I havea fontaine sliding fifth wheel with a air cylinder locking device, for no apparent reason when the trailer is empty the mechinisum releases when on the move causing the wheel to slide into the stops very frightning. My employer said it was because no grease on the runners. Have any of you guys or gals heard , know of this system and any problem with it any help will be welcome
hang on think about this its releasing because it has no greese rubbish (self edit) the thing is broken dont drive it it your licence and your jail time if the fifth wheel breaks just make sure you put the as defect everytime you drive it if you feel it unsafe dont drive it
Its obviously a fault with air locker which isn’t staying locked.
What’s gonna happen if you go under a deep pin trailer… when slow down or brake there is a chance the trailer will smash into the back of the cab!
This vehicle is UNSAFE & should not be used until this fault is rectified without doubt.
Just a thought have you got the switch in the cab in the locked postion . I had an air slider on a Renault a few years ago and the switch was besides the drivers seat on the floor, sometimes when i pulled my gloves or overalls out it flicked the switch on 
a bit scary when you pull away and it runs to the endstop and nearly ejects you James Bond style from your seat 
thanks for your reply, Ihave never seen this device before, our driving assessers say that Tesco drivers have used this and the Royal mail with no problems, but we have had over five incidents, put down to driver error. It works to stop short coupling. You go under the trailer with the unit and lock on, do your safety tugs and put your clip in, then you check to see if the trailer brake is applied, get back in the unit release the mechanisium through a switch, pull the unit forward and it locks, then connect lines, get back in then release switch again, reverse back toward the trailer till it locks switch off do safety pulls and park brake on etc then release trailer brake visualy checking locking mechanisiums. This is a brief discription on how it works but some how when trailer is empty it comes loose sliding and hitting the stops mainly when pulling away,the manifactuer FONTAINE said that because the slide was dry caused the locking mech to stick needed greasing but this has happend again when connecting and pulling off a door driver said that he did not doudle check but as you cannot see the locking jaws how do you check. SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDINESS BUT any of you driver heard of this system and any problems. Most graeful if you have any feed back will be helpful as its an accident waiting to happen
If you get a wagon and this happens, STOP IMMEDIATELY. Phone the company up and get them to send out a fitter. Refuse to drive it another inch. Perhaps if they have a dozen or so callouts, they might take some notice.
There are two safety devices fitted, one is a master switch which needs to be switch on first, then as you are on the move if you for get to switch off at 20k it auto switches off and one more the driver by checking the locking slides against the stops but no visual on the locking jaws. Thanks for your comments please keep them cpming.
when refusing do drive the vehicle state clearly that you are making the decision for
HEALTH AND SAFETY reasons
say due to so & so i have made the decision based on H&S
when they say its ok just say keep repeating based on H&S etc etc
if you aint happy dont do it
let them sack you its only a job
graham:
thanks for your reply, Ihave never seen this device before, our driving assessers say that Tesco drivers have used this and the Royal mail with no problems, but we have had over five incidents, put down to driver error.
That what really rings alarm bells, Your company has had five incidents with this system.
It’s easy to put it down to driver error as it stops anybody senior actually doing anything. 
But if it is a driver error problem then it might be a driver training problem. otherwise it’s a bad maintainance or faulty equipment.
If their excuse is that there is no grease, Why not? 
Should be in the workshop being sorted and what about the maintainance of the rest of the kit?
The problem is if you don’t drive and lose your job somebody will drive it. So the problem needs to get sorted, try the diplomatic, non confrontational approach first, but if it doesn’t work then it’s might be the nuclear option getting VOSA and HSE involved, if they are interested.
the 5th wheels a serious business, if one fails and some way the trailer comes off under normal road conditions e.g tootling along the motorway at 55, its a gauranteed disaster, id defect it and wouldnt take no for an answer, i’d tell them get it fixed or stick the job up your arse. you can get a new job easier than a new concience if the worst was toi happen.
let them sack you its only a job
In a case like this, at a tribunal, you would win hands down.
Any chance of getting some photos of this 5th wheel, both for us here at TN to nosey at, & for evidence.
i.e. If it slides back when you set off, stop (gently) if possible & get out & photo the situation.
Graham. See if I’ve got this right.
It’s a safety device to prevent short coupling.
When you drop a trailer, you slide the fifth wheel right to the back of the track, then drop your trailer as normal? If not, how do you prevent short coupling?
(I am thinking of hooking up a deep king-pin trailer after a shallow one)
When you hook up to a trailer, you do it like this.
- Lock your trailer into the 5th wheel.
- Do Safety tugs.
- Fit dog clip and ensure trailer (parking) brake is on.
- Release the slider lock, pull forwards till it locks. (■■? see above)
- Attach air-lines etc.
- Release the slider lock again, reverse into trailer till it locks, do tug tests again.
- Switch off slider lock, (electrically locking it?)
- Put trailer parking brake off and do waik round checks.
- Drive off to get on with the job.
At this point, the slider slides to the back of the track occaisionally. (But too often anyway)
I have several thoughts here.
- The slider is worn out through excessive use (especially if it doesn’t get greased), this isn’t what they are there for at all.
Whatever, its knackered, don’t drive it. - Its got nothing to do with what I think of as short coupling at all.
Its some desk bound company H&S bods idea to make split coupling (unsafe in their opinion) safer.
Mal:
the 5th wheels a serious business, if one fails and some way the trailer comes off under normal road conditions e.g tootling along the motorway at 55, its a gauranteed disaster, id defect it and wouldnt take no for an answer, i’d tell them get it fixed or stick the job up your arse. you can get a new job easier than a new concience if the worst was toi happen.
definately. i have never (knowingly) used a sliding fifth wheel and this puts me right off. more moving bits = more things that can go drastically wrong and im pretty sure that in big letters, it is stated in sods law that IT WILL GO WRONG AT SOME POINT 
yepp, sods law scanny, if you think oh, it’ll be allright, your bound to have summat go wrong, better safe than sorry with stuff like that. im not holier than thou about stuff generally, it’s just there is some stuff that you dont want to get wrong, not even once. i can only imagine how bad it’d be loosing a loaded trailer on the road.
Mal:
yepp, sods law scanny, if you think oh, it’ll be allright, your bound to have summat go wrong, better safe than sorry with stuff like that. im not holier than thou about stuff generally, it’s just there is some stuff that you dont want to get wrong, not even once. i can only imagine how bad it’d be loosing a loaded trailer on the road.
too true mate. i dont mind lettle things but anything that could lose a trailer is a big no no for me. if im not sure about something, i will ask. if something obviously isnt right, i will refuse to take it out (like the trailer with the torn curtain that i VORd not so long ago. the tear is fromthe bottom going half way up on the rear curtain pole. that could easily give way) until its fixed
This is a downright dangerous situation, VOR the lot, walk away from it, dont move it!
As has been mentioned, this is a H&S issue. If you drive it, it’s you that could be facing manslaughter charges - dont even go there.
If you get the sack, at least you’ll live to tell the tale.
i think another thing worth talking about is the business of setting presidents, ok obvious i know, but worth the thought i think.
it might be that 99 times out of 100, people get away with stuff. but, therse allways the time when it goes bust. i know that gaffers love to be able to say “well so and so took it” or even worse “you took it out before”.
they do like that it puts the pressure on and gives them wiggle room if it goes ■■■■ up! it’s good to nip stuff like this in the bud so prseidents arnt set. 
The Fontaine website has some nice little features. Along with the procedure for using air operated slider, it also has little animated videos on coupling and uncoupling. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to capture them them to my hard drive and upload them. 
As regards lubricating the Slider. I read somewhere, that Oil should be used, NOT Grease. I presume this is because grease will absorb contaminants whereas oil will push them towards the extremities. In the absence of anything else, a thorough dousing with diesel would not go amiss.
If you have any doubts about the security of
the slider or it will not lock contact your
nearest workshop immediately .
Do NOT attempt to move the vehicle with a
trailer attached.
This is a quote from Fontaine’s own website.
Sounds like good advice to me.