Fifth Wheel Won't Latch Onto Trailer

Why not lower the gear?...I always back up until I've covered 1/2 of the 2nd set of drives then get out and look...I got in this habit after my very first hook and the trailer was so high, it got caught in FRONT of the 5th wheel...Very embarrassing and I said, never again...

 

Haha I'd like to see that done.

 

I used to "pick" a fifth wheel multiple times a day with a bar. The truck I was driving had a fifth wheel that flipped upside down into a hole to be hidden out of the way and if you didn't latch it before you flipped it the handle would ge bent. On topic depending on what model fifth wheel you have this method won't always work. If you have a decent holland that has a handle and an adjustment pin that stay out when the handle is pulled they won't reset themselves, but if you take a bar and hit the jaws from the front towards the back they will open.

 

Yeah, I've had it happen before where I missed the kingpin and it was on the front side of the fifth wheel. Not hard to fix, just a PIA. As for the problem with the fifth wheel, I would insist that they either repair it or have the fifth wheel replaced. I envision the trailer seperating from the cab as you drive down the road. A problem I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Remember, if something happens it's on you.

 

Thanks for saving my bacon!!!!

 

yea that's what Id always do with all trailers I pick up unless they were already low. Id back up under the trailer until the fifth wheel was about to go up under the trailer. Then go back and let the trailer down enough to where when I backed under it, it would lift the trailer up a little so that when I did hook if it was off centered a little, the trailer would move whichever way it needed to without dragging the landing gear on the pavement or whatever. Im sure you've picked up trailers where the landing gear was hard to roll up? That's why, because someone has slid the trailer when they backed up under it and drug the landing gear on the pavement. It bends a little and makes it hard to roll them up. I never did that if the trailer was leaning downhill though, just when it was sitting flat level.

 

Different trucks have different 5th wheel heights, back up so that you can see the height of the trailer lower the trailer so that your 5th wheel will pick it up, let the air out of your drives back under then refill your airbags. lifts the trailer up. As far as the 5th wheel not latching properly time for a good cleaning, grease job and adjustment .

 

I've had just the opposite happen. I pull the handle to unlock, get back in truck, put into gear and the handle unlatches and relocks the 5th wheel. Then get back out, pull handle till it locks, get back in and release brake.... and,handle slips back in.

 

Thanks for the tip. I will try it tonight.