Rust on 5th Wheel Hitch Head Pan

[mwdilday]

I have a Reese 5th wheel hitch. The head pan (plate) paint will not stay on. I re-painted it with rustoleum and on the first trip the paint was off again. I am using a lube plate so there is no grease on it. Does everyone else have this problem? Is using a lube plate a mistake? I am pulling an 18,000 Cedar Creek being a Ford F-350 CC Dually.

[RockyMtnMarty]

I have a 14K 5th wheel TH...with a Reese 20K Elite hitch. I have some wear through the paint...after 5 years of towing...but not a lot. I use a teflon lube plate and I do spray some silicone on the plate. However, with 2500+ weight twisting and rubbing, it should be expected to wear some off over time. I would think the hitch factory paint is a heck of a lot thicker and more durable than spray can Rustoleum...which would not hold up to heavy use. If a lot of your paint has worn off, it could be a defect so you might reach out to Reese directly and ask what is normal. I have contacted them in the past and got follow up answers to my questions. e-trailer.com is a good resource for such questions too... Good luck.