In Cab Release Fifth Wheel Lock??

It's been around for a while. They're an available option on most makes and models, and they were an option on that Kenworth. IMO, much ado about nothing... you still have to get out and unhook your air lines and pigtail, so you're getting out of the cab, either way. I guess if you're worried about getting some grease on your arm, it might be beneficial, although I've never had a problem with that happening.
And, of course, it's also another thing to potentially go defective.

 

They are called "in cab 5th wheel release"

IMO, they are stupid. First off, i like to know when its in and out by HAND! I don't trust some air actuater to not accidentally let go and you also cant visualy inspect that the relece is in (at least on the ones i saw.) The process to get it to open seemed cumbersome and sometimes didn't work. Also, for me, the hardest part of droping a trailer was the landing gear. One pull is much easier then 20+ turns on the landing gear crank. If your going to automate part of it, automate the gear. Why add a huge complexity to the easiest part of the drop? I've never gotten grease on myself with the normal kind.

 

Works half of the time and doesn't the other half....

 

they can still be "messed with". You should still ALWAYS visualy inspect AND do a tug test EVERY time you start driving after leaving your truck unattended (even after fueling and going into the store.

 

Just park so that you have pressure against the fifth wheel jaws, and if anybody can release the fifth wheel in that state, they're a BAMF, and the automated fifth wheel release would probably get scared and just let go at the very sight of them.
The benefit to those automated releases is on yard spotters. The benefit there is easy enough to see. On a highway truck, it just seems like a whole lotta hassle for very little result.

 

I've seen a few times after driving through 300 miles of wet snow I wish I had that feature, and maybe a time or two my upper back was out of whack and pulling the latch was more then a little difficult and painful, but still prefer the classic pull mechanism, regardless.

 

Its mostly a work comp issue.

 

so says all the folks who have never had one on their truck. you can visually inspect just as you can any other fifth wheel release.

mine has never failed to work, its easy to work, flip a switch-pull the knob- flip the switch back down. on how troublesome, lol.


richter, from your statement it is for sure you have no idea how this release works. it aint like the movie where the air cylinder is going to suddenly work and cut the trailer loose.

for starters the way the thing is wired , the truck parking brake has to be set, a switch flipped and a knob pulled, and there is also a handle , just like on a regular fifth wheel. but wait it is a regular fifth wheel with a air cylinder added. imagine that