5th wheel disaster averted

We have had 3 of the low profile Holland greaseless 5th wheels fail and drop trailers.
One was found to have been assembled incorrectly after a rebuild and the other 2 I haven't heard from management.
They were sent back to manufacturer for metallurgy testing.
These were the aluminum plates that used a thin Teflon pad in leui of grease.
We have since moved away from the lo pro style but continue to use Holland aluminum.

 

Doubt you would be charged for an equipment failure that was a defect of some sort..
Like most things there are maintenance requirements on 5th wheels for the owner.
The manufacturer would likely be liable after the investigation from both parties was finished.
Scary yes I'm sure.
2 of our failures happened on the road but only 1 at around 30mph and 1 around 10.
Both times the rigs had successfully made a prior trip/delivery so there was no way to predict this.
We leave at 80K every trip.

 

USA

 

I use this constantly. Before hooking up every trailer I pull, this is applied;

 

Are you sure the wagon wasn't "high hooked"? In all my years, I only "dropped" a wagon once. Out of the tens of thousands of times I pulled the pin, and rehooked, it never happened. The only time it did was with my old Pete, it was like 0 out, and the jaws were sticky. Due to the design of the 5th wheel, I believe, when hooked, unless a catastrophic failure, it can't come loose. Pressure from being pulled probably kept it hooked. We have to remember, we can't have 0 risk, and the gremlins in the machine surface from time to time. If it's any consolation, since it happened to you, the odds are it will never happen again. Great catch, driver!

 

I'd be leery about pulling a trailer with a fifth wheel that had a bunch of cracks and rust spots like the one in the picture @Dennixx posted.


@thelinedriver I'd ask the shop to see if the jaws are worn or if the locking mechanism is out of adjustment, in additon to findng the source of the metal fragments that you spotted.

 

I have all connection points on trucks and trailers scoped every two years just for this reason. Metal does fatigue and will splinter and break apart. You were very lucky. So many people ignore the 5th wheel thump because they don't know what it is. I insist the trusted mechanic make that call. If it needs adjusted, great. If it needs other repair it doesn't move until those repairs have been completed.