Parked up at Beaconsfield. Poor driver went to leave and nearly lost his trailer. Somehow it’s let go of the pin and now won’t grab it. Looks like his fifth wheel mechanism is a bit stuffed.
Although, nice to see some driver comradarie going on, some fellow drivers from all over Europe are trying their best with crowbars to sort it out. Just seems that it won’t grab the pin.
He was lucky not to drive off and let the trailer hit the ground though, can’t have been resting on more than a few inches of his mud flaps when he went to depart!
Suspect the fifth wheel pull lever has bent back and shape now won’t allow it to slide home, will need the handle extension removing (or the single bolt will break, ask me how i know) and a pipe sliding over the stud to bend it back, hopefully they’ll get away without heat.
I check mine every morning since I saw one lad drop his on it’s arse in a Belgian truckstop years ago.
Unless I was 100% sure that some ■■■■ had pulled it through the night, I would not even have attemted to re.hook up.
I would not have set off until the 5th wheel mech had been checked by a mehanic/fitter, and he had deemed it safe.
If it was faulty, who’s to say it won’t happen again at 56 in the middle lane.
As I’ve said before I always check the locking bar is across when I hook up and before I set off after a stop.
Had a unit last week that wasn’t always locking in place but could hear when it happened (or didn’t) as I always hook up and start to move off with both windows open so I can listen for anything that isn’t right.
Some tightening the fifth wheel instead of renewing the kingpin. Then such Fault can happen if turning. Had an Karlson from Sweden who lost them in front of me on a Motorway Roadwork Area where we got diverted to the oncoming Roadside.
looks like someones jealous of a tang with a good tool.always a must to check coming off a ferry or after a grubstop.he probably overtook someone at 65 instead of 56 before pulling in and the jealous head came on them…you ony hope karma calls on them.
