Help.. Locking Jaw Problem

I took home time this week and in two days this is the third trailer giving me difficulty connecting. I just backed into the trailer and for the life of me the locking jaws will not grab the kingpin. The handle remains extended. I pulled out a couple times and backed in again.

It's been a really l9ng day and this is a repower. Wanted to work this out while still sunny but I'm too tired to think. Any ideas?

Is your trailer low enough?

Check your height on the trailer. This used to happen to me all the time and it was always due to the height of the trailer. Find that sweet spot.

There's two positioning issues. Daniel and G-town talk about up and down.

Do you get the kingpin all the way into the fifth wheel? Are you giving the accelerator enough oomph to seriously punch the kingpin and fifth wheel together?

Sometimes the trailer is just a teensy bit low (like even less than 1/2" low) below the fifth wheel, and you need to "gas it" to push the tractor under the trailer, and lift the trailer. Fear not, if the kingpin gets into the fins of the fifth wheel, you won't crash the tractor into the trailer.

Check your height on the trailer. This used to happen to me all the time and it was always due to the height of the trailer. Find that sweet spot.

Same has happened to me also. I think this may be your problem Rainy...

There's two positioning issues. Daniel and G-town talk about up and down.

Do you get the kingpin all the way into the fifth wheel? Are you giving the accelerator enough oomph to seriously punch the kingpin and fifth wheel together?

Sometimes the trailer is just a teensy bit low (like even less than 1/2" low) below the fifth wheel, and you need to "gas it" to push the tractor under the trailer, and lift the trailer. Fear not, if the kingpin gets into the fins of the fifth wheel, you won't crash the tractor into the trailer.

Haha.. I got impatient and jammed it in reverse and snap! Maybe being home made me "delicate" or something. Thanks guys ;) now I'm full of grease though cause the last guy with this trailer must have used a whole bottle on his 5th wheel. I thought that was the problem.

now I'm full of grease though cause the last guy with this trailer must have used a whole bottle on his 5th wheel. I thought that was the problem.

ICK!

If you carry any WD40, it really works to get the grease off of YOU!

There's two positioning issues. Daniel and G-town talk about up and down.

Do you get the kingpin all the way into the fifth wheel? Are you giving the accelerator enough oomph to seriously punch the kingpin and fifth wheel together?

Sometimes the trailer is just a teensy bit low (like even less than 1/2" low) below the fifth wheel, and you need to "gas it" to push the tractor under the trailer, and lift the trailer. Fear not, if the kingpin gets into the fins of the fifth wheel, you won't crash the tractor into the trailer.

Haha.. I got impatient and jammed it in reverse and snap! Maybe being home made me "delicate" or something. Thanks guys ;) now I'm full of grease though cause the last guy with this trailer must have used a whole bottle on his 5th wheel. I thought that was the problem.

My old truck had too much grease on, in and around fifth wheel. It didn't always lock properly.So I would pull handle out go forward an inch or so and push down on brake pedal and put in reverse and back up with a little more power then usual. That usually did the trick.

Am I the only one who thought Rainy had a bad case of lockjaw and needed medical advice?