Friend had a close call

[Joel/ak]

She went to pick up her boat out of storage from a town roughly 25 miles away from her house.

She got home and was back the trailer up into a spot and this happened.

She got very lucky.

 

[scootr]

Gee I guess

 

[JohnP3616]

Boy howdy, that could have been bad. She was very lucky.

 

[kozal01]

Those GM's like to rust, especially in Michigan. She is very lucky.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Boy howdy, that could have been bad. She was very lucky.

the hair on the back of my neck stood up thinking about the 10's or even 1,000's of innocents passed by during the 25 mile trip that get to go home unscathed.

kiss your family people as you never know what may take you out.

 

[D&D]

Those GM's like to rust, especially in Michigan. She is very lucky.

All vehicles rust. That’s an area that most people wouldn’t think twice about looking at either.

 

[Joel/ak]

She was over with her daughter a week ago and rust wasn't to bad on the truck, especially for its age and MI.

She's a widowed mother and just drives it. I'm thinking I'm gonna go over and check the frame out, brakelines, etc

 

[WinterDeere]

Our neighbor across the street in the 1970's had a similar thing happen. Picked up a car from a repair shop a town or two over, and drove it all the way home without issue. Then pulling into her driveway, a front wheel fell off the car. Luckily it happened at 2 mph and not 60 mph, the mechanic forgot to tighten the lug nuts.

Things like this have to make you think someone above is looking out for you. Glad your friend's incident was similarly good timing.

 

[kozal01]

All vehicles rust. That’s an area that most people wouldn’t think twice about looking at either.

Sure they do, some are more prone to it than others. Anyone with half a brain would check the hitch if they tow often as that is usually the first place to rust. Dont make excuses for poor maintenance and inspection, especially in the rust belt. She got lucky, could have dumped that trailer on the highway and injured or killed you or your family. Not enough people think like that, its amazing the rust buckets I see on the road here every day. Scary actually.

 

[Thomas]

Dang.

 

[LittleBill21]

Doubt it. Safety chains are connected, as seen in the photos.

LOL yea to the hitch that is falling off....

 

[Joel/ak]

Chains wouldn't have done anything except drag on the ground

 

[zzvyb6]

Looks like a heavy tongue load based on the size of the surge brake hardware. What does the boat+trailer weigh ? Doesn't look like the surge brake lockout was set, so she tried to back up a heavy trailer with it's brakes locked up. I'd guess any hitch condition would fail.

You can trick this situation by backing VERY slowly as to not compress the hitch, plus a boat ramp is sloped downward, helping you. Ya gotta be smooth to get away with this and conscientious enough to pull the lockout pin when you leave.

 

[WinterDeere]

This makes me think of the fact that I usually connect my electric braking system break-away cable to the same eye ring as the safety chains, which would be completely ineffective in a hitch separation like this. I guess we should be finding another location on the truck to which to hook these.

 

[deserteagle71]

Chains wouldn't have done anything except drag on the ground

You are right and I was wrong...didn't realize how that hitch was attached to the truck. Ran the pic through Photoshop to get a better look:

 

[grsthegreat]

Ya, those chains would have stayed with the hitch and trailer….down the road somewheres. Scary.

i inspect mine yearly. When i purchased my 1994 dodge ram , the hitch receiver tube wasnt welded to the rest of the hitch….from factory. I noticed it when walking truck at dealer. I would have had to wait around for 2 days for replacement hitch, but seeing as i flew 1200 miles to pick up rig, they offered to pick up cost of repair after i got home. I wasnt towing anything on drive home.

 

[Joel/ak]

Not sure what the total weight is. Trailer is way to big for the 16' boat. She hardly ever tows and I don't think she had the boat out of storage since her husband died.

She just doesn't understand about hitches and rust. She learned today. Luckily no one got hurt.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've seen it before and have suggested here in the past that people check or replace them after 7 years or so. Reciever hitches rust and you don't realize until something like this happens. The square tubing type catches sand, salt and all manner of other debris. The round type is welded with no open holes so it seems they would be better... except they condensate and there is no place for the water to go. I've drilled holes and watched the water run out... these tend to rust from the inside so you don't even know that there's a problem until something gives.

 

[arto98607]

Based on the photo that looks like a pretty weak design to begin with and may not been meant for that kind of load?
I hate rust.

I removed the frame mounted way undersized hitch the previous owner had installed and installed one of these on my 99 F350 few years ago.
Fair bit of work since these older trucks do not have the proper holes drilled at the factory.

In our climate rust is not really much of concern, but I've lived with it in the past.