Another trailer story

[countrynewsman]

Being a new boat owner, I keep getting reminded from friends and relatives of the stunt I pulled 30 years ago! I hooked my friend's trailer to the van at our campground and headed to the ramp to pick up his boat. My little 5 year-old nephew was in the back of the van. After picking up the boat, I drove down the road toward the campground. My nephew kept calling my name and I kept telling him he was interrupting my conversation with my friend. Finally, my nephew yells out, "THE BOAT'S NOT THERE!" Sure enough, I had failed to lock the hitch and the trailer just jumped off the ball. Some bystanders caught the trailer with the boat on it before it slid into the water. I received a round of applause when I returned to the ramp...very red-faced. That still gets chuckles...even to this day. Needless to say, these days I check EVERYTHING more than once.

 

[ne7800]

Re: Another trailer story

so........ i guessing you forgot the saftey chains to lol

 

[countrynewsman]

Re: Another trailer story

so........ i guessing you forgot the saftey chains to lol

Yep. Since we were going a few hundred feet up the dirt road to the campsite and would dump the trailer, I didn't bother to hook anything else up. Sigh.

 

[david_r]

Re: Another trailer story

when i read this i thought ok i left the plug out but surely ill never forget to hook up the trailer..................WRONG

friday evening i get everything ready-gas,poles,tackle,hook up boat to truck, etc. saturday morning me and my bud went fishing. i live a few miles sown the road from my bud so i drop by and pick him up. as we are going through some rough spots in the highway, due to construction, i hit one deep swoop and heard a clunk. i looked at my bud and said remind me on the way back to slow down in that area in case the road is bad on both sides.

when we get there we get everything prepped and as i reach down to unplug the trailer lights i noticed i didnt even latch the lock.....yep i got lucky. around 7 miles and a small mountain to cross.........at least the safety chains were on, and im guessing the clunk we heard was the trailer jumping up and down on the ball.

not real funny for me, but i would definitely would say st-st-st-st-stupid!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Another trailer story

Things like that can be so easily done, especially if you get distracted during your "routine" and double checking.

 

[John Bussom]

Re: Another trailer story

Well my grandsons did something simular this past summer, we keep the boats in the back yard when they are home and were planning on fishing the next day, about dark they decided to bring the boat to the front of the house and they got in a little hurry with the hookup!

Did the chains, the lights but forgot to put the lift leg back and forgot to close the latch and put the pin in, when Jimmy got to the street he was going slow because there is a drop from the alley to the street and sometimes with the bigger boat we scrape coming out ot there!

You can guess the expression on all our faces, yep I was with them, when the boat came loose and was being towed with the chains, cars coming both ways had to wait till we got it hooked back on.

Now we all do a pre flight test!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Another trailer story

I took out of the driveway around midnight and heard a gawd awful grumbling coming from the back. I couldn't imagine what the heck would make such a noise, but as I rounded the end of the truck I noticed the problem... I left the trailer jack locked down and the truck and trailer were riding on,,, the plastic jack wheel

 

[hank55]

Re: Another trailer story

Chains are always nice to use

Back in my younger days my wife and I would boat several times a week using my father-in-laws boat.One day me and wife headed out to the lake, we only traveled about 2 miles before the boat jumped off the ball.

I had forgot to secure the latch , you can imagine my thoughts as I slowed down while hearing the grinding noise coming from the BORROWED trailer. I guess.. wheel of a trailer jack is not designed to spin at 45mph:redface:

When we returned from the lake I had to explain why the jack wheel had a nice flat spot , and didnt roll very smooth across the garage.I think everyone was pleased it was the only damage ,and no one was hurt.

Now I leave my truck keys on the hitch, in tell I am ready to leave.

 

[luv2b0at]

Re: Another trailer story

On a very heavily traveled road known for bad accidents near my house, someone forgot to latch a small u-haul trailer they were towing. The trailer came loose and crossed the center and hit a car comeing in the other direction killing the driver.

Be careful and double check your locks.

 

[Frankhanhart]

Re: Another trailer story

Seen the safety-chains. Makes sense, although here in Holland and the rest of Europe I never saw them. Usually the only safety measure is to hook a small steel wire (which is connected to the trailer breaksystem) to the car. So if the trailer gets off the ball, the brakes immediately (hopefully) engage. Still wondering what's better....

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Another trailer story

Still wondering what's better....

Both?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Another trailer story

I watched my antique 16' Forester camper come off the ball of my buddy's truck. He had latched the trailer on top of the ball.

 

[Jason 641]

Re: Another trailer story

After forgetting the latch a few years ago I always double or triple check to make sure it is LATCHED on the ball.

We had just got done adding to a dock and building a boat house at a friends house. he hooked his truck up to his boat and I hooked mine up to his double jetski trailer and we headed to the ramp. It is about 3 miles of very curvy roads around the end of the lake. I backed down to the water and as I was stepping onto the tongue of the trailer to unhook the skis I noticed that I had never latched the trailer. I was lucky the trailer didn't come unhooked and hit someone or something. Also, he raced those skis and had a lot of money in them.

 

[Splat]

Re: Another trailer story

On a side note a few years ago I cough some local kids at one of the major Lake Erie boats ramps walking through the parking lot flipping up the latch on every boat trailer that didn't have a lock on it They thought it would be hilarious.

I always use a lock, and I'm pretty addimant that if I have to park the truck and trailer, even if its just to grab a quick bite to eat, or running into the store for some more bait I ALWAYS DO A QUICK WALK AROUND BEFORE EMBARKING AGAIN.

Bill

 

[david_r]

Re: Another trailer story

On a side note a few years ago I cough some local kids at one of the major Lake Erie boats ramps walking through the parking lot flipping up the latch on every boat trailer that didn't have a lock on it They thought it would be hilarious.

I always use a lock, and I'm pretty addimant that if I have to park the truck and trailer, even if its just to grab a quick bite to eat, or running into the store for some more bait I ALWAYS DO A QUICK WALK AROUND BEFORE EMBARKING AGAIN.

Bill

what a bunch of knuckleheads!!

i would have had a few choice words for those boys........not to mention a call to the local authorities.

i know boys will be boys but when you do things like this you are taking peoples lives in you hands...........not to mention expensive equipment.

to me thats no different than hurling bricks over a bridge at cars.................what happens if who ever is boating gets on the highway and the boat comes off and kills people.

i know we dont live in a "what if" world........but outrun the law for 45mins and see what kind of lecture you get.................from your family, lawyer, cops, and not to mention a p****d off judge---------i tried to explain that i was in the country where kids dont play out in the road, i know the roads like the back of y hand, i drive those roads like that all the time (its just more fun when the lights are on behind you), and i knew i was going to jail and thought i would have some fun before i went .......none of these people saw my side of things..........they just wanted to gripe about what could have happened.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Another trailer story

On a side note a few years ago I cough some local kids at one of the major Lake Erie boats ramps walking through the parking lot flipping up the latch on every boat trailer........ I ALWAYS DO A QUICK WALK AROUND BEFORE EMBARKING AGAIN

I will never jump in the car and just start driving again! That is sobering.

Off topic a little, but related:
In Vermont, Fish & Wildlife launches can be used by anybody as long as they, "...do not interfere with fishing or the act of fishing" or some language like that. (That's not all access ramps, just Fish & Wildlife Access Areas.) I waited almost 45 minutes for a local redneck yahoo to get out of the way. He and his brother were working on an old motor that wouldn't run, spreading gasoline and a big oil slick into Lake Eden. I knew the family's local reputation (they have one---) and probably I should have been afraid, (or had some common sense?!) but fear is not natural to me- justice is. Anyway, I finally got impatient and read them the law out of the Fish & Wildlife Digest asking them to move. They did with a lot of grumbling. I might have been a little belligerent...:redface: My wife(now EX) hissed at me under her breath asking me if I knew who they were. I assured her I surely did! [gasp]

I didn't make it a 1/8th mile down the road when we left the lake: I had to pull over as they had loosened all the lug nuts on the truck AND trailer! Some on the passenger side were missing!

Follow up: a few years after that one of those two brothers spent some time in jail, convicted for a midnight shooting spree in which he shot multiple rounds through one of his relative's mobile home walls, hitting bedrooms but narrowly missing some sleeping occupants. Vermont's Northeast Kingdom version of the Hatfield's and McCoy's, I guess.

 

[David Greer]

Re: Another trailer story

Now I wish I hadn't signed up with my real name.

You make the most mistakes when you're in a hurry and you are always in a hurry when dealing with a trailer. I have:
Driven away with the trailer hitched, jack wheel down (RATTLERATTLE)
Driven away with the trailer unhitched (intentionally) safety chains not (KATHUNK to tighten chains KATHUNK for hitch to impale license plate)
Driven away with the trailer unhitched (intentionally) power winch wire plugged in (BANG)
Driven away with the trailer latch up to have the boat drop at the first speed bump and 4 witnesses (who had to come help me lift and ask what happened as if (a) I needed their help and (b) they didn't know).
Driven away with the latch up. Realized at 55 mph that the trailer seemed "bouncy" and pulled off to check. Hit a bump; trailer popped off and is dragged by the chains (scraaaaape) until I stop and then the winch post stops in my tailgate (KLUNK). Later, a friend says, "Hey I got a dent in my truck just like that--forgot to latch my trailer." Turns out we pulled off and got Thunked at the same place on the same road! We learned our lesson: never pull over there.
I have had a latch fail while retrieving; safety chains saved the day.
Oh, and you can screw a hull plug in when the boat's in the water. Don't ask me how I know.
BTW I learned to drive with a trailer 45 years ago and probably launch and retrieve 1-2 times a month with various boats, and I keep one in the water!

 

[81 beachcomber]

Re: Another trailer story

Driven away with the trailer unhitched (intentionally) safety chains not (KATHUNK to tighten chains KATHUNK for hitch to impale license plate)

haha been there done that. was parking the boat in my carport. after the trailer hit my car i threw it into park (i thought, i guess i was to flustered as it was now in reversee and im out of the car trying to stop the trailer) my carport is completly open and there is about a 12' drop off the back. i relize it is now pushing backwards so i run back to the car and stop it just in time. the trailer snugs up on the chains just before the edge. i now park outside and am closing off the carport into garage.

 

[hazmat5760]

Re: Another trailer story

I did the ol' latch thing once while I was landscraper. Pretty sure the pallet of wall stones and skidloader are the only reason the trailer didin't jump off the ball.

 

[Cofe]

Re: Another trailer story

Was at the lake waiting to unload my boat when a couple of guys, One in the ranger boat frantically trying to unstrap the boat as his buddy backed down the ramp. He couldn't get it unstrapped fast enough and in their hurry they didn't have the latch down on the hitch. The boat with the trailer attached launched into the water and within a few seconds the back end of the heavy motor laden ranger began to take on water. Yes it did sink and the guy in the boat made it safely to shore. Made me double check everything since....