My Satanic Fifth Wheel

JYD

I, too, have issues with my fifth wheel releasing. Also a 19 KW. That switch you located behind the Qualcomm with the red cover switch... I can lift the red cover, however, above and below thay cover are what look to be 5th wheel slide pics. That seems odd to me. Why a cover with a button below if they do the same thing? Or do they?

Totally agree with you. I couldn't get it to work. Like I said in a previous post the next several times I have to drop it will go smooth and it has.

I am lucky to have a button for this. I sympathize that you spend so much energy. If you have not solved this problem, try to ask for advice at a service station, I often get good advice from there :)

So I spent the other day picking up and dropping empties at packing plants and never once did I have a problem with the fifth wheel. So yesterday I pick up a heavy load go to drop it this morning and back to the same old problem. An old-timer saw me struggling and came over. Told him I have tried everything and I've had this problem since I got the truck. Been thinking back on it and when I do have problems is because I'm loaded. He told me to drop the airbags, and then as their re-inflating give it a pull... fifth wheel released immediately... not sure if this will be the remedy going forward but at least I have another way of trying to get it unhooked.

When you try to release it are your airbags inflated or dumped??

The KW day cab I drive ( drove today was my last day being assigned to it.) If you let the air out the 5th wheel is impossible to release, also sometimes when I let the air out the 5th wheel will engage before I move.

I know this is a super green horn question, but I will gladly suffer humiliation to get knowledge. Lol

No one in my training taught me how to “dump the airbags” The experienced drivers talk about it, but I don’t have a clue. Is there a switch on the dash?

I have a 2016 Fright-liner. Why don’t these tractors come with an operation manual????????

Airbags are always inflated when I try to release the fifth wheel. Once again I tried everything, backing up to release pressure off the Kingpin raising the trailer with the dollies a little bit even the switch on the dash that someone mentioned earlier. The guy just suggested I dumped my airbags and fill them up again. Not sure the bags were fully inflated when I tried the fifth wheel and it unhooked immediately

JYK9, I thought the air bags automatically deflated when the trailer weight was removed. We need G-Town or Rick to give a tutorial on this.

No one in my training taught me how to “dump the airbags” The experienced drivers talk about it, but I don’t have a clue. Is there a switch on the dash?

I have a 2016 Fright-liner. Why don’t these tractors come with an operation manual????????

Yes, there should be a switch on the dash you push sideways usually on the right side. It is possible your truck is not equipped with it.

JYK9, I thought the air bags automatically deflated when the trailer weight was removed. We need G-Town or Rick to give a tutorial on this.

When you take the weight off, the air bags inflate because it is trying to level the back of the truck. The air bags will deflate when you add weight, then they inflate to level the rear of the tractor. Unless you have the switch flipped then they will not inflate.

Ahh! So the grasshopper learns!