Dropping 5th

[chickadee]

I have read many post (here and other forums) about dropping their 5th's.
I don't understand how that can happen if one follows their steps.

Wheel chocks (4) in place
Place truck in neutral to see if rig moves
Front jacks down
Release and pull truck out.

Hooking up, hubby always locks the 5th brakes (with legs up a little) to see if rig is locked good.

Are these rigs falling due to front leg failure or just not paying attention and getting in a hurry?

We saw a 5th dropped once and the front legs were not even down when he released and pulled forward, bang !

Just wondering, so I can make sure we don't fall in that category.

Thanks

[aintgotnun]

Never dropped my 5'er. What posts here have you seen with folks dropping theirs? I haven't read any but that doesn't mean anything..

I've heard of folks dropping theirs but never seen it. My wife and I have checks and balances to make sure such a disaster never happens.

greg

[chickadee]

Originally Posted by aintgotnun

What posts here have you seen with folks dropping theirs?

greg

Not on this forum, on others.

[aintgotnun]

These are the steps we use when we get ready to park our 5th wheel TT.

1. level trailer side to side and engage parking brake on TV
2. chock both front and back of the low side wheels of trailer (if site is not level this is the side not on blocks)
3. get back in TV and disengage the parking brake to put stress on the chock blocks
4. reengage the parking brake of TV
5. drop landing gear on trailer and insert pins
6. extend landing gear to raise trailer kingpin box approx ¼” off of hitch
7. drop tailgate of TV (may or may not be necessary if you have a V-notch tailgate for 5’ers)
8. remove lock and disengage hitch
9. disconnect slave cable and emergency brake cable from TV
10. pull TV out and away from trailer
11. finish leveling trailer front to back
12. engage stabilizers, rear scissor jacks, wheel scissor chock, etc…


Hooking up we follow these steps.

1. disengage any stabilizers, rear scissor jacks, wheel scissor chock, etc…
2. extend or retract landing gear to obtain approximate height needed to hook up (some folks use a string or other item to get it exact or very close)
3. drop tailgate on TV (may or may not be necessary if you have a V-notch tailgate for 5’ers)
4. remove lock and disengage latch on hitch
5. back TV to and under trailer close to hitch
6. raise or lower trailer to have kingpin box approx 1/8” above hitch (some folks like it higher some like it to ride right on the hitch)
7. back TV to engage hitch with kingpin
8. latch and lock hitch
9. retract landing gear about 1/2”
10. connect slave cable and emergency brake cable to TV
11. rock TV back and then forward against chock blocks (we do this to ensure that if we did not hookup properly or if the hitch decides to fail the gear are still down and the most the trailer will fall is about a ½”)
12. remove pins from landing gear, retract and raise
13. raise tailgate of TV
14. remove chock blocks from wheels of trailer
15. finish other cleanup and tow



My wife and I work together to make sure we don't mess up. Working as a team we ensure that we both know all the steps and either one of us in an emergancy can hookup or disconnect on our own if ever needed. She also tows the trailer. We're still working on her backing it up skills.

[powerboatr]

i have heard it to but never seen it.
i for one cant lock my hitch lock without the jaws fully engaged.
then its padlocked and i double sheck the jaws with my eyes and we finish hooking up.
we to work as a team to ensure we are safe and ready to rooooooollll

we did leave the bathroom door open once. bounced the rollers good a few times

[aintgotnun]

Originally Posted by powerboatr

i for one cant lock my hitch lock without the jaws fully engaged.
then its padlocked and i double sheck the jaws with my eyes and we finish hooking up.

same here

Originally Posted by powerboatr

we to work as a team to ensure we are safe and ready to rooooooollll

we did leave the bathroom door open once. bounced the rollers good a few times

We left the coffee pot carafe in the built-in coffee maker once on our 2nd trip out and ended up with a busted handle for it. The carafe is stainless not glass.


Team work is the key.

[powerboatr]

Originally Posted by aintgotnun

same here




Team work is the key.

my wife is the director on backing into spots, we have two little cobra handhelds she talks, I click click
and watch the mirrors and her expressions, every now and then i do the opposite of what she wants to keep her on her toes.

I have to say she gets us on spot.

[RAC]

We were at one of the state parks camping this weekend, and now I can't help but walk by a 5er and laugh.

[aintgotnun]

Originally Posted by RetiredArmyCWO

We were at one of the state parks camping this weekend, and now I can't help but walk by a 5er and laugh.

Why? Waiting for someone to drop it?

[RAC]

yup

[aintgotnun]

who knows, you might get lucky......

hope not though, that's a very expensive mistake for someone

[RAC]

I wouldn't want to get lucky. I was just remarking than now when I see someone messing with one it makes me laugh

[aintgotnun]

I like watching folks use the back-in sites. When they are used to pull throughs.

[powerboatr]

Originally Posted by aintgotnun

I like watching folks use the back-in sites. When they are used to pull throughs.

its always them guys in them BIG class A motorhomes that crack me up, run over curbs, power boxes and just cant seem to get it figured out.
always in a hurry

[rr-kr]

I am told there are two kinds of 5vr haulers...............those who have dropped one........and those who will.......


that could never happen to me though...

[Salem32ft.]

Hey everyone..a lot of the times when you hear of guy's dropping their fifth wheel, is after they have made a stop while traveling, and someone (real life jerks) have pulled their pin release levers while they were away from the vehicles, and then when they take off & resume their trip, the fith wheel comes undone... Seen it done !!!.......so always lock your pull release lever, and check it and all points of your hitch, when you return to your rig, after your stops, a couple seconds of checking is well worth the time......keep on truckin..!!

[aintgotnun]

Originally Posted by rr-kr

I am told there are two kinds of 5vr haulers...............those who have dropped one........and those who will.......


that could never happen to me though...

I don't think so vigilance is key and can prevent disaster.

Now that saying does have credence with bikers. Those that have dropped their bike and those that will. I think most out there have dropped their scooter at least once. I have.

[powerboatr]

Originally Posted by Salem32ft.

Hey everyone..a lot of the times when you hear of guy's dropping their fifth wheel, is after they have made a stop while traveling, and someone (real life jerks) have pulled their pin release levers while they were away from the vehicles, and then when they take off & resume their trip, the fith wheel comes undone... Seen it done !!!.......so always lock your pull release lever, and check it and all points of your hitch, when you return to your rig, after your stops, a couple seconds of checking is well worth the time......keep on truckin..!!

my hitch has a lever that flips over to lock and it has a hole for a padlock. i padlock it when we hook up and yes sir check it everytime we stop, just like i look at the tires and lights and compartment doors
and TIRES again

[aintgotnun]

i padlock mine as well

[CJ8]

Well, I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I am also the new owner of a used 36 FR toyhauler. It is my first 5th wheeler. I hate to admit it but I have already dropped mine and I did it b4 i ever even got it out of the driveway!

It was delivered to me by the PO because my new Superslider was not installed yet. I spent all one afternoon and into the evening trying to get the hitch to latch. I have zero experience with 5th wheels. I thought I was being careful and had everything chocked and blocked. Finally I thought I heard it latch and I saw the handle move and I thought it was latched. I was on a very slight down hill with the tow on the low side so I knew it could not roll uphill and slide off. I inspected the latch and discovered that it was not latched all the way. With little understanding of how the latch worked I thought if maybe I inched forward and stopped it would latch with the forward momentem. I unchocked and inched forward a couple of feet and stopped.... nothing happened. A foot or two more and stop hard and it still will not latch. I am ready to give up and try the next day when there is light so I back it into position and when I stop, the trailer doesn't!!! Wham! crunch! Swear words are spoken!! I only do that when no one is around and am glad no one was around! I lock the brakes of the truck and get out to inspect the damage fearing the worst. This 10K trailer (pin weight unknown) is resting on the side walls of my truck and they are not bent in! I re-chock and immedatly start extending the front jacks and the truck comes up off of the springs for what seems like forever and finally the trailer comes free of the truck. I raise it until everything is free and clear and move my truck out of the way b4 anything else happens! The only damage is a slight crack to the bottom of the fiberglass cap on the lefe side. Easily repairable.

The next day I try several more times thinking I must be doing something wrong. I read and re-read the manual, nope I am doing just what it says. Finally I pull the slide plate off of the hitch, turn it over and study the mechanism. I trip it several times with a large screwdriver and it works good. While I have it off I decide to hold it up to the kingpin and slide it on to see why it is not latching and presto! The latch lever is not moving far enough when it slides past the bottom of the kingpin to release the catch. Nothing is bend so I recon that the bottom of the kingpin is not large enough diameter to move the latch lever enough to release the catch. The pin on the latch lever looks to be about 3/8" diameter. I reason I can't make the bottom of the kingpin bigger so I decide to make the latch lever pin bigger. I cut off a piece of 3/8" fuel hose and slide it over the pin. It is a snug fit and will not easily fall off. I hold up the plate again and slide it on and it latches. I re-install the plate on the slider and back into the kingpin and I finally get my first good hook up. Just like it is supposed to be!

I've done it, I admit it, no one saw it and I learned from it. I will not do it again! I was lucky to have minimal damage. Now I get to use my fiberglass skills no make a minor repair and the wife will never know it happened!

I love my Ford truck and now I love it even more!

CJ
2004 Ford SuperDuty 6.0L FX4X4 Crew cab, Short box
2003 Forest River 36 5th wheel ToyHauler