Towing Excitement

Not me but my brother, keep in mind he is a deputy, who is also an EVOC instructor. Pasting directly from his text message:

“Long story short. The hitch pin on my trailer hitch failed and slid out somewhere coming down the hill. It was the one that instead of a cotter pin has the end that you bend down and it is supposed to automatically lock in place, but it’s been not working so great and was fairly rusted and stiff. So,the entire stinger pulled out while I was going to get on the freeway. Trailer started jumping back-and-forth on the chains, and they somehow released,at which point the trailer tried merging into traffic at 50mph next to a nice truck and travel trailer.

Crossing the safety chains will help with that "going back and forth" thing.

Trailer balance and tongue weight also come into play.

Securing your gear is the operators responsibility however. I would suggest that a receiver pin doesn't just jump out of the hitch!

I have learned the hard way that stuff needs to be double checked and then checked periodically in-route.

Loading, load securement, lights, mirrors, bearings, lug nuts, inflation, hitch, clasp, and don't forget the tow vehicle checks/maintenance.

"Chains somehow released"

Don't let him get away with that.  Sounds like the whole thing was a chain of errors.  Sorry.

I've had the exact same thing happen. Hitch pin with the toggle on the end came out, the hooks on the chain bent and came off the hitch. The receiver and ball were still in the trailer tongue.

EvanB said:

I've had the exact same thing happen. Hitch pin with the toggle on the end came out, the hooks on the chain bent and came off the hitch. The receiver and ball were still in the trailer tongue.

BTDT with my tractor on the trailer nose down part way into the intersection.....during rush hour. My savior was a rollback at the intersection who witnessed it all.

In reply to 759NRNG :

How did they save you? Because my imagination just gave me a ramp jump with a truck and trailer lol

I almost lost a welder one time because one of the grunts in the shop didn’t tighten the ball enough. The chains kept it in place as I slowed it down in the median just south of i80 on i57. If it had happened a mile further north there IS no median and it would have been a mess.

Keep trying to post but not working. Original post got cut off. Basically he then performed a Pit maneuver on the trailer, hitting it behind the tire and spinning it around and into the grass on the shoulder. Ended up with a scuff on the front bumper of the Sequoia and on the trailer fender. 

Chains were crossed correctly, but we are adding clips from here on out. 

Jcamper

"Did you do your walk-around?"

Jcamper said:

Keep trying to post but not working. Original post got cut off. Basically he then performed a Pit maneuver on the trailer, hitting it behind the tire and spinning it around and into the grass on the shoulder. Ended up with a scuff on the front bumper of the Sequoia and on the trailer fender. 

Chains were crossed correctly, but we are adding clips from here on out. 

Jcamper

I'm surprised that they aren't more common.

I'd like for the chains to be short enough that the stinger can't actually come out.  Just long enough to allow for articulation.

What are these clips that are being added?

I was following an unladen pick-up truck the other day and the trailer ball and what seemed the entire hitch ( forgive me if I'm using the wrong terms ) was flopping from side to side.

Is that a new design?  Was it some sort of a joke or was it in some sort of damaged but never gets used so who cares sort of state?

Very strange looking but hey nothing being towed so all good unless it fell off onto the roadway. 

Retaining clips on safety chains should be pretty much mandatory. I’ve seen several cases of the chains bouncing off once the trailer starts coming off.  Check, recheck, and never assume anything automatic works every time.

In reply to nutherjrfan :

The current hitch setup on my dad's Dodge is quite sloppy and I hate it. I could actually feel the slop letting the trailer tounge  move last time I towed with it. 

In reply to Daylan C :

This thing looked like a demonic bobblehead.  

In reply to nutherjrfan :

He didn't have the wrong size receiver, did he?

yupididit said:

In reply to 759NRNG :

How did they save you? Because my imagination just gave me a ramp jump with a truck and trailer lol

I had to come back thru the intersection and divert traffic as the rollback made it's way to where I was. Dude knew his rig...when this let go the trailer jack almost left the tongue. He was able to drag the trailer/tractor on the rollback...sorry no pics but I damn sure have the receipt.....

Had that happen on my bike.  The receiver hitch came with a bolt and a nut to hold the hitch into the receiver, from the factory that made it all.  Driving through some BF town in OK, it all came loose.  Hitch out of the receiver, still stuck in the trailer, dragging on the ground by the chains.  Fortunately, I was only  doing about 30 mph.  Immediately pulled into a hotel parking lot which was conveniently 1 block away from an O'Reilley's.  I got a locking hitch pin there and haven't had another problem with it.

Wally said:

Retaining clips on safety chains should be pretty much mandatory. I’ve seen several cases of the chains bouncing off once the trailer starts coming off.  Check, recheck, and never assume anything automatic works every time.

I've had the chains fall off just from driving down the road, no matter if I route them under or over.

One time the chain hook somehow pushed itself deeper into the reciever, which was fun to try to work back out. 

In reply to Knurled. :

I had a problem loosing chains on a trailer and a friend suggested hooks like these.  They’re a bit more money but they stay put.

jfryjfry said:

What are these clips that are being added?

Generally they look like this, but there are several styles. 

The sketchy trailer of neglect has these on its safety chains. It will probably try to fail and cause injury and property damage in a number of ways, but the safety chains aren't going anywhere.

I also use a locking hitch pin, which seems stronger and less likely to accidentally detach compared to a cotter pin. 

I've had numerous potential catastrophes averted by using the "walk around and see if things come loose when you pull on them method."  

I give it a 22/7, do recommend to everyone.

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

Took me a minute to parse that.