Dropped 5er with Pullrite SuperGlide?
I recognize that the internet breeds paranoia. I've read several threads over the years about dropped fifth wheels on pickups, but another current thread got me to wondering. I have a Pullrite Super...
Forum Discussion
MNRon wrote:
Has anyone actually dropped a fifth-wheel using a Pullrite Superglide? Not looking for "saw one dropped once" or "heard of one" etc. Just trying to understand if anyone has live experience with this problem when using a Pullrite.
As always, thanks.
Ron
Yes I have dropped mine once in 2007. First time hook up with new SuperGlide and new to me 5th wheel.
I couldn't get it to latch. Tried for an hour in hot sun till past dark. I became frustrated. Tried hitting it a little harder with no latching occurring. Finally I thought I would back it up a bit as I knew I couldn't move forward. I lifted the front jacks some inches and backed up 1-2 feet. Stopped truck but RV kept rolling about another foot. BOOM! I didn't want to look! It dropped but the front legs caught it. It just barely made contact with the truck, no real damage.
I finally unpinned the head from the SG and manually shoved it onto the pin so I could see what was happening. The trip lever was not being moved far enough to trip the latch. I found an appropriate size piece of rubber hose and cut a 1/2' long piece of it and shoved it on the latch roller to make it slightly larger. Walla! It worked. I have had many connections since then. I always make sure the handle is all the way in the lock position and look to make sure the jaw is closed. I also never hook/un-hook without trailer wheels choked. I use a checklist.
To this day I do not know why this adjustment was necessary but I saw no way to adjust the latching trigger mechanism so I always wondered if my pin was slightly undersized.
