Fifth wheel slide

Need truck information and brand of fifth wheel.

I don't slide my plate either.
Your hitch won't slide off the truck. There should be stops at the end of the rails preventing that.

Good luck.

 

5 years or so a cattle hauler forgot to lock his fifth wheel near Ignacio Ontario the trailer with fifth wheel attached ended up in a rock cut .. I’d say most wouldn’t fall off but some do

 

Well, if you couldn't slide it, are you sure the locking pins were "released"? Maybe one or more was stuck in the lock position. Are you sure you didn't release the 5th slide when you meant to dump the air bags?

I would have dropped the trailer and had a closer look at the 5th wheel slide and lock mechanisms. Used a hammer to insure nothing was stuck. I think springs wants to keep them in the lock position as long as there is no air supplied to keep them in the unlock position, so with the 5th wheel slide in the travel position, a hammer should force them all to close as long as the plate is in a position to allow them to close. Regardless, the plate might have moved enough to allow the pins to go in with sufficient urging on your part.

 

Call your breakdown department.

 

Buy a schoolyard black board box of chalk.

Prior to doing anything, MARK a big fat mark up and down across your 5th wheel rail, your 5th wheel pegs that go into the holes on each side of that rail. And so on.

Once you verify and move it, then weigh it again to be sure its legal GET ANOTHER CHALK MARK of a different color onto both sides of that rail and slot plus pegs that go into the new holes.

You do MUST be careful in that rain. Two problems. First you may put on too much up front onto your steer axle. OR WORSE take too much OFF and now cannot steer. You will only go straight as your pavement tries it's best to peel your steer tires off. That's the rain talking. Or ice or snow.

The second part is you might move the 5th wheel too far forward cause your trailer front plate, pigtail, gladhnds etc to take out many important things on the back of your 18 wheeler.

Have fun!

 

the real question is do you lower air bags when dropping the trailer