Reliability of fiver latch mechanism
I don't want to hijack the other thread about the poor family whose fiver fell on their truck rails. But his thread got me thinking about the reliability of the different jaws and I just wanted to...
Forum Discussion
Failure can occur from wear. Pivot points need to be clean and lubed or they will get sloppy. I have heard of slide bars with grooves worn in them from failing to lube the king pin. Jaw type hitches can also wear in this way but it is less obvious because they are round to start with. When latched there should be just enough room for the kingpin to rotate freely. Too much wear and there will be clunking when changing speeds (accelerating or decelerating/braking). Excess clunking can cause impact damage over time. Most RV'ers I have seen who use a teflon lube plate do not lube the kingpin itself.
