Kingpin or 5th wheel Jaw fails

[msgjd]

Pic shot in 1986 // Here I have already "hit the pin" but still get out and get under to check things out visually before taking off .. At the time, I was working as a trainer and head of BN licensing, but occasionally still got away to do my old jobs with the fellas.. In the military world I never had an issue except for some sloppy hitches with worn jaws and kingpins .. But in the commercial world I have come across an occasional hitch fail and one cracked pin on an employers dump trailer that I caught in time.. Never had a trailer fall but everyone has close calls.. I want to hear some horror stories ! (funnies are welcome too)

 

[NDT]

Been there got the tshirt. Backing into a 172 trailer, dollied up and took off, only to see the trailer flop down like a dead fish. Well suffice it to say the landing legs on 172s are not capable of lifting the trailer, only supporting it. So it was hours with bottle jacks and cribbing to get the gooseneck back in the air. Learned my lesson that day.

 

[msgjd]

Been there got the tshirt.

It happens.. That lowboy stopped pretty quick I bet !! I was moving my own M750 a few years ago to a permanent spot, checked the lock braces on the folding landing legs with a 3-pound hammer, cranked it up and pulled ahead a little to get the kingpin clear enough to jack it up some more so it had plenty of room should it settle over time.. Well, I didn't check the lock braces a 2nd time after disturbing things .. When I got back in and pulled the M818 ahead, the landing legs folded and the trailer started to slide down the 5th plate and then the ramps, which made the trailer start to roll backwards.. Hadn't bothered to chock it being on flat ground.. Managed to hit reverse quick and luckily one of the rear wheels hit a short tree stump just enough to hold it, thus I got back under it.. That was a pucker moment. PS, I have had to jack other things up with cribbing and bottle jacks, on soft ground, it sure is not fun