Fifth Wheel Trailer Tow Dolly Handling ? 5 ton needs work?

[61sleepercab]

I have seen the 5th wheel single axle trailer dollies on GL sometimes. I have a 5 ton and am wondering about using a dolly to move/use fifth wheel trailers . My retired trucker father in law in 30 years trucking never used a dolly. My question is how is the dolly moved to hitch to a trailer? I have towed chippers and short trailers and developed a slogan ALWAYS GO FORWARD. How have you handled the dolly ? Are they practical for a guy who owns a M925A2 cargo and cannot buy/insure/ tag a second truck for fifth wheel towing? Any opinions/ advice greatly appreciated. Mark

 

[quickfarms]

On a paved lot we tow the dolly as close to the trailer as possible and line it up by hand and use the truck to connect it.

At my place I use a forklift to get the dolly into position. You could use any type of equipment with a pintle hook or ball mounted on it.

Some people install a pintle hook on the front bumper of the truck and spot it that way. I have a tractor that was set up this way. When we restored it we removed everything because the pintle hook had bent the bumper and mount.

You can also use two chains to chain the dolly to the truck so you can back right under the trailer. The chains prevent the dolly from turning.

Your state may require you to have a Class A CDL with endorsements to use a dolly. The training should teach you how to back up a trailer. They are a lot easier to back up than a small narrow trailer because you can see it in your mirrors.

Backing requires practice. A long trailer is easy to back up compared to a short trailer. Power steering gets you in trouble faster. When backing a trailer only turn the wheel about a half a turn.

 

[Trailboss]

Backing the dolly isn't too awful if you go really slowly and are experienced backing short trailers. To get that experience if you get a dolly, take it to an empty parking lot and practice backing into painted spaces to get a feel for it (use a spotter not to guide you, but only to keep you from damaging something while you learn). That being said, I used a tractor (Massey Ferguson, not semi-tractor) to hook the dolly to my M146 trailer last weekend 'cause it was easier.

However, backing the semi-trailer attached to the dolly is an exercise that truly teaches patience.