I think what mike4947 is saying is that the coupler can be properly latched / pinned, but with the ball not seated. So the ball will come off while the coupler remains latched.
I unfortunately did this early on in my towing career with a bass boat trailer. Everything seemed fine, a few miles down the road I hit a bump and the trailer was on the ground. Now the last thing I do is LOOK under the hitch to visualize that the ball is seated, but the jacking method mentioned above works also.
Back on topic, I never lubed the ball but I probably will after reading this thread.
A friend borrowed my receiver and ball to tow a trailer, not an RV but a cart type trailer. The trailer had a slight shimmy/wiggle, and transfered the motion to the ball. The back-and-forth motion over a long period caused the big nut holding the ball on to loosen, then FALL OFF!! The only thing that kept it all together was hitch weight and gravity. Did he grease it first? Nope! You decide.
"I didn't plan on getting old, it just happened, and it will happen to you too, if you're lucky".
---Andy Rooney
mike4947 wrote: A fairly common occurance is for the coupler to not set fully on the ball, but still lock with the keeper above the ball center. this means the coupler will come off the ball at the first good jounce.
The cure is to after locking down the coupler to jack up the tongue jack until the rear of the TV starts to rise and you can tell if the coupler/ball connection is correct.
BTW if grease caused the coupler to open, then it should be replaced. It's worn out. They are designed with an over center operation that grease would have no effect on with unworn, in tolerance parts connected correctly.
The coupler did not open. It pulled off the ball. He had to remove the coupler lock on the latch and flip the latch open in order to rehitch to the TV.
While I respect your and your friends careers, there is no way a properly latched and serviceable coupler will pop off a ball due to grease. I grease and have had 4 different trailers I have towed, 3 using the same ball. Each of them I can use the trailers tongue jack to practically lift the rear of the truck past it's unsprung ride height. In fact you have to do this to hook up my WD bars. Something was not right with your set up when your friend used the trailer. Accidents happen. However with all your mechanical experience I find it kind of odd that you disregard lubricating metal to metal contact on a ball an d socket conection. I am a Machinist and Welder BTW and would not dream of it. The manufacturers apparently agree with the greasers here too.
chipj29 wrote: I own three trailers, and have never greased the ball.
My pop up is in its 12th season. I have owned it for 9 years. Mostly small trips, but one 2500 mile round trip.
My snowmobile trailer is in at least its 10th season (not exactly sure). I don't use it all that much, and no long trips.
My PWC trailer is in it's 10th season, I have owned it for 7 years. Mostly short trips.
All 3 trailers pivot and turn just fine, with no squeaks, moans or groans.
Should you grease? I will leave that up to you. I suppose it can't hurt (not counting greasy pants).
And non of the trailers you mention have near the tongue weight or tow weight of many travel trailers. My grandfather towed his boats forever without lube. Guess what? His hitch ball was always rusting and had the chrome scraped from them. I have had three TT's, used grease on each and have the same ball. When I wipe the grease off, the ball looks almost new. My TT manufacturer recommends grease as does Reese and all it's subsidiaries. Do the people who make the stuff not know what they are talking about?
I never said anything about travel trailers. I made it clear in my post the trailer types I was referring to.
And if you read the last line of my post, you will notice that I said it wouldn't hurt to grease it.
I hate these types of arguments. We have had different real-world results, with different types of trailers. That's the way life is, no two situations are alike. Take the advice you get, figure out which applies best in your situation, and go from there.
How there can be much controversy as to the correct procedure if ALL manufacturers recommend lubrication (I cannot verify this fact, it is an assumption based on another post)? If the previous statement is true, that some of us do grease and some of us do not is irrelevant to the CORRECT way. I think the OP’s question has been mostly answered- lubrication is always indicated. I personally lubricate my heavier trailer ball (2-5/16” ball), but do not grease my little trash trailer (1-7/8” ball). The pressures and loads are greatly different on the two. Right or wrong, it’s worked for me for a long time. As for fifth wheels, there are two ways I know of, but there may be more. One is to apply grease to the capture plate, the other is to use a thin plastic disk between the pin box and plate. I have never used grease on my rig, but I used the disc for some time, and it appeared to do just fine.
Mark and Lucy T.
2004 Chevy 2500HD Gasser
2008 Jayco Eagle 27.5 Super Lite
Superglide on Homemade Removable Rails
chipj29 wrote: I own three trailers, and have never greased the ball.
My pop up is in its 12th season. I have owned it for 9 years. Mostly small trips, but one 2500 mile round trip.
My snowmobile trailer is in at least its 10th season (not exactly sure). I don't use it all that much, and no long trips.
My PWC trailer is in it's 10th season, I have owned it for 7 years. Mostly short trips.
All 3 trailers pivot and turn just fine, with no squeaks, moans or groans.
Should you grease? I will leave that up to you. I suppose it can't hurt (not counting greasy pants).
And non of the trailers you mention have near the tongue weight or tow weight of many travel trailers. My grandfather towed his boats forever without lube. Guess what? His hitch ball was always rusting and had the chrome scraped from them. I have had three TT's, used grease on each and have the same ball. When I wipe the grease off, the ball looks almost new. My TT manufacturer recommends grease as does Reese and all it's subsidiaries. Do the people who make the stuff not know what they are talking about?
I never said anything about travel trailers. I made it clear in my post the trailer types I was referring to.
And if you read the last line of my post, you will notice that I said it wouldn't hurt to grease it.
I hate these types of arguments. We have had different real-world results, with different types of trailers. That's the way life is, no two situations are alike. Take the advice you get, figure out which applies best in your situation, and go from there.
That is just it. There is really no arguement here. You have RV manufacturers as well as tow eqiupment manufacturers stating to lightly coat the area with grease. Yet still we have people saying they know more. I honestly didn't mean to offend you BTW. I just wanted to point out that just because someone has no issues on their small utility trailer it does not mean the same will apply to their TT.
mike4947 wrote: A fairly common occurance is for the coupler to not set fully on the ball, but still lock with the keeper above the ball center. this means the coupler will come off the ball at the first good jounce.
The cure is to after locking down the coupler to jack up the tongue jack until the rear of the TV starts to rise and you can tell if the coupler/ball connection is correct.
BTW if grease caused the coupler to open, then it should be replaced. It's worn out. They are designed with an over center operation that grease would have no effect on with unworn, in tolerance parts connected correctly.
The coupler did not open. It pulled off the ball. He had to remove the coupler lock on the latch and flip the latch open in order to rehitch to the TV.
While I respect your and your friends careers, there is no way a properly latched and serviceable coupler will pop off a ball due to grease. I grease and have had 4 different trailers I have towed, 3 using the same ball. Each of them I can use the trailers tongue jack to practically lift the rear of the truck past it's unsprung ride height. In fact you have to do this to hook up my WD bars. Something was not right with your set up when your friend used the trailer. Accidents happen. However with all your mechanical experience I find it kind of odd that you disregard lubricating metal to metal contact on a ball an d socket conection. I am a Machinist and Welder BTW and would not dream of it. The manufacturers apparently agree with the greasers here too.
I just don't feel it is necessary to grease the couplers on my trailers. I have looked them over from time to time and they look fine. If I do notice any ploblem I can always have the coupler replaced if it needs it. They aren't that expensive. I have a brother that was a nuclear welder and is now a quality inspecter and friend that used to be a welder too. So welding is not a problem. Balls are cheap, that is why I have one on 6 different draw bars.
I mentioned I don't use grease and told what happened to my friend when he did. I do believe the grease contributed to the coupler comming loose. Everyone else decide for themselves. He hit a very bad bump. He said he could see the trailer in the air in the rear view mirror and it came back down hard and that is when it seperated. The trailer may have come uncoupled whether or not he used grease. Grease does make things sliperier and the jaw on the coupler latch is basically spring loaded against the under side of the ball when latched. I will say that I never have used it and have hit bad bumps towing the same utility trailer loaded heavier and lighter and never had the trailer uncouple. He used it and it happened. It could have caused the coupler to come off the ball easier than it would have without grease. So if he had not used the coupler might not have popped off.
As far Mike's comments you can lift on the tongue all day long with a jack to check to see the coupler is connected properly. It ain't the same as the violent forces (shock loads) incurred when the trailer hits a bad bump. I'm still not going to use grease on couplers. I do not see the need at this time. Other things yes. I'm done here.
* This post was
edited 08/23/08 02:01pm by mobeewan *
Oh, fer...
A "Nuclear Welder" is one who is certified to weld in or on nuclear power plants, just like a "pipeline welder" is certified to weld on pipelines, and a "pressure vessel welder" is certified to weld on high pressure boilers and such, and an "aluminum welder" is certified to weld aluminum and its various alloys, and an "aircraft welder" is certified to weld on aircraft, and...
you should have the idea by now.
Put a forged steel "Bulldog" type coupler on your trailer, and you won't be able to "short shank" the coupler. If it isn't all the way seated on the ball, you can't close it, and if you can't close it you can't move the lock ring, and if you can't move the lock ring you can't install the safety pin, and if you can't install the safety pin, the coupler isn't closed all the way, and you go back to the start and do it right. It is forged steel, not stamped sheet metal, so it is very strong. have a CERTIFIED WELDER install it.
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