Backing The Fifth Wheel (90 degree jack?)
I thought i would start a new thread instead of maybe hijacking one about sliders. I have never measured the degree of angle that I could back and maintain that angle without pulling forward to str...
Forum Discussion
at 90 degrees there is zero power available from the tow vehicle to move the fifth wheel on it's wheels any further. The only thing the truck can do is to push the nose of the trailer, so unless that somehow helps park the trailer, then nothing useful is being accomplished
Personally, I would lock the trailer brakes long before getting to the 90 angle if I thought I needed to "scoot" the nose without the trailer moving backwords. Why get close enough to risk contact (plus have more torgue on the suspension) when the same could be accomplished with less (more ???)angle ---giving you a chance to actually counter-steer back out of the jacknife. Old trucker's trick :B
Have you every "jacked" so far going forward that the trailer actually starts going backwards? Is that possible with a 5er???
I use to have a stop that I frequented when I drove tractor-trailer that required that sharp of a turn----passenger could reach out and touch the trailer I was turned so much :R. Only caught the grab handle on the back of my sleeper once (no damage) but I watch a lot of guys bend their sleeper at that dock....48' trailer could spin with the ICC bumber removing a bit of the hillside---53' trailer bent something....
My company knew to only send a 48 footer.... I went to work locally for another company, was talking to a road driver about to take a load into that place on a 53'. Told him NOT to do it. Next week he wants me to help him yell at his dispatcher----he passed on the news, and his dispatcher said: "What does that local driver know? A 53 footer will fit".....he bent the sleeper.
Sorry. Got off track with the old trucker stories.:Z
Personally, I would lock the trailer brakes long before getting to the 90 angle if I thought I needed to "scoot" the nose without the trailer moving backwords. Why get close enough to risk contact (plus have more torgue on the suspension) when the same could be accomplished with less (more ???)angle ---giving you a chance to actually counter-steer back out of the jacknife. Old trucker's trick :B
Have you every "jacked" so far going forward that the trailer actually starts going backwards? Is that possible with a 5er???
I use to have a stop that I frequented when I drove tractor-trailer that required that sharp of a turn----passenger could reach out and touch the trailer I was turned so much :R. Only caught the grab handle on the back of my sleeper once (no damage) but I watch a lot of guys bend their sleeper at that dock....48' trailer could spin with the ICC bumber removing a bit of the hillside---53' trailer bent something....
My company knew to only send a 48 footer.... I went to work locally for another company, was talking to a road driver about to take a load into that place on a 53'. Told him NOT to do it. Next week he wants me to help him yell at his dispatcher----he passed on the news, and his dispatcher said: "What does that local driver know? A 53 footer will fit".....he bent the sleeper.
Sorry. Got off track with the old trucker stories.:Z
