Fifth Wheel Damage

Well I went and did what I was afraid would happen some day. Went to hitch up my Cyclone to the new Air Safe 25,000# hitch, we bought, with the Holland/Binkley head on it. I was by myself and had hooked it up to the old 16,000# Husky hitch several times without incident. I checked when I backed into the new hitch and saw the jaws were closed around the trailer pin. I thought it was locked. I actually had it locked into the release position, though and didn't realize it. I pulled forward and the trailer came unhitched. It dropped onto the truck fenders, mashing them, the tonneau cover rails and the tailgate. All in all it was around $6000 worth of damage to the truck. The only thing other than cosmetic damage to the Cyclone that I can see is the seams that run along the bottom where the nose cone is sealed to the back part of the nose had the seal broke.

I know that I'm not the first one to do something like this. Is there a possibility that it did any damage to the frame? I will take it to a dealer as soon as possible to have it checked over. Looked the interior over good and everything looks good. I know these trailers are designed to take a pretty good jolt, but don't know about dropping one out of a hitch. Thanks for any replies. I did a search and couldn't bring up anything on this.

Man what a bummer!!! I would think if you did anything to the frame it would show up with with seams separating, skin cracking, ect.

As a side note... to help prevent this from happening when I hook up I leave my landing gear just an inch or so off the ground and do a tug test.

codycarver said:

Man what a bummer!!! I would think if you did anything to the frame it would show up with with seams separating, skin cracking, ect.

As a side note... to help prevent this from happening when I hook up I leave my landing gear just an inch or so off the ground and do a tug test.

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Thanks for the tip. I'll definately do that from now on.

Tool958, Sorry to hear of your misfortune but rest assured you're not the first and won't be the last to drop a 5er on the truck bed Codycarver has some very good advise about leaving the gear down and doing a tug test. Our SOB suffered no damage but the truck wasn't as lucky.

Tool 958:
I finally did the same thing, but just lost my tailgate. I think my rig is O.K.

After the fact, I learned about this inexpensive ($50) hitch saver and installed it. It even comes with the center punch and drill bit. It is super simple to install.
http://www.butchsservices.com/5601.html Now, I have back-up when hitching (but I also painted the hitch jaws white for better visibility).

wdk450 said:

Tool 958:
I finally did the same thing, but just lost my tailgate. I think my rig is O.K.

After the fact, I learned about this inexpensive ($50) hitch saver and installed it. It even comes with the center punch and drill bit. It is super simple to install.
http://www.butchsservices.com/5601.html Now, I have back-up when hitching (but I also painted the hitch jaws white for better visibility).

Click to expand...

We be on the same wavelength, Bill. I also put one of those on and painted the jaws white. Fortunately, I haven't dropped the rig.

wdk450 said:

Tool 958:
I finally did the same thing, but just lost my tailgate. I think my rig is O.K.

After the fact, I learned about this inexpensive ($50) hitch saver and installed it. It even comes with the center punch and drill bit. It is super simple to install.
http://www.butchsservices.com/5601.html Now, I have back-up when hitching (but I also painted the hitch jaws white for better visibility).

Click to expand...

I appreciate the link. Checked with them and they don't make one to fit the Holland/Bentley head on mine. Wish they had one. It would be a very good investment if they made one.

We feel your pain/frustration. We dropped our Landmark on our brand new truck last June (causing 10k in damages to the truck) and about a 1k to the coach (shower door shattered). We've since been doing a pull test and about a month ago dropped it again...but no damage thanks to the pull test. We have since ordered a bedsaver and are waiting to get back home to install it (currently visiting our kids in NY). It's a bit more costly than Bill's but a lot cheaper than another deductible payment!

My dealer actually recommended the pull test when we drove away for the first time with our fiver. I do it with the wheels still chocked and the landing gears still making contact with the ground. You you only have to give it a bit of a tug to make sure it does not separate.

I've often considered the Bedsaver as a failsafe. I like the idea. However, I frequently take the hitch in and out of the bed and the Bedsaver will add about 40-50 lbs. to the weight of the hitch and with my back problems that is significant.

If it will fit your hitch plate, the latch kit is a light weight, less expensive alternative. And you don't have to remove it when you pull the hitch out. I had considered the Bedsaver some time ago, but didn't like the way it takes up bed space. Not a real problem when the rig would be on, but often I leave the hitch in the bed unless I really need all 8 feet of it. The space between the hitch and gate usually suffices for the majority of stuff I haul around.

codycarver said:

Man what a bummer!!! I would think if you did anything to the frame it would show up with with seams separating, skin cracking, ect.

As a side note... to help prevent this from happening when I hook up I leave my landing gear just an inch or so off the ground and do a tug test.

Click to expand...

X2..... Just crank the gear up high enough so you can't drag them, manually apply the brakes and step on the throttle. If it's going to fall off the gear will catch it so you can't do any damage. Years ago we were taught this in Truck Driving School...Don

wdk450 said:

Tool 958:
I finally did the same thing, but just lost my tailgate. I think my rig is O.K.

After the fact, I learned about this inexpensive ($50) hitch saver and installed it. It even comes with the center punch and drill bit. It is super simple to install.
http://www.butchsservices.com/5601.html Now, I have back-up when hitching (but I also painted the hitch jaws white for better visibility).

Click to expand...

Does it snap shut, or do you have to remember to close it after you hitch up? I sometimes suffer from CRS.
Also, sometimes I come in real low on the ramp portion of the hitch. Is this thing in the way when doing that?
I do the pull test, but a failsafe would be nice. Trace

If you pull to hard with the gear all the way down, you sure are putting a lot of stress on the front landing gear. This is why I raise the legs up just a little. Just enouph to clear the ground, about an inch. I also apply the trailer brakes to apply a little pressure to the jaws. This also checks my trailer brakes too

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TANDT said:

Does it snap shut, or do you have to remember to close it after you hitch up? I sometimes suffer from CRS.
Also, sometimes I come in real low on the ramp portion of the hitch. Is this thing in the way when doing that?
I do the pull test, but a failsafe would be nice. Trace

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Trace, it's strictly a manual operation. It has a red handle, not black as in the photo, that is easily seen if it's not in the locked position. Unless you're coming in at ground level, you shouldn't catch it when hitching up. Photo is from their website.

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I contacted Blue Ox about their Bed Saver. They don't make one to fit my hitch. As far as the weight problem, my hitch weighs about 200# or so. I have a truck lift in my barn that I use to lift the hitch in and out so the additional weight of the Bed Saver isn't a problem. Got an e-mail back from them and they said that it had been turned into their FIT dept. If I hear about them developing one for the Air Safe hitch I'll post about it.

We had a blue ox bed saver installed 4 years ago and never used it until our last camping trip. Each of us had thought the other one chocked the wheels and released the jaws. It's a horrible feeling when you realize your camper is sliding and there's not a darn thing you can do about it. Fortunately the bed saver caught it and no damage to the truck or camper. That one time made the expense, extra weight and hassle worth it. When we need to remove the hitch, we back up our truck to some saw horses with a board across them and slide the hitch onto the saw horses. Same level as the truck bed so no lifting involved.

I also have a Butch's Service fifth wheel safety catch. It was easy to install, maybe weighs 7 lbs and gives peace of mind while towing in case of hitch failure. I still do the tug test back and forth with the legs about an inch above the ground. If you don't have one you are dumb....

Just finished installing my Butch's Services 5th Wheel Latch Kit. Was not difficult, took about an hour. The thing to be careful about installing it on a B & W Companion is to make sure you locate the bolt holes equally spaced on either side of the vertical support web that is welded to the underside of the top plate ramp. If you get one hole or the other too close to the web you might not be able to get the nut on the bolt. Then you have a real problem. You have to disregard the instruction to line up the edge of the bracket with the edge of the ramp. That is for hitches other than the B & W Companion, i.e. Reese, Valley, etc. This kit is very easy to install as it comes complete with a center punch and a drill bit. Hard to mess it up as long as you get the brackets located correctly to start with.

I hope I never need this thing to do what it is designed to do. I consider it to be very inexpensive insurance.

PUG said:

I also have a Butch's Service fifth wheel safety catch. It was easy to install, maybe weighs 7 lbs and gives peace of mind while towing in case of hitch failure. I still do the tug test back and forth with the legs about an inch above the ground. If you don't have one you are dumb....

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Hmmm, I don't have one , not planning on getting one and really don't believe I'm "DUMB" for not doing so. If one doesn't take the time to make sure the hitch is latched ,what good does this safety catch provide if you forget it too.......Kenny

We have been doing a test tow for a couple of years now. We also check and double check to make sure everything is connected and locked. The wife read about test towing on the forum and she insists we do it each time.