Fontaine Fifth Wheel and its aftermarket parts group, Fontaine Parts Connection, unveiled a new family of fifth wheels Thursday, including a new lightweight fifth wheel slider system and a direct replacement for competitive standard-duty fifth wheel top plates.

The Fontaine Ultra line of fifth wheels, unveiled during a media event at their new Trussville, Ala., headquarters. initially will include four new models, with additional products planned.

Light weight

Generating the most excitement at the company is the new Ultra LT, which the company says is the lightest-weight fifth wheel slider system available. The compact Ultra is as light as aluminum fifth wheels, but it's made with fabricated steel for strength, durability and lower cost. At approximately 195 pounds, the Ultra LT offers weight savings of up to 100 pounds over other fifth wheel systems.

"I've seen a real shift in the marketplace in how fleets view weight," said Terry Mennen, vice president of sales and marketing for Fontaine Fifth Wheel. He attributes the increased interest in lightweight components to the need to offset heavier emissions equipment, avoid front axle loading issues, and the effort to improve fuel mileage.

The Ultra LT is offered as a complete system that includes the top plate and one of a variety of mounting configurations, including inboard and outboard slide assemblies and a stationary mount. Both the inboard and outboard slide assemblies are lighter weight and more compact than standard slide assemblies. The Ultra LT system is for use in on-highway applications only, including highway tanker operations.

Ultra NS

Fontaine also says it's the first to offer infinite, automatic slack adjustment with its new Ultra NS model. This premium fifth wheel features the next generation of Fontaine's patented No-Slack lock design. Slack, which is open space around the kingpin when the fifth wheel lock is engaged, causes many problems, including a jarring ride for the driver and increased inputs into the vehicle frame that can cause premature wear to truck components.

"It doesn't beat the daylights out of the driver," Mennen said.

With the Ultra NS fifth wheel, Fontaine engineers completely re-imagined the fifth wheel lock. The Ultra NS fifth wheel replaces the jaw and wedge utilized by previous No-Slack locks with a cam and moveable jaw system. The cam "swings" the jaw into position behind the kingpin, where it is kept in place by constant spring pressure. That pressure, combined with various design elements, provides infinite slack adjustment for zero slack at all times.

The no-slack feature allows easier switching between trailers, because it can securely hook to older trailers with worn, out-of-spec kingpins. And because it provides additional contact to the trailer kingpin, it also helps extend kingpin life.

The Ultra NS also has a positive lock indicator that provides a quick visual signal to the driver that the lock is properly closed. The Ultra NS fifth wheel is rated for on-highway use in standard to severe service applications.

For fleets wanting the benefits of the premium Ultra NS but who want to save weight, the LT slider system can be used with the Ultra NS fifth wheel.

Retrofit HR

The third model in the Ultra line was a response to customer requests. The Ultra HR is an aftermarket retrofit model designed to be a direct replacement for competitive standard-duty fifth wheel top plates, while also incorporating a number of Fontaine-specific improvements.

"This is the first time we have chosen to offer a retrofit part for use on non-Fontaine fifth wheels," explains Roger Crawford, president of Fontaine Parts Connection. The new cast steel Ultra HR is similar in shape to the top plate it replaces and will fit existing lower bracket assemblies. No adapters are needed.

Severe service

The fourth fifth wheel in the line, the Ultra HD, combines the best features of Fontaine's two heavy-duty fifth wheels, the No-Slack H5092 and X5092. It weighs less than the Fontaine X5092 and retains the special steel reinforcement offered by the H5092 for added strength and durability. It is rated for severe duty applications such as oil fields, logging, chip hauling and end dump trailers.

The Ultra HD fifth wheel fits Fontaine's existing mounts, including two sliders and a number of stationary mounts. It is also available as a blocked model for frameless dump applications.

All the fifth wheels in the Fontaine Ultra line feature a patented lock design that eliminates the possibility of false trailer couplings to prevent dangerous high hitching, as well as a patent-pending secondary lock that kicks in if for some reason the main lock fails.

Depending on the model, a number of options are available, including air actuated release, and low- or no-lube options.

More info: www.fifthwheel.com