Operation of Manual Slide
The manual slide feature is operated from the fifth wheel plate with a manual release handle using the following procedure. See Fig..
Fig. 1, Manual Release Sliding Fifth Wheel (Fontaine shown)
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Locking Wedge
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Slide Release Pull Handle
- Stop the tractor and trailer in a straight line on level ground. Pull the red trailer air supply knob to apply the trailer parking brakes.
- Apply the tractor parking brake, then release the sliding mechanism using the appropriate
method for the fifth wheel manufacturer.
- Fontaine: Lift the slide release pull handle to disengage it from the guide plate. Then, pull
out the handle until it is in the unlocked position and can be positioned against
the guide plate to hold it out. The handle will stay in the unlocked position until
it is manually disengaged from the guide plate. See Fig..
Fig. 2, Releasing the Sliding Fifth Wheel, (Fontaine)
- Holland: Pull the operating rod out. Make sure both side plungers have released. See Fig..
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Baseplate
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Bolted Stop
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Baseplate Rail
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Fifth Wheel Mount
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Slider Saddle Plate
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Safety Latch
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Operating Rod
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Operating Lever
Fig. 3, Sliding Fifth Wheel Manual Release, (Holland Simplex)
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- Fontaine: Lift the slide release pull handle to disengage it from the guide plate. Then, pull
out the handle until it is in the unlocked position and can be positioned against
the guide plate to hold it out. The handle will stay in the unlocked position until
it is manually disengaged from the guide plate. See Fig..
- Lower the trailer landing gear just enough to remove the weight from the tractor.
- Chock the front and rear of the trailer tires to prevent the trailer from moving.
- Release the tractor parking brakes, then slowly move the tractor forward or backward until the fifth wheel is in the desired location.
- Apply the tractor parking brakes, then lock the sliding member in position using one
of the following methods:
- Fontaine: Disengage the slide release pull handle from the guide plate. The slide release pull handle is spring-loaded in the locked position and will seek the locked position when disengaged from the guide plate. After the slide release pull handle returns to the fully locked position, visually and physically check the locking wedges to make sure they are fully inserted into the slots in the slide rails. Make sure the handle is locked in position against the guide plate.
- Holland: Raise the operating rod so that it is free to move inward. Make sure that the lock pins have seated in the base plate rail holes and the operating rod moves into the locked position.
Warning: Check that the locking wedges have seated in the slots. Failure to achieve complete lockup may allow disengagement of the tractor from the trailer, possibly resulting in serious personal injury or death.
Notice: When moving the fifth wheel to the desired position, be sure the trailer landing gear will not at any time come in contact with the tractor frame or other components. Make sure that the front of the trailer will not come in contact with the rear of the cab or with other components if they extend beyond the rear of the cab.