(Mods feel free to move this if it isn't the right spot, I can't think of where else it should go)

This isn't exactly how I wanted to start off with my first post, but my husband and I need some help. We drove all day today through that nasty icy shit in Oklahoma and Kansas and now we can't get our trailer dropped at the receiver in Lawrence. The whole fifth wheel locking mechanism is encased in ice and frozen solid and we can't get it to pull loose. We've tried breaking off the ice with a hammer and crowbar, rocking the truck, hit the release pin, whanging on the tension(?) pin on the passenger side, rocking the truck some more, etc etc. We don't have any deicer or bleach or anything to pour on the ice to melt it. If we can't get it loose we'll be stuck here overnight because I don't think they'll let us leave with the trailer. What else can we try to get loose?

 

Hot water, exhaust from something, threw a hose... Air brake anti freeze any warm liquid ( honey just get up there and pee on it ) :lol:

 

You have plenty fuel. Take a rag and dip it in fuel, set it alight and swathe it back and forth over pin. Will take a while but it will work.

 

If that dosen't work, get drunk and throw bricks like Wot does

The last time Wot's 5th wheel froze up



The end result...

 

I swear thats not me Colt! Mistsaken identity again. Yeah I love a drink and a good punch up but mot guilty this time. :wink:

 

Well, we rocked it and beat on it some more and I emptied out a squeezy mustard bottle and filled it with hot salt water and squirted it all round the pin and this trailer is stuck on us like glue. We can (after 2 hours of working on it) pull the fifth wheel lever out about 2-3 inches and then it just stops. We're cold and wet and tired and frustrated, so we went and told the gate guard what was up. He's letting us take our break right outside the gate (after all the load's here so its not late! ) and we'll try and get it loose in the morning after the sun comes up when hopefully it'll get warmer and at least we can see instead of stumbling around in the dark and snow.

Thanks for trying guys, I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

 

If it's a fontaine no-slack wheel... that tension bolt on the passenger side is the stop bolt for the jaw wedge... give that a sharp wack with the hammer. You need to be able to spray or slosh an anti-freeze of some kind on the front, underside area of the 5th wheel if it still won't release.

Remember not to drive away with that trailer now that you've partially unlocked the 5th wheel.

 

That's Damn good advise------I was thinking the same thing as soon as I read that part about dragging it back through the gate and parking on the street----could be a big mistake trying to move it now.