# Fifth Wheel on wagons, what do you think?



## Clayton Taffy

If you can afford one defiantly get a fifth wheel or at least a cut under carriage.
They are much safer than non cut under, with non cut under, when turning sharply, the wheels will hit the body of the carriage and flip it. With cut under the body is made such that the wheels can go under the body preventing a flip at low degree turns. That is not to say they are unflipable just less likely.

All fifth wheels are cut under, not all cut unders have fifth wheels.


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## G8tdh0rse

OK, so what is a fifth wheel for those of us who are clueless.


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## michaelvanessa

*fith wheel*

another abreatheation for a turn table or a dolly on a draw bar trailer.
is the turn table for turning the frount axle.


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## michaelvanessa

*fith wheel*

thay are very stable and well ballanced but like every cart is the point of ballance turning hard at speed but i cant think of any one who has had an accident with one so thay are ok to drive at speed.


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## michaelvanessa

*fith wheel*

i have 2 fith whell carts one is wood with rubber channel tyres that is a four wheel dog cart waggonett in green with block brakes and was made in 1892 and the other is made of box iron and steel tube and ply wood and has motor bike tyres and i perchased 2 brake callapers a brake disc off of ebay 2 flexable brake hoses and an equal t and a brake cilinder so i have hydrolic brakesim going to fit a small stop cock so it will act as a hand brake.
the funny thing is the fith wheel is made out of 2 brake discs if you want pictures i can supply them for you.


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## Chico

Hello Michael. I would be interested in your pic's if you still have them available.
Thanks Chico in Texas.


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## Southern Grace

I do not own a fifth wheel, but I drive commercial carriages galore, and most of them are 5th wheel. I love them, but they are what I started on, so I may be biased. I still think it feels funny to pivot a horse in a two wheeled cart where I am still facing the horse when he gets 80 degrees around. They are more dangerous than a two wheeled cart, as they can tip over, but a short based wagon with an experienced driver and experienced horse should be fine. I, personally, prefer a 4-wheeled carriage as I think they make for a much smoother ride and less bounce on the horse when going cross country (especially when you drive a floaty trotting Arabian, lol). I would only ever consider a fifth wheel when it comes to a 4-wheeled vehicle.

I have known cut unders that are not fifth wheel, we call them "reach" carriages, no clue where the term comes from, but the warning I got was you NEVER turn more than 45 degrees in it or it will break. I never tested the truth to that, just kept our turns wide. Always made me nervous to drive them, so I massively prefer a fifth wheel. We have a big 25 person wagon with a fifth wheel and due to it's length (and the number of people in it moving around and rocking it) it was considered fairly easy to tip over, so another always stay within 45 degrees of center wagon. I never had it tip, but I could feel it wobble when we got past that point. I've had a short based fifth wheel get well beyond the 90 degree point (horse running in reverse) and although it made me nervous, it never actually felt like it was going to tip.


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## greentree

The only time I have actually been pitched out of a fifth wheeled vehicle was unloading it off of a tilt trailer. Someone had the brilliant idea that *I*!should be oN the carriage to apply the brake. The MEN had hold of the pole, and as the carriage hit the ground, there was a bit of a trench where the trailer met the ground...

The wheels flipped sideways into that trench, and I Was catapulted off...and Landed on my FEET!!! Laughing , of course!


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## ChitChatChet

Love a 5th wheel. So much more pleasant for tight turns.


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