couple of times now i have dropped a trailer and when i lower the suspension to pull out the trailer drops down too. get out look yep trailer is still resting on the 5th wheel. put the suspension back to ride height reset the legs this time when i lower the unit it all stays put.
Probably because the trailer is fully loaded, it is then dropping with the weight
On concrete / tarmac?
I’m glad I very rarely have to hitch up or drop in a potholed gravel yard anymore.
Presuming you have the jaws clear of the pin.
yes concrete
yes sorry i wrote this when i got home after a 15 and was knackered.
we split couple in this yard because its fridge work with no mavis rails so procedure for dropping is
trailer brake on
legs down
undo dog clip and pull pin
pull fwd slightly (pin disengaged)
airlines off
drop suspension and pull out it was at this point that i noticed the trailer was still in contact with the 5th wheel.
I ask this because the other night i picked up a trailer when i walked round it to check it i noticed the handle was to the right and had been jammed up between the chassis rail and marker light normally they are left dangling or put away in the clip to the left.
when i went to wind the legs up to pull away with the trailer the handle came off in my hand and the securing bolt was laying on the ground snapped in half and twisted like a pretzel. must of taken some force to do that and i wondered if the legs had collapsed and twisted the handle round after my experience with a different trailer
I would think this is likely.
Some fridges have very lightly made chassis and the neck will bend down when heavily loaded.
would it bend 2-3 inches or what ever the difference between ride hight and lowered suspension is
Yep. Depending on the trailer itself.
If dropping a heavy one stoopy down and look along the bottom edge of the fridge box before and after dropping it.
It will probably change from a valley to a hump curve.
Or stand outside and watch when dropping air from the unit, it is likely very visible.
had another issue this week tried to pick up a trailer that was so low it ripped the mud guards off the unit my mistake i should of got out and checked lesson learnt. wound the legs down and dropped the air out the back of the trailer until i could get under it. put it on the bay stayed with it. when i went to drop the trailer back where it was the driver that was taking it out came over and told me to drop it where i was as he was taking it. He asked me to raise the suspension on the unit a little before i wound the legs down did that dropped the trailer in the usual way (pull pin move fwd slightly drop suspension on unit pull out) and there was a bang when the other driver came to pick the trailer up he had a hell of a job getting under it despite me dropping the trailer higher than usual.
I’ve been off the trucks a few years now (wanting back now though) but if trailer is loaded, as in, 28.5 on its back, then don’t unhook at ride height. I’d always lift the suspension a bit, before legs down / unhooking, to allow for the nose to bend a bit with the weight. Pull pin, draw forward then dump the air from the drive and come out slowly and there shouldn’t be any problem with catching mudguards, etc
Sounds normal to me. None of our units will drop the 5th wheel clear of a fully loaded fridge trailer. So long as the air is dumped in suspension be fine pulling out.
Assuming you’re on solid ground of course