Hi i would like to know if a 5th wheeler can be used of road in regards with the coupling?
Woody n Sue said
11:27 PM Jun 23, 2015
If you have a ball hitch you will be in with a show but not many 5th wheelers will have much ground clearance thereis one which would go close in show us your rig
Check it out
Outback,Inland or Coast - does it all with comfort and ease.......L/Cruiser Tray and Venture 630 Fifth Wheeler
07:38 PM May 5, 2015
by Gaz n Shell
Oh and welcome too
Izabarack said
06:38 AM Jun 24, 2015
caseyv wrote:
..... if a 5th wheeler can be used of road?
Depends on too many factors to give a general answer. Most off road arrangements require something like a Treg type hitch for sufficient articulation between towing vehicle and trailer. Approach, departure, and ramp over for the particular arrangement are big factors in the off road capability. Several models of fivers have good reputations for use on formed dirt roads.
Iza
PeterD said
04:53 PM Jun 24, 2015
There is at least one off road model produced. See this link.
caseyv said
08:43 PM Jun 24, 2015
Hi peter will the Strzelecki 520 Off road take the steep ramps.
it look OK but i am afraid it may rip off the towing hitch if the going gets rough
Baz421 said
09:28 PM Jun 24, 2015
caseyv wrote:
Hi i would like to know if a 5th wheeler can be used of road in regards with the coupling?
Turntable type couplings are used all over the world and are rates to suit small rigs to 115 tonne road trains in Australia.
Ball type likewise are rated for the size (diameter) and application.
As far as ramp over is concerned this is specific to each INDIVIDUAL vehicle/5th wheeler combination (your rig be called a combination) and some things that influence this are:
1 chassis strength and loading at specified point(s)
2 the position of the proposed turntable in relation to the suspension
3 the design of the gooseneck on the 5th wheeler (ie it's height) and clearance at the back of the tug required for the combination
4 always remember the tug MUST be capable of the GVM/GCM for the combination
there are other issue but if considering there are normally engineers lists at each state Department of Transport that can assist - they charge but can be of great assistance given the money involved.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IS - turntables for fifth wheeler are SEMI FLOATING - and this simply means that some of the side load imposed (ie when cornering) is transferred to the tug suspension through the turntable,,,,, BUT this is NOT the case for BALL type couplings.
So you can see that the type of coupling has a DIRECT bearing on the selection of the tug.
Hope this helps
Cheers Baz
Bebbo said
09:41 PM Jun 24, 2015
Hi,
As stated above, ball hitch is better suited for OFF road.
Our 4 year old fifth wheeler has been in quite a few places but also as stated ramp angles can be an issue.
I don't take my unit on very rough tracks with very steep approaches etc, but it handles corrugations with no trouble at all. Have taken it over creek crossings, sometimes I have to raise the air suspension to get over the occasional rocks in the creek bed.
Graham
PeterD said
10:27 PM Jun 24, 2015
caseyv wrote:
Hi peter will the Strzelecki 520 Off road take the steep ramps.
There is no standard for articulation for off road rigs. The larger the rig then the less capable of doing trips like the Cape Yorke Telegraph Track. The first bloke to design an off road van, Barry Davidson does not classify vans over about 16' as off road vans even though he was building larger vans. If you want to go to the extremes you are alluding to then I think you should be looking at camper trailers.
caseyv said
03:33 PM Jun 25, 2015
Than you all for the great replies it has been very helpful to make up my mind
Hi i would like to know if a 5th wheeler can be used of road in regards with the coupling?
Check it out
Outback,Inland or Coast - does it all with comfort and ease.......L/Cruiser Tray and Venture 630 Fifth Wheeler
07:38 PM May 5, 2015
by Gaz n Shell
Oh and welcome too
Depends on too many factors to give a general answer. Most off road arrangements require something like a Treg type hitch for sufficient articulation between towing vehicle and trailer. Approach, departure, and ramp over for the particular arrangement are big factors in the off road capability. Several models of fivers have good reputations for use on formed dirt roads.
Iza
There is at least one off road model produced. See this link.
it look OK but i am afraid it may rip off the towing hitch if the going gets rough
Turntable type couplings are used all over the world and are rates to suit small rigs to 115 tonne road trains in Australia.
Ball type likewise are rated for the size (diameter) and application.
As far as ramp over is concerned this is specific to each INDIVIDUAL vehicle/5th wheeler combination (your rig be called a combination) and some things that influence this are:
1 chassis strength and loading at specified point(s)
2 the position of the proposed turntable in relation to the suspension
3 the design of the gooseneck on the 5th wheeler (ie it's height) and clearance at the back of the tug required for the combination
4 always remember the tug MUST be capable of the GVM/GCM for the combination
there are other issue but if considering there are normally engineers lists at each state Department of Transport that can assist - they charge but can be of great assistance given the money involved.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IS - turntables for fifth wheeler are SEMI FLOATING - and this simply means that some of the side load imposed (ie when cornering) is transferred to the tug suspension through the turntable,,,,, BUT this is NOT the case for BALL type couplings.
So you can see that the type of coupling has a DIRECT bearing on the selection of the tug.
Hope this helps
Cheers Baz
Hi,
As stated above, ball hitch is better suited for OFF road.
Our 4 year old fifth wheeler has been in quite a few places but also as stated ramp angles can be an issue.
I don't take my unit on very rough tracks with very steep approaches etc, but it handles corrugations with no trouble at all. Have taken it over creek crossings, sometimes I have to raise the air suspension to get over the occasional rocks in the creek bed.
Graham
There is no standard for articulation for off road rigs. The larger the rig then the less capable of doing trips like the Cape Yorke Telegraph Track. The first bloke to design an off road van, Barry Davidson does not classify vans over about 16' as off road vans even though he was building larger vans. If you want to go to the extremes you are alluding to then I think you should be looking at camper trailers.