaly see a shiny area, maybe some wear. I believe it is a good practice to put a little grease on those surfaces. It doesn't take much and is not nearly as messy as gease all over the hitch and pinbox plates. I just put a little grease on my finger and apply a very thin coat on the locking surface of the pin.

[Sirsea]

Have not yet experienced a "high hitch" with our Cruiser which is equipped with the Intellijacks. So far the system has always positioned the pin at the correct height for hitching, disconnecting and then leveling the trailer. Understand they are available aftermarket, no idea of the cost but after watching my friends sometime struggle to hitch sure am glad I have 'em.

[artgpo]

The Intellijacks do not work well for hitching with a Curt Q5. The pin box needs to be 1/2" below the hitch for hitching and about 1/2" above for unhitching. I use the "Disconnect" setting to unhitch but must manually adjust for hitching. Leveling is a snap. Mine was an aftermarket purchase for $295. Customer support is excellent!



I was told no grease is required for the pin. There is no confusion on my part. As I stated, there is no visible wear on the pin itself after about 7,000 miles of towing. I know the difference between the hitch plate and pin box.

[Sirsea]

The dealer programmed the Intellijacks when we picked up the trailer, they have worked perfectly everytime with our Curt Q5 20k hitch mounted in a Dodge 2500. Took him a couple times to get it right once the truck and trailer were on very level ground. Shouldn't be any reason for it to work for two functions and not the third unless there is a defect.

[artgpo]

Originally Posted by Sirsea

The dealer programmed the Intellijacks when we picked up the trailer, they have worked perfectly everytime with our Curt Q5 20k hitch mounted in a Dodge 2500. Took him a couple times to get it right once the truck and trailer were on very level ground. Shouldn't be any reason for it to work for two functions and not the third unless there is a defect.

The owner of Intellijacks drove down to San Antonio and tried to get the unit to work with the Q5 but could not. With Intellijacks you only program "Disconnect" and "Auto Level". The "Connect" button will return the hitch to the "Disconnect" position.

[Sirsea]

Let's compare rigs, hitches and take some measurements at the rally...we arrive Friday and will be in site 6048.

[artgpo]

We'll be there Friday in 6001. Looking forward to the comparison. Edited by: artgpo