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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> 5th Wheel Dangers
Post Info TOPIC: 5th Wheel Dangers
The Bear II


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5th Wheel Dangers
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I didn't see Howard's original post about his mishap, until recently when he mentioned it in the 3 year financial recap.

Reading about Howard's mishap with the 5th wheel dropping onto the pickup bed rails reminded me of a video job I had a few years back. 

I was asked to edit an accident re-creation video along with photos for a court case.  It seems a man and wife were hitching up their fifth wheel trailer from the spot in front of their house where they stored the trailer.  They had done this many times without mishap.

Unfortunately, the man used a couple of 2X4s as wheel chocks in front of the front tires on the 5th wheel trailer.  He was in the truck backing it up and his wife was at the rear of the truck guiding him.  He had the front of the trailer raised too high.  He went past the front of the hitch a few inches with the pin, but was still over the front of the saddle, he stopped the truck and told his wife to raise the landing gear to lower the pin onto the saddle and then he would pull forward a little until the pin dropped into the hitch.  The wife got between the truck and the trailer to lower the front of the trailer.  The pin contacted with the saddle, took the weight off of the landing gear and the weight of the pin on the front of the saddle caused the 5th wheel hitch to rotate forward.  This caused the trailer to roll forward over the 2X4 chock blocks.  His wife was crushed to death.

Be sure to use good chocking methods everytime you hitch or unhitch, no matter what type of surface your trailer is on. 

I use the chocks that lock in between my tires.  Placing them is the first thing I do when unhitching and taking them off is the last thing I do when hitching up.  These have held the 5th wheel rock steady even on a 15% sloping hardpack and loose gravel driveway.

-- Edited by The Bear II at 13:34, 2008-08-08

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netters


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Bear, those are the kind of chocks we have also. Mac puts them on as soon as we stop and takes them off last also. Just to be sure there are no accidents. Ask him about the time he forgot to take one off...lolbiggrinbiggrinweirdface

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The Bear II


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OOPs..... I did the same thing with our original TT. I started to pull away from the storage spot and couldn't figure out why we weren't moving. I thought the trailer brakes might be frozen. About that time I heard a bang and we surged forward.

The wheel chocks held on until I pushed the gas pedal enough to reach their breaking point.

Nice thing, eventhough they let go, I was still able to use them until they were stolen by some uncaring idiot.

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ahoweth


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While I now have a motor coach, I owned 2 fifth wheel trailers prior to moving to a motor coach. As for dropping the fiver onto the truck bed, there are 2 kinds of fiver owners, those who have done it and and those who are going to! Fortunatley when ours occurred it only damage the bed of the truck.

-- Edited by ahoweth at 10:50, 2008-08-10

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Judy


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There are lots of dangers including wether or not you are driving a MH or a fiver out there. One needs to take percaution period....  When backing up the tow vechicle to hook up a fiver, once hooked and the pin is connected you always  need to do a pull test while you chocks are still under your wheels. In most cases you can and will hear it being locked into place.  Think safety first and stand clear.
southwestjudy

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