Fifth Wheel Coupling

September 20th, 2007 by Shenron

This provides a secure link between a semi-trailer and a towing truck, or any other form of towing vehicles that may supply secure travel along the road. Usually, if an RV is set in a Fifth Wheel configuration, the Fifth Wheel Coupling must be placed in the truck bed of the certain towing vehicle in order to be used to tow.

The fifth wheel coupling consists of a kingpin, also known as a coupling pin, that is installed to the front of the semi-trailer, and a U-shaped plate coupling gimmick called a fifth wheel on the rear of the towing vehicle. All parts must be firm and fit well to assure all things go well when you’re out towing the trailer on the road, while it has been installed with a fifth wheel coupling atop the truck bed.

Four-wheel horse drawn carriages and wagons were equipped with a coupling that was alike to the fifth wheel, in which the entire build of the fifth wheel coupling was partially based off of. The coupling can join a tractor and a trailer together. The fifth wheel consists of two metal plates, situated on the tractor, which is named the lower fifth wheel, and another on the trailer named the upper fifth wheel. With the upper and lower Fifth Wheel makes a resilient coupling which forms a rotational and vertical motion with both the tractor, and the trailer.

The upper fifth wheel is accommodated with a kingpin, the lower fifth wheel has a locking jaw mechanism that lock around the kingpin to join the trailer-tractor together. The locking jaws are operated by a hand lever that will extend to the side of the lower fifth wheel and can be released by either pulling the locking handle forward, or pulling the locking handle outward.

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