What am i doing wrong....5th wheel wont budge

It's nice to unhook at a shipper receiver,time for a Walmart..tobacco shop..stop.

 

A lot of advice was given. What did you do to break it loose?

 

have you tried rocking slightly again while in the LOCKED position? They're waiting for a position that allows them to extend back out (to lock) between wedges.

Is the 5th wheel slide plate bumped all the way up to the front stop? If so, they should extend out to lock. If not, there seems to be something else going on.

 

Did you set the trailer brake?

 

Hold the button in as you pull off the fifth wheel.

 

So, the fifth wheel is sliding now, but it will not engage.

OK. Slide the fifth wheel all the way to the rearmost position by pulling forward while still connected to the trailer.

Drop the trailer and pull the truck forward so you can see the fifth wheel assembly.

Examine the slots where the retaining pins should be fitting. Make sure they aren't caked up with mud, dirt, gravel, rust, or intentionally-placed welded stops. A large flat head screwdriver is almost ideal to dig/clean out obstructions and probe for damage or welds inside the slots.

After checking the slots, have someone else operate the fifth wheel retaining pin controls while you are watching the pin assembly. Do you see movement in the pin assembly at all? Do you hear air leaking?

Keep fingers and tools clear of the pins while attempting to actuate them unless you are an experienced truck mechanic who knows exactly what you are doing. If a pin pops loose while you are prying it with a screwdriver, it can slam the screwdriver hard enough to force your hand to hit parts of the fifth wheel and break bones in your hand. You only want to see what it is doing, not try to fix it yet.

I'll say that again, a different way, just to be sure to get the point across. (apologies if I'm being annoying, but fingers and hands are potentially at risk here.) Since the truck normally operates with the pins engaged, air pressure should only required to withdraw the pins, not extend them. For operational safety, their position should be normally closed, which means any work with tools or fingers/hands near the spring-loaded pins that are not extended needs to be done very, very carefully, as the pins will be under pressure and trying to extend at all times when they are not actively being pressurized to the open position.

If there seems to be an air leak, locate it. Get it fixed.

If there is slight motion in the pins, lube the pins with penetrating oil, let it sit for 10-30 minutes, and then try to cycle the pins in and out for a while. See if their range of motion improves. If there is improvement, keep at it. If it doesn't improve, get it fixed.

If there is no movement at all, make sure there aren't any air line blockages or closed air valves.

Hope this helps.

 

The biggest thing people overlook... is the truck and trailer perfectly straight? If there is any mis-alignment, you won't ever get those pins free. Other than that, tap away on the inside bars if you are getting desperate.

It's always good to exercise the fifth wheel release on a weekly basis, and keep the pins lubricated.