Don't be a safety chain slacker

[bcp]

Yesterday I was stopped in traffic beside a pickup towing a dump trailer. The safety chains were about 4 feet long, and almost dragging the ground, BUT, they were crossed for safety. If it had uncoupled, the tongue would have drug the road anyway, and had about 8 feet side-to-side and front-to-back swing.

Many times we have heard the advice "Cross your chains to make a cradle to keep the tongue off the road in case the coupler disconnects" but I bet few people actually check their chains to see if that is true for their setup.

Have you ever tested your chain adjustment by dropping/lowering your tongue to see if it is caught by the chains?

Attached are some photos of what I believe is excessive slack that defeats the crossed-chain purpose. And a photo of a test.

Bruce

 

[lexluther]

Nice license plate in your photos of what not to do...
good point about testing.

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks for this, Bruce. I suppose that I would be one of the 'slackers', although not to the point of chain dragging.

It's ignorance, pure and simple. Up until your posting no one had ever explained to me the reason for crossing the chains as a 'cupping/cradling' action. I'd simply been told to cross the chains and that was good enough for me not to further investigate why, other than preventing a run-away float/trailer.

 

[ray66v]

Having had a trailer come uncoupled, I can tell you, I will never use hooks like the ones in the photo's.

An uncoupling is potentially a violent event.

The trailer jerks back hard, to the limit of the chains. Any braking by the towing vehicle, causes the trailer to jerk forward, where the tongue hits the towing vehicle, or the chains catch it again. This process repeats. Sometimes, until the hooks fail.

No better definition of surreal, than being passed by your own trailer.

Since that event, I only use heavy duty quick links to attach the safety chains to the towing vehicle, which are closed hand tight. They cannot come unhooked.

It's less convenient than the chain hooks. But, much less inconvenient than having your trailer get loose.

Amazon.com : Invincible Marine 5/16-Inch Stainless Steel Quick Link : Sailing Shackles : Sports & Outdoors

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I find it interesting that the 2 pics with the license plates in them both have the hooks attached backwards. If that thing pops loose from the hitch ball and bounces back into the chains and then forward again, those hooks are coming off. Pic in the upper right corner has the hooks going the right direction. Harder to tell in the pic below that one, but looks like they may be backwards too.

 

[bcp]

The 2 left photos hooks have the springy safety wire.

I've never liked the bent-rod hooks, so have always changed to stronger safety hooks, or quick links with a WLL marking.

Gravity keeping the hooks on isn't reliable enough for me.

Bruce

 

[Looking4new]

I use safety hooks, myself.

 

[boggen]

Having had a trailer come uncoupled, I can tell you, I will never use hooks like the ones in the photo's.

An uncoupling is potentially a violent event.

The trailer jerks back hard, to the limit of the chains. Any braking by the towing vehicle, causes the trailer to jerk forward, where the tongue hits the towing vehicle, or the chains catch it again. This process repeats. Sometimes, until the hooks fail.

No better definition of surreal, than being passed by your own trailer.

Since that event, I only use heavy duty quick links to attach the safety chains to the towing vehicle, which are closed hand tight. They cannot come unhooked.

It's less convenient than the chain hooks. But, much less inconvenient than having your trailer get loose.

Amazon.com : Invincible Marine 5/16-Inch Stainless Steel Quick Link : Sailing Shackles : Sports & Outdoors

X2

one trailer coming off the ball and a dent in bumper and tail gate was enough for me. glady only going less than 10 to 15MPH.

taken up the slack is a requirement for me now. so if it does come loose. it does not have as much "jarring" effect. and half way stays right near were it should be when hooked up. with just enough slack, to jack knife/ to deal with corning sharply.

the chains on one of the trailers i have, the chains are to long, pending on vehicle. and normally end up twirling the chains together. to reduce the slack.

========
also use same style of connection of what you linked to.

standard hooks, *shakes head no* dealt with enough log chain / tow chain, that i would not trust the hook staying on.

have tried some other types of connections for dealing with some logs. and they just bend completely under a very low load. more like a shear bolt.

the only thing i do not like about the connectors you link to. is the bloody threaded connection. wants to jamb up (just a little bit of rust / dirt / grim / dust) and can be heck to get un-screwed, or screwed back up. and by the time you put on some PB blaster or like. wrenches to channel locks begin slipping. but... i have yet been able to physical damage them to point the loop breaks, and causes a chain or like to come undone. (i end up messing something else up *DOH*)

 

[dragoneggs]

Many years ago I bought my first little trailer (maybe 5' x 7' w/ plywood sides and bottom) at a garage sale. I proudly hooked it up and hauled it home. No safety chains. I was taking it easy, driving through a suburban neighborhood (no sidewalks) and noticed my new to me trailer passing me on the right when I took a left hand turn. I FREAKED. Luckily it didn't hurt anyone or anything before braking itself with the tongue. There was a small dent in the left side trailer fender I think from hitting the corner of my rear bumper.

Ever since that inauguration, I make sure the ball is sized and seated right, chains crossed, release lever pinned, and electrical works. Especially if I am towing something for the first time or it isn't mine.

 

[BLSXJ]

Has anyone notice the "pictures with a license plate" are from Curt manufacturing... a trailer hitch manufacture! lol

 

[Ford850]

The only way you're going to keep the trailer hitch off the ground in case the hitch fails, is if the total length of the chain is less than the distance between the truck ball and the ground Like pictured in the lower left photo. Sometimes that is not possible since you need enough chain to make turns.

 

[ray66v]

My decoupling wasn't due to the ball failing, it was due to the fact that since I was only going a few miles I decided putting my lock on the coupler was to much trouble. And, perhaps if I hadn't crossed those railroad tracks, it would have been fine.

My minimum now is, a bolt through the lock hole. But, I usually put the lock on.

 

[LD48750]

My decoupling wasn't due to the ball failing, it was due to the fact that since I was only going a few miles I decided putting my lock on the coupler was to much trouble. And, perhaps if I hadn't crossed those railroad tracks, it would have been fine.

My minimum now is, a bolt through the lock hole. But, I usually put the lock on.

Are you saying that the lock came undone?
It was OPEN when you retrieved the trailer?

I've seen hitches come off the ball because they were not adjusted correctly or the wrong size ball but never seen a lock come unlocked.

 

[Ford850]

My decoupling wasn't due to the ball failing, it was due to the fact that since I was only going a few miles I decided putting my lock on the coupler was to much trouble. And, perhaps if I hadn't crossed those railroad tracks, it would have been fine.

My minimum now is, a bolt through the lock hole. But, I usually put the lock on.

Thanks, I changed "ball" to hitch" in my post above, since that covers any hitch failure. I had a near failure similar to yours. My son forgot to add the pin to the coupler after hooking everything up. He nervously asked me to pull over a few minutes after we pulled out, still maneuvering city streets. He hopped out, found the coupler open and just resting on the ball, and the pin still sitting on the bumper. Thank God we had good tongue weight and that my son did the right thing and asked me to stop. I think he was 16 at the time. I can guarantee he will not mess up again when connection trailers. He had connected trailers many dozens of times before that day, and many dozens since. His safety check routine after that day makes me proud.

 

[LD48750]

Thanks, I changed "ball" to hitch" in my post above, since that covers any hitch failure. I had a near failure similar to yours. My son forgot to add the pin to the coupler after hooking everything up. He nervously asked me to pull over a few minutes after we pulled out, still maneuvering city streets. He hopped out, found the coupler open and just resting on the ball, and the pin still sitting on the bumper. Thank God we had good tongue weight and that my son did the right thing and asked me to stop. I think he was 16 at the time. I can guarantee he will not mess up again when connection trailers. He had connected trailers many dozens of times before that day, and many dozens since. His safety check routine after that day makes me proud.

Sounds to me like he never closed the coupler, not that it came open.

 

[Ford850]

Sounds to me like he never closed the coupler, not that it came open.

We think so too. But he realized he didn't remember adding the pin to the coupler. That's what raised the flag in his mind. Now he does two walk arounds, once while checking the lights and once afterwards.

 

[Degolyerent]

I use a lynchpin on the coupler

 

[Looking4new]

I use a lynchpin on the coupler

X2:thumbsup:

 

[white cloud]

Has anyone here seen a coupler fail? I have four things that need to be towed. My BigTex trailer has a bulldog style Chinese made coupler. It seems pretty stout but I may be confused. The boat trailer looks pretty well made also. The coupler on my single axle utility trailer is just folded metal as is the one on our travel trailer. I have thought about replacing these two. Am I being paranoid?

 

[ray66v]

Are you saying that the lock came undone?
It was OPEN when you retrieved the trailer?

I've seen hitches come off the ball because they were not adjusted correctly or the wrong size ball but never seen a lock come unlocked.

The hitch was on the ball, and the lever on the top was closed. I went to put the lock on, and decided not to bother, because it was only a 15 minute trip, and I was going to drop the trailer off. The key for the lock, was on the same key ring as the car, and I didn't want to bother turning the car off to unlock it.

I drove quite a few miles, before crossing some rough railroad tracks. About a mile after that, was when it came unhitched.

Yes, the coupler was was open.

It never came off before, or after that. But, I always put the lock on it.