Handed the keys to a new motor today, which was nice.
It’s another Range T, which isn’t so nice.
Anyway, I never looked at how far back the 5th wheel was on my old unit, not the new one, however when hooked up the trailer seemed awfully close to the back of the unit.
Is there a minimum measurement from the back of the cab to the headboard? Or rear lights to the landing legs?
Thanks
Closer it’s…
Coupled the better the fuel savings. As long as your lights aren’t being torn off at every turn your good.
yourhavingalarf:
Closer it’s…Coupled the better the fuel savings. As long as your lights aren’t being torn off at every turn your good.
Yep. Close coupled means less wind drag.
Best to get someone to observe while you do a couple of full lock turns. But be aware that doing turns in dips, or on crest of a rise, will change clearances too. Check any run up ramps (if fitted) dont get up inside the chassis. Running on motorways, with all manoeuvres in wide yards wont need as much clearance as running into rough, small farmyards, but getting it so tight that you can`t run over a empty crisp bag is too extreme.
It helps if you have access to an axle weigher, if you can get the vehicle up to full weight and able to use an axle weigher even now and again you can with a bit of trial and error get the fifth wheel in exactly the right place for ideal weight distribution, when weight distribution is right for legal reasons it normally follows the vehicle combo is more stable overall too.
If you have access to a normal weighbridge on ground level, you can (quite accurate too) work out the axle weights by weighing the tractor only and then reversing one axle at a time off the bridge and re-weighing, making a note and calculating what each axle weighs…obviously unless its an unmanned bridge you’ll need the cooperation of the bridge operator.
Surprising just how many vehicles are running round with the fifth wheel in the wrong place, its not all about wind drag.
Before 1963 BSau3 specified dimensions, these are way out of date. If you take measurements the same principles will apply. The check whether you exceed the overall length requirements.
Well, I’ve gone as close as I feel safe doing.
There’s an extinguisher box on the back of the cab, and a couple of storage trays/boxes to go on the catwalk, oh and move the chicks that Renault decided to mount in the most ridiculous of places.
But, I haven’t “collided” with the trailer, which is a plus point, and there’s just enough room to squeeze my belly in behind the cab to crap in a bin bag 
and connect up.
