Travel trailer hitch

[caseyhoward]

I've been towing a bumper pull travel trailers and boats around for years I've never greased the ball on the hitch. I'm looking at stuff all over the Internet saying that you should Grease the ball on the hitch? Now you know everything on the Internet is true 🙂 So here is the question.

What do my fellow travel trailer people do grease or no grease on the ball?

PS. Before someone says we have a thread on that. I looked and couldn't find it. 😉

[DiskDoctr]

Balls are cheap, maybe one pair of pants or less 😉

I don't grease them, but my shins also heal

[Woodtroll]

I grease mine. As already pointed out, weight-distributing hitches put a LOT of force on the ball, more than just the actual tongue weight. Since I got in the habit with our travel trailer and big farm trailers, I usually grease the lighter trailer balls too. It makes me feel better, but I agree that it is less necessary on the light trailers.

[Ductape_Dave]

I keep mine lightly greased and after unhitching the trailer I just put a baggie on it so I don't get grease on me.

[wannavolunteerF]

I only grease mine when I am trying to be sure trailer drops onto ball easily or comes off ball easier. I don't always get it perfectly aligned so a squirt of silicon will help it slide on easier. If I seems I have to jump up and down on tailgate of truck for it to come loose, I will give it a squirt.

[Vintage465]

ScottG wrote:
I grease mine with Vaseline, which is easier to wash out of pants. 🙂
There was a time when I didn't grease it but the ball wore and the couple galled. It was also noisy at times. Also, a buddy who works on construction equip showed me how balls had worn through several of their trailers couplers requiring eventual replacement.

I've always greased mine. And I grease my old style round bars where the slide up in and lock in the hitch head. Much quieter operation. Usually what ever grease is around. There is no way I am able to keep it off myself for some reason as much as i try. The part about replacing the coupler on the trailer is trouble I don't need.

[caseyhoward]

Thanks for the feedback

[engine31]

Ok I do grease my hitch ball on my trailer and on my boat hitch I have used the same hitch for boat and utility trailer for years no issues, obviously my camper trailer has a larger hitch and I grease it too without any issues.
Happy Greasing!:D

[dodge_guy]

I carry a small tub of wheel bearing grease. I put a small dab on the ball occasionally. My ball looks like new.

Boats are different in that the tongue weight is lighter. So the pressure on the ball is less.

[owenssailor]

I grease mine. The hitch stays installed all winter. I caver the ball with one of the fitted caps. Then we don't get grease on our clothes.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I never have greased mine. My trailer is 30 YO. Hitch is fine.....so are my pants. 🙂

[carringb]

I grease my hitch for the TT only. If I don't, it wears into the all quickly. I grease it about every 1,000 miles using lithium spray grease.

I don't grease any other trailer. They don't do that.

[Labman7]

Husky WD hitch instructions say to grease the ball.

[RinconVTR]

The trailer ball see's EXTREME high pressure when used with a WDH and enough movement and weight is on it even without a WDH.

Those who think it doesn't need lubrication have no rational thought to prove their point. Ignore them.

[Hannibal]

Couple of drops of Mobil-1 5w-30 on the ball, trunion sockets, chain ends and suspension points before each trip. Save the rest for pancakes. Love the stuff!