Should I be concerned about my hitch?

[pattirv]

I have a 36' fifth wheel toy hauler. I will be taking a trip soon so I have been assessing the condition of the truck and trailer. I have been given conflicting information on the hitch condition. There is a bit of surface rust on the hitch. Should I be concerned about this?




Moderator edit to fix image URLs

[cummins2014]

My 18K Reese is 12 years old ,and looks better then both that B&W ,and that Curt. The Curt is rusty ,do we know how old, what environment etc etc . Steel rusts, if exposed ,I don't care what hitch it is. Its obvious that Curt hitch has been neglected ,if taken better care of this thread would not exist. Its also obvious the OP does not know whats bad ,and whats just a bit of surface rust.

I would clean that handle up ,and see if it jut surface rust or worse. No need to condemn the brand of hitch because of neglect .

[Cummins12V98]

Mine has been setting out in the weather for 5 years now, only rust is where I have chipped off the paint.

That handle should NOT rust like that as it is supposed to slide in and out easily. Pic is one of an in-laws Curt that came with his RAM truck. He did not like it at all.

My hitch has faded for sure as it sets in the Sun 365. Missing lube plate and a few bumps have some surface rust. Notice the parts that count there is NOT a spec of rust.

[cummins2014]

What they got is a hitch that’s sat in the weather , steel rusts, even B&W . Clean it up , and repaint .

[Cummins12V98]

Chinese Made so that's what ya get over time. Besides they are NOT easy to unhitch when RV and Truck are on different planes.

[joelc]

The hitch looks pretty beat up and sorry to say abused. When you see rust start that is when you should address it and clean it, then repaint. I have had some rust on my plate, but I wire brushed it and repainted it. Do you use a Nylon disk between the hitch and trailer. That supplies lubrication so you do not have metal to metal contact. Do not use grease. Does any area of the hitch show cracks. When you pull the handle does it open and close easily? If you have an RV repair shop near you, it might be a minimal fee to get an expert opinion.

[opnspaces]

pattirv wrote:
I have a 36' fifth wheel toy hauler. I will be taking a trip soon so I have been assessing the condition of the truck and trailer. I have been given conflicting information on the hitch condition. There is a bit of surface rust on the hitch. Should I be concerned about this?

Here are your pictures below.
If it was my hitch I would just sand and repaint.

Click For Full-Size Image.

Click For Full-Size Image.

[MarkTwain]

Buy a new hitch!!! Why run the risk and worry about if the old hitch is going to be safe and possibly cause an accident!!!

[agesilaus]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
You should remove from truck
Disassembly
Clean/Wire brush rusted areas
Repaint
and Clean/Lube all pivoting points/jaws etc

Hitch is solid just needs some loving care

Ditto on that

[pattirv]

Thanks for the opinions!

The conflicting opinions were not from anyone who had seen the hitch and I can't say with any certainty that they are competent RV people. Which is what prompted my post. I'll give the hitch some attention and go from there.

And I agree, better safe than sorry. A new hitch is less expensive than the problem a bad hitch can create.

[enblethen]

Can't see anything that is bad enough to condemn hitch.
Check the bolts that attach to frame.
Wire brush and repaint with good quality paint such as Hammerite or rustoleum.

[MFL]

It is hard to judge the integrity of a hitch, by looking at a pic. You say you are getting conflicting info. Is this from people actually inspecting the hitch? A competent person should be able to inspect, clean up, and restore your hitch to be used safely. If there is any question of it not being safe, I'd replace it. A quality standard rail hitch is not that expensive.

Jerry

[Old-Biscuit]

You should remove from truck
Disassembly
Clean/Wire brush rusted areas
Repaint
and Clean/Lube all pivoting points/jaws etc

Hitch is solid just needs some loving care

[RobWNY]

Broken images