5th Wheel Hitch Maintenance

A little regular maintenance on your 5th wheel hitch will keep it operating smoothly and help extend its life.

[@F350JOHN]

Excellent presentation!

[@tysonbasye5171]

Very well presented. Awesome job!

[@brentdreamer2025]

Good job. Nice and basic, yet very informative for someone just starting out. cheers

[@dangatschenberger7904]

Great video, Thank you!

[@dbarr3929]

Like the video...I am a daily user of B&W 5th wheel for my excavation business. One thing to always watch are the bolts holding arms to bottom frame. My goose kept knocking forward upon stopping. Inspection found 2 bolts loose and one missing.

[@jackwatkins4286]

Great video , simple instructions , easy to follow . B&W hitches are battleship tough

[@bobsbarnacle]

Good presentation..

[@dalehilltopfarm]

Excellent!

[@athena11711]

Thank you sir!

[@darrinway3577]

Can you provide a list of good products to use on the various grease points?

[@allan6021]

Does all this apply to the B&W Patriot, too? I’m planning to buy a Patriot hitch to use with a Reese Revolution pinbox that locks the pin in position and turns 22” back at the pinbox turret. In that application, is it still necessary to lubricate the inside surface of the jaws?

[@brianburnett15]

Great video. I've owned mine for 4yrs no lubing. Guess I need to go lube it. Yikes

[@mrkny1522]

What are your recommendations for Turning Point King Pins as far as lube plates or greasing the main plate?

[@kevinmathis8635]

The B&W manual recommends chasis grease on the jaws, but a multi-purpose grease in the zerk. I noticed you said the same grease for both. What is the difference & does it matter which grease you use?

[@vickijd22]

I had a new hitch installed almost 2 years ago. The top plate has rust on it now due to the fact that it has not been removed or maintained at all. My husband was tragically killed shortly after we got it, sadly. How do I go about removing the rust without damaging the flat/top piece? Thank you.

[@sandymcquat3877]

Brand new hitch should I grease all areas

[@cthunter41]

I just bought this hitch second hand. it looks brand new but ive noticed with the head locked on the base I can still pull the head up off the base maybe an eighth to a quarter inch before the locks engage the base. is this normal? seems like it should be tight but this is my first fifth wheel hitch so I'm not sure. Any ideas?

[@moserkm]

You mention greasing the jaws. That's good to know as we didn't grease ours to bring it home from the dealer about 70 miles on the dealer's recommendation. It was below freezing and had some issues getting the jaws to release. We did use a lube plate though. My question now is, do we need to use the grease gun on the shaft with a brand new hitch, or does the hitch come from the factory with the grease already in it? Thanks!

[@BWTrailerHitches]

The grease zerk on the coupler head pivoting shaft comes already greased from the factory. We recommend reapplying grease into the zerk every six months.

[@moserkm]

Thank you!

[@Blackhorses32UT]

Thanks I was wondering this question I was worried thank you!

[@tracieharris8100]

@@BWTrailerHitches will lugas red tacky work for the zerk?

[@wlwhistlelucy1868]

If that thing comes loose you’re gonna have a bad day😂

[@fishaddict2]

Is there any benefit to using a lube plate if you have a turning pin box such as Lippert Turning Point or Reese Sidewinder? Also, can the wedge even fit into the hitch properly if using those types of pin boxes?

[@BWTrailerHitches]

All of the Companions and Patriots are not compatible with capture plates (for auto sliding hitches). Though some are compatible with wedges, including the stationary Patriot hitches and stationary OEM Companions that have multiple points of attachments. You would need to consult your pin box manufacturer for correct wedge fitment, as we don’t manufacture them. With the wedge on a pin box, we don’t believe that you can use a lube plate unless there are models out that are compatible or provide a cutout for the wedge.

[@keithashline505]

Quick question on that ring you say can be put on the kingpin of your trailer, wouldn't that compromise how the kingpin is secured in the jaws of the fifth wheel hitch?

[@BWTrailerHitches]

A lube plate is a great alternative to grease but, as they do come in various sizes, we do recommend making sure that the thickness of the plate didn’t change up the way that your jaw mechanism engages your kingpin. So, be sure that your jaws on your fifth wheel hitch close securely and latch the kingpin. It’s also a good idea to perform a proper pull test.

[@keithashline505]

@@BWTrailerHitches thanks for sharing your knowledge about fifth wheel hitches. A secured king pin is always a good idea when towing. I personally have high hung a couple of times as a tractor trailer driver and it’s not a very good experience. A visual check and a tug pull are always a good thing to preform also. Again, thanks for responding to my enquiry.

[@jeffgambrell4139]

Can lithium grease be used on the shaft?

[@BWTrailerHitches]

Yes, we do recommend using white lithium grease on the Companion post as well.

[@sold1million]

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