The best still fails

[CUMMINZ]

Visited a friend today in the hitch building business. He had on the floor a fifth wheel hitch that had a failure when the truck pulling a car hauler on a very curvy mtn road. The rear trailer wheels off the road shoulder. Look at hitch.

 

[JR]

So the locking jaws failed? Why so rusty? That thing looks like it's been sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Looks like a Chinese Made CURT???

 

[Ozymandias]

Direct report to the NHTSA - this should never happen, not even in the worst accident.

Personally I never liked the way those American 5th-Wheel hitches are built, way different then ours.

 

[JR]

How are they different Ozy?

 

[NIsaacs]

What size truck and trailer? What is the hitch rating?

 

[CUMMINZ]

So the locking jaws failed? Why so rusty? That thing looks like it's been sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic.

Things rust when sitting the weather not being used.

 

[CUMMINZ]

What size truck and trailer? What is the hitch rating?

Dually and car hauler. 25K

 

[CUMMINZ]

Direct report to the NHTSA - this should never happen, not even in the worst accident.

Personally I never liked the way those American 5th-Wheel hitches are built, way different then ours.

Hog wash. I have been saying this for years, If you tow 24k don't use a 25k hitch.

Direct report to the NHTSA - this should never happen, not even in the worst accident.

"this should never happen, not even in the worst accident." QUOTE When you are towing loaded and for some reason your trailer wheels drop off the curb or side of road it causes a huge and sometimes violent action. The rear goes way right and it throws the hitch violently to the left. Like a whiplash. The longer the load and heavier the load the harder the whiplash. It is obvious in the photos there was a huge uplift of the pin. Not an engineer but I would guess the pin weight of 6,000#s could go to 50,000#s very snatchingly.

 

[CUMMINZ]

When I had my hitch built about 8 years ago we fabricated a large plate for the original hitch to sit on. We added shocks and also added more framing to my truck frame to be able to add more securing bolts to the frame. Later I added a bed saver to the rear.

 

[Wiredawg]

In manufacturing, specs are actually made above the posted rating. I'm always suspicious when a one off like this pops up, especially when there are so many examples of flipped rigs where nothing let go. And we all know there are maintenance requirements that this example appears not to have. Wheres pics of the wreck? How many times did it flip before this?

Thanks. I'm fine with my hitch, its specs, my maintenance responsibilities, and structural integrity.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Direct report to the NHTSA - this should never happen, not even in the worst accident.

Just have to ask... where is the report FROM? quote says its TO the NHTSA. I'm skeptical whenever I see absolutes ALWAYS, NEVER...

Just saying that there's a LOT of missing facts here.

Cheers, Ron

 

[dieselshadow]

The hitch looks as dry as a popcorn fart.

 

[BigPapa]

Just have to ask... where is the report FROM? quote says its TO the NHTSA.

Ron, I read Ozy’s post as “there should be a report sent directly to the NHTSA.”

 

[Ozymandias]

Just have to ask... where is the report FROM? quote says its TO the NHTSA. I'm skeptical whenever I see absolutes ALWAYS, NEVER...

Just saying that there's a LOT of missing facts here.

Cheers, Ron

Like you said - you have seen enough flipped or otherwise accident were it didn't let go. So something here failed that shouldn't. Why?
Batch of weak parts? Who knows.

Anyway very very dangerous if a trailer disconnects from the towing vehicle.

 

[HPSimpson]

Not enough information on what happen to the trailer pretty sure hitch became disconnected from trailer, when, where?

 

[Ozymandias]

Ron, I read Ozy’s post as “there should be a report sent directly to the NHTSA.”

Yes that's what I wanted to say, this is a serious safety issue that happened here.

 

[Ozymandias]

How are they different Ozy?

The mechanism, there is a U-shaped claw that slides 90° around the King pin, and then a Lock bar slides in to the rear of that and holds it in this position. So the King pin is all around secured.

Unlike that two C-shaped claws that are virtually open to the rear.
You know what I mean.

Here are some pictures of it, it should give you an idea of how that works.
https://www.tulgafifthwheel.com/collections/repair-kits-and-spare-parts


Better Lik here https://www.tulgafifthwheel.com/col...-trailers-rvs-toy-haulars?variant=19291095107

That would be the hitch for your application.
If you check the pictures you see perfectly how it works.

 

[Wiredawg]

BP,
thanks I did not catch that perspective.

Ozy,

Sorry for misinterpreting your comment. You're correct very dangerous having the trailer disconnecting from the hitch... I would like to see a picture of the tow vehicle and trailer to get perspective on this. Mountain winding road on a downhill curve leaving the road could be disasterous for all the equipment involved.

All,

BTW, Google 5th wheel hitch failures and select images.... some pretty eye opening pics.

Cheers all, and be safe. Ron

 

[Cummins12V98]

" If you tow 24k don't use a 25k hitch."

WHY???

Also I asked if it was a CURT???