RE: What s a good lubricant for the ball hitch?

[George]

 
I noticed that my ball hitch is full of black grease from towing the Taos home.  (Discovered it on my shirt after leaning over it to unhook the chains.) I m guessing the dealer applied something.  Not having really towed anything before... what do I need to use?
 
 The Q&A thread seemed to offer the choice of dry, lubed, or wax paper (?) Are there any other recommendations?  Any common misconceptions I should avoid?
 
 Thanks for your anticipated help...
 
 -George
 

[MtnCamper]

 George
I use the Reese Hitch Ball grease from Wal-Mart. Figure they ought to know. It is kind of messy. So I remove the hitch insert and wrap a rag around it, when I m not using it. Then it goes in a storage spot under the rear seat.

[mike4947]

 George
Well for starters hop over to Camping World and pick up a ball cover. I use one even though we use a specailty dry lube. keeps out the dirt when the drawbar s in the TV but we re not towing and keeps the lube off everything when storing the drawbar. As for the lube anything works fine and it doesn t take much to keep the ball working properly.

[labontefan]

 George
I use hitch ball grease. Comes in a little jar. It s a Teflon lubricant...Wally World should have it. It is kinda messy, so I keep a shop towel handy when I m hitching or unhitching. (Shop towels are wonderful things...don t know how we d camp without  em!)

[JemJen24]

 George
a squirt of pam cookin  spray.  LOL []

[tlhdoc]

 George
We use the Reese hitch lube.  You can find it at Wal-Mart in the towing section.  A small white plastic container with a screw on lid.  I just turn the jar over and put it over the ball to lube it.  I wipe it off after we unhitch.

[wahoonc]

 George
I have used grease for years, with all of the associated problems. Saw the wax paper trick mentioned and gave it a try. It seems to work well. You take a big square of wax paper fold it over several times to a square about 6"  on a side, plop it on the ball and drop the camper hitch over it. Works great and no greasey mess![]
 
 Aaron[]

[AustinBoston]

 George
The first thing to know is that your hitch ball needs to be lubricated with something.  The second is to know that only one technique I have ever heard of isn t messy.
 
 I ve used axle grease, vaseline, lithium spray, and a few other things.  All of them will turn black and messy in short order.  Then I tried the wax paper trick.
 
 WAX PAPER IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!
 
 1) It works.  Wax paper is really coated with parafin, wich is a petroleum lubricant that happens to be solid at room temperature.
 2) Four layers of wax paper apply a sufficient amount of lubricant (and hold it in place) for one day s towing (up to 12 hours).  If you are towing longer, I d recommend replacing it.
 3) It is clean.  It won t stain your clothes unless you deliberately rub it on.  Casual contact will not cause it to come off.
 3a) It doesn t become black with microfine particles.  To me, this seems to indicate that it is actually a superior lubricant, not just adequate.
 4) You actually remove the lubricant when you unhitch.  Then you throw the wax paper away.  The hitch ball is clean.
 5) Wax paper has no " hazardous material"  warnings.  It doesn t need them, it is safe for food.
 6) You don t need to keep track of a hitch ball cover that will eventually become covered with grease and be just as messy as the ball itself.
 7) You can get it in all grocery stores, many convenience stores, and almost anywhere food is sold.
  Because a thin layer of wax remains on the ball even after the wax paper is removed, it will protect the ball from rust.  Unlike softer lubricants, this layer of wax will remain in place in the rain.
 
 Just take a square (a strip the width of the roll) and fold it in half twice.  Then wrap it around the ball, and connect as usual.  When you disconnect, take the old wax paper off and throw it away.  Use a new piece each time you hitch up.
 
 Austin (hoping someone comes up with a technique to avoid the dreaded " hitch dingle"  from whacking the shin against the hitch ball or coupler)

[SheBantam]

 George
Wax paper as a lubricant...gee I wonder if I could use it on my sway bar???Guess not since it would be too hard to get that bar back into the slot and would probably rip apart...
 
 By the way what kinda grease do you all really use on the sway bar, I had to get a new one because I bent the bar lowering the jack, it got stuck in the drive, forgot to bungee it up...

[Turn Key]

 George
Been using waxpaper for years.  Way neatter then anything else.  A 12" X12"  piece folded in quarters will fit fine and do a great job.

[ckkevin]

 SheBantam

By the way what kinda grease do you all really use on the sway bar, I had to get a new one because I bent the bar lowering the jack, it got stuck in the drive, forgot to bungee it up...

 We were told by our dealer to never use a lubricant on the sway bar.

[George]

 George
Thanks for the tip about the wax paper.  
 
 FYI... for the outbound trip, the used wax paper will make a great fire starter.  We use it all the time when we want to " cheat"  with the boy scouts.
 
 -George
 

[Wayfarer]

 George
A great tip about the wax paper!  I, too, have tried it all and still get grease on me no matter how hard I try to avoid it.  
 
 Thanks!  [8D]

[Red neff Barchetta]

 George
I m another wax paper believer.
 No mess at all!  I keep the roll of wax paper in the back of the TV with the draw bar at all times.
 The twice folded 12"  x 12"  sheet (which then becomes 4 - 6"  x 6"  sheets) fits perfectly over the ball.

[whitestar505]

 tlhdoc
tlhdoc,
 
    Went to Walmart last night and got some of the Reese hitch lube. Had to look hard for it. Only two on the shelve. Thanks for the tip. I have using some sort of spary lube off and on. []