5th Wheel Lube Plates

[captcolour]

Just completed my third trip with the 5th wheel since taking possession back in May. I crunched my 3rd or 4th nylon lube plate today. This one was a 12" which I thought would help versus the other 10". The first few would fold and get crushed between the skid plate and the pin box. This one got caught around the pin itself in the jaws. Hitch is the Ford factory Reese which I believe is the Elite RE25. None of these seem to stay tight against the bottom of the pin box prior to hitching. They droop a bit.

Assume most people are using a lube plate. If so, how long do they normally last and what am I doing wrong?

[chuckster57]

I'm still using the one I bought so long ago I can't remember. Mine will slip down the king pin when I unhook, but I've never had one get crushed. I push it up with the front edge touching pin box and just watch it as I set the pin down.

[bsmith0404]

I've had my current lube plate for 4 years now. I just bring the truck back and make sure the lube plate is riding up the top of the hitch plate. Have never had a problem other than a few tabs broke off my last one which allowed it to fall off the pin

[Thundershorts]

I just got our 5er at the end of last year, and I am still using the same lube plate. The edges are curved down a bit. I make sure it's on top of the fifth wheel plate before I hook up.

[chuckster57]

If the bottom of the pin box is set just a bit lower than the hitch plate and the lube plate is either flush up against the pin box or as is my case the front edge is up against the pin box, then when you back under the pin there shouldn't be any way to crush the lube plate IMO.

[Alpine]

Yup my first one lasted four years... until I broke it!

As far as it slipping off, I have some 1/4 inch nylon tape, that after doing a coupe of turns around the top of the king-pin the plate fits snug and has yet to fall off when un-hooking!

[Mikesamoose]

I had one on the trailer we retired in March for almost 10 years with no problems. The new trailer has a new plate and over the course of five trips it is still sitting tight at the top of the pin. We use the same Ford Reese hitch.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[gkainz]

I put one on our 2010 when new ... removed it in 2014 when I switched to the Andersen Ultimate hitch. It was still in good shape when I removed it.

[notanlines]

I might be able to help in a small way. When the disk is slid over the pin, look to see if part of the disk hangs over the front of the smooth part of the pin box. If it does hang just an inch or two simply cut off the excess so that the disk lays flat. That way when you back up to make contact the disk will continue to lay flat on the trailer surface. I might add that we are still on the original disk from 2013.

[captcolour]

Thanks everyone. I have another new one in stock, so will use it Wednesday. I had thought about electrical tape just to keep it up and flush, knowing it will pull away when turning which is fine. Will also back up slower and watch how it slides onto the plate. I was shocked that this last one went around the jaws.

[66joej]

Thanks everyone. I have another new one in stock, so will use it Wednesday. I had thought about electrical tape just to keep it up and flush, knowing it will pull away when turning which is fine. Will also back up slower and watch how it slides onto the plate. I was shocked that this last one went around the jaws.

Are you using the grey (graphite impregnated) ones?

[captcolour]

No, the first ones were black from the RV dealer. The rest were natural nylon.

[66joej]

Have used the black/grey ones when we had our 5er. They worked fine.

[Ram189]

I have used same one for 4 years. How did it get down around the jaws for the pin?

Mine is pretty solid and would take a lot to get down inside the receiver.

[captcolour]

I have used same one for 4 years. How did it get down around the jaws for the pin?

Mine is pretty solid and would take a lot to get down inside the receiver.

All I can do is guess that the front edge was on the skid plate, but the back slipped off the king pin. That dropped the inner part of the hole low enough to get pulled into the jaws by the king pin.