fifth wheel location

location of the 5th wheel will have no effect on backing, Ive never noticed any difference in the way the truck turns either. In fact it rare to even move the 5th wheel, well for me at least.

 

Strictly speaking, it will make a difference on both turning and backing. The question is - how significant of a difference?

In turning, I don't imagine it will be all that much - all the way forward might make a turn a LITTLE easier, but not enough to warrant stopping and moving the plate.

Backing - it should make a bit more difference - the farther forward, the more slowly the trailer will respond - as the kingpin will move left/right more slowly than it would if the plate were all the way to the rear. Again, not enough to warrant stopping and moving things around.

I think a far bigger difference in each situation can be found by moving the trailer tandems - short wheelbase, tighter turns.

Note - this is not years of trucker experience talking. This is just a newbie with a head for math and geometry

 

Depending on the type of trailer and load, it can also have a significant impact on the appearance of the back of your cab.

 

it's not about how much space you have on the catwalk. it's all about weight distribution. unfortunately i met a prime driver once that had his fifth wheel slid all the way back. got loaded, scaled, and came back and said he needed weight taken off. looked at his scale ticket and he only had like 10,500 on steers and was only over like 500 on drives. asked him why he had it like that and he said he saw it on some petes and kw's and thought it looked cool so he did it. guess he didnt know they were like that for a reason.

 

I run mine 2 stops from all the way back. I have only once had a weight problem. It wasnt that bad, I just half tanked it to my shipper. No big deal, I do run a refer though. I was told with it being back it will help with steer weight. so far it has worked well for me.

 

ooh - that's sad!

Slatherd (Slatherd in what, may I ask?)

That's correct - running it back relieves the steer axle of weight. Of course, it puts it on the drive tandems instead.

 

slatherd. I got it off a dvd movie about greasers. Slatherd, with grease.

Yeah, i know it puts weight on my drives. But it has made the difference between rolling and not. Having the weight of the refer doesnt help anything. when I am at 44000 I usually have 300 on my steers and anywhere from 20 to a few hundred on my drives. Last load I had 40 lbs with a full refer and full truck on my drives. I could have moved a hole or 2 but I didnt have much to move on my tandems would be off. I hated that load. Too close.

 

Amen to the cab condition...
We had an old 34 foot Fruehauf reefer?? (Called a bunker and blower then) with the fixed tandem set nearly to the back bumper. Don't know why and never saw another that way. I was pulling it with a 1957 R190 Internationl single drive axle. To get more weight off the drive and to the steeer , shop moved the fixed fifth wheel up as far as possible and still clear trailer turning tight on level ground. This was good.
Dropped the old reefer and got under my bull rack empty and off the E. St Louis, Il for the hogs. Above Cairo, Il, on Il#3, level straight road, it began to rain, just a shower. I eased over center line of the 2 lane,passed a nice little old lady in her car, drove on a long way to clear her and gently eased back over center for my side.
When the drive axle crossed over center crown, I jacknifed going straight down the road at a conserative speed. In one instant I was going forward, next I could look out my window and see the bedding on the floor of the trailer, and speedometer read 30 MPH. What ever they say don't do, I did immediately-Slapped the hand valve down, then knocked it back up. Every thing jerked straight enough for me to get a grip again and onward I sailed. Slick asphalt and snug fifth wheel = Cab damage.
I came and went thru the passenger side door to finish the trip.