West Tech Mobile | Heavy Truck & Trailer Repair and Service
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • News
  • Services
    • Roadside Assistance
    • Truck and Trailer Repair
    • Fleet Services
    • Computer Diagnostics
    • Inspections >
      • Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station
      • Bus CVIP
    • Other Services >
      • Air Conditioning Services
      • Bucket Truck Service
      • Hydraulic Cylinder Repair
      • Motorhome Repair
  • Products
    • DynaCERT
    • Positive Air Shutoff System
    • Bypass Oil Filter System
    • Coolant Heater
    • Automatic Tire Chains
    • Truck Sleeper HVAC
    • GPS Installation
    • HDL90 Oil Additive
  • Employment
  • Blog
  • Contact

Blog

Fifth Wheel Safety and Maintenance

10/31/2018

3 Comments

 
fifth wheel safety and maintenance

Fifth Wheel Safety and Maintenance

If you’re a truck driver or a heavy equipment operator – or even if you’re just someone who loves to camp! – then chances are good that you’re familiar with fifth-wheel configurations. These setups, in which a trailer is hooked into the tractor or semi by a “kingpin” held in place in the centre of a disc or other mechanism, are very common and can be seen all over the roads you travel.
 
There are many different kinds of fifth-wheel connectors. Aside from the common vertical pin type that you’ll likely see on semis and tractor-trailers, there are also pintle hitches, which use a hook and a ring to allow greater flexibility on rough terrain; gooseneck hitches, which are used in pickup truck beds to pull campers and horse trailers; ball hitches, which usually attach to the back end of a truck for a variety of towing needs, and low-mount car-haulers – kind of like miniature flatbeds. With so much variation in style and capability, it’s easy for some telltale signs of danger or incorrect weight distribution to go unnoticed. And that means bad news!
It’s fairly obvious what will happen if your fifth-wheel detaches while you’re driving, and it is improperly attached or maintained – the trailer will drop, with no way to stop or steer it! If it’s heavy and you’re going highway speeds, that can spell catastrophic danger for anyone around, and virtually guarantees a trailer that will soon be smashed into scrap metal. This is a headache that you absolutely want to avoid, for many more reasons than we could list here.
 
It pays to be familiar with the different styles of connectors, and what their benefits and disadvantages are in terms of weight distribution, capability on different terrains, etc. Make sure you are familiar with handling before you set out on a long trip, too. But by far, the most important step you can take is simply to keep up with your maintenance, and make sure there are no underlying problems that will cause a failure.
 
Always use your senses and do a visual inspection of the connection point, brake lines, safety chains, and other vital places around the truck and trailer, but remember – just because it looks good, doesn’t mean it is! Listen as you drive for anything that sounds out of place: do you hear binding or snapping sounds, especially around corners? That’s inertia and momentum, throwing weight out of place and putting too much stress in certain areas. Are you finding it difficult to disengage the pin when releasing the fifth wheel? You could be lacking grease, or have misaligned parts. Signs like heavy pitting on the top plate or a wrongly set adjustment rod (on some styles) can indicate big problems further in. And as we’re a fan of saying – use preventative maintenance now, to save time, money and stress later!
 
Oftentimes, fifth-wheel systems can be rebuilt or repaired for a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire thing. But it all depends on how early you catch any issues, and how well you’ve taken care of your equipment over the many miles along the road.  You don’t want to be stranded on the roadside, at best, or – at worst – cause a major accident that could have lethal consequences for you or someone else. 
 
If you want to be sure that your trailer is working at its best, bring it to West Tech Mobile for an inspection – or let us come to you with one of our fully equipped service trucks. We may not find anything major, and in fact, we hope we don’t, but when it comes to safety, there’s no substitute for doing it right!
​
3 Comments
David Johnson link
6/19/2019 12:58:43 pm

Thank you for explaining that fifth wheel systems can be rebuilt or repaired without having to replace the entire thing. Personally, I think it would be especially helpful to have professionals in custom chassis involved so that you can get the best trailer possible for your needs. I'll have to look further into trailer maintenance.

Reply
Ron Booker link
2/14/2020 09:25:29 am

I'm glad you elaborated on fifth wheel systems being able to rebuilt or repaired without having to replace the entire thing. My dad bought a hitch, and he wants to take care of it while he stores it for the next trip. I will pass him the info so he can look for a hitch grip tool and store his hitch.

Reply
Alicia Byrne link
7/5/2020 10:53:10 pm

Thank you for sharing that time is the key when it comes to reducing the amount we have to pay for fixing issues on our fifth-wheel systems. My husband and I are thinking of buying a fifth-wheel RV so that we can go on road trips with our son. I will let him know that we should be maintaining our trailer regularly so that we can make sure we spot any issues early to avoid expensive repair costs.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All
    Air Conditioning
    Batteries
    Common Failures
    Diesel
    DPF
    Electric
    Emissions
    Fuel Economy
    Gear Lubes
    Google's FAQ
    Heavy Truck Repair
    Inspections
    Instructional
    International
    Maintenance
    Our Team
    Regulations
    Roadside Assistance
    Safety
    Signs Of A Good Shop
    Summer
    Technology
    Tires
    Trailer Repair
    Winter
    World News

    RSS Feed

West Tech Mobile
#22 5555 51 Ave SE
​Calgary, AB T2C 3X4
Picture
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • News
  • Services
    • Roadside Assistance
    • Truck and Trailer Repair
    • Fleet Services
    • Computer Diagnostics
    • Inspections >
      • Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station
      • Bus CVIP
    • Other Services >
      • Air Conditioning Services
      • Bucket Truck Service
      • Hydraulic Cylinder Repair
      • Motorhome Repair
  • Products
    • DynaCERT
    • Positive Air Shutoff System
    • Bypass Oil Filter System
    • Coolant Heater
    • Automatic Tire Chains
    • Truck Sleeper HVAC
    • GPS Installation
    • HDL90 Oil Additive
  • Employment
  • Blog
  • Contact