Rust on Your Trailer Hitch | What to Do

Let’s be real. You use your trailer outside. You know what they have outside? Water. Do you know what trailer hitches are made out of? Metal. Water makes metal rust.

When your trailer hitch rusts, it just won’t hook in where it needs to like it used to. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s talk about how to prevent trailer hitch rust so you can use your hitch easily year after year, haul after haul, job after job. 

We will go step by step and part by part. 

Prevent Rust on Your Receiver Hitch

Basically, you need oily fluid films and covers to protect your trailer hitch parts. You can use a non-solvent based product like Fluid Film to protect your receiver hitch. This will keep off debris and even moisture. Combine that with a hitch cover and you are good to go. 

You can protect all hitch components with a zinc coat. But note that as you use the hitch more and more, the coat will wear away, particularly on fine, high use areas like pin holes. Anywhere you see tons of friction, you’re going to get rust. Use your fluid coat on these areas early and often to keep them in good shape. 

Prevent Rust on Your Ball Mount

Some of this is storage. Indoor storage will extend the life of your ball mount quite a bit. If you leave it in the receiver, the ball will vibrate and wear down all the protective coating we just talked about. You can leave it in your vehicle too, you just might find it is harder to find a reliable place for it. A ball mount bag is a good idea too. 

No matter what, you should plan on regularly greasing up all of these parts. 

But What if My Trailer Hitch Is Already Rusted?

You can take certain measures to make sure the rust does not get worse. Make sure you check regularly for corrosion. The sooner you spot it the better. You’re most likely to find it on the hitch pin hole or receiver opening. Use a rust stop paint to help preserve your parts. If your parts are over exposed to the elements, consider getting bags or covers or storing them inside when not in use. 

Talk to The Trailer Parts Outlet When You Have Trailer Maintenance Questions

We love taking care of trailers and our customers here at The Trailer Parts Outlet. Contact us if you have any questions about maintenance for these parts or any other trailer parts.