Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

[mickjetblue]

I am just curious to know if anyone knows of a hitch that either came loose
or came apart. I've never had that happen, but maybe I'm just lucky.

Since most are put together with bolts nowadays, I can't help but wonder if
they all hold up to their ratings for pulling. And I suppose folks might try
pulling more than their hitch is rated for, although might not want to admit
to that. It would be interesting to find out if hitches could handle much
more than what they are rated at.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I've never heard of it. And it doesn't look like others have also. But it must have happened somewhere!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

as far as the hitch itself, other than being in an accident, i've never heard of it. there have been incidents, where the lever latches on the trailer have come open, and come uncoupled. that why there is a hole in them for a lock or safety pin. also using the wrong ball for the size hitch, does not work.

 

[njlarry]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I once kept my trailer hitched on for about week using it most of the week. Everytime I checked that the ball clasp was under the ball and the lock down pin had a keyed lock on it. After 40 minutes, while driving 40 mph down the same road at I had several times before in the the same week the hitch suddenly uncoupled. The safety chains held but the trailer tongue still dragged only a bracket kept the coupler from digging in and snapping the chains. Needed a hydrolic jack to get it back up as the jack stand was folded.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

bro in law, went several hundreds miles to pick up new boat & trailer. his vehicle had an 2" ball. the guys at the marina couple up the trailer. He towed it home, 5,000lb boat 60pmh on interstate, the next day at the ramp, after loading the boat, he hit a bump and the trailer came off. why, 2 inch ball, 2 5/16 hitch, how many could he have killed. it is the drivers responsibility to check his coupling and load.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I had a ball on a hitch for a tow dolly that just wouldn't tighten and stay tight. I changed the lock washer and it was the samo, samo. After about three times of it coming loose I wound up having the nut Tack welded. It must have had defective threads.

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

A friend brought over a wood splitter last month and the coupler had one bolt missing and the other loose enough that it could have fallen off in another few miles. I replaced the bolts, lock washers and washers. I used Locktite 727 on the bolts and he motored away at the end of the day.

Indeed the driver is responsible for checking the coupling, the safety chains, the lights, brakes if there and all aspects of his load and vehicles. It is wise to stop after five or six miles to recheck and retighten the load. Killing yourself on the road is still a right in our country, killing someone else isn't.

 

[TAV MAN]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I had a trailer come off three times and not a good feeling. Yes the driver need to chcck.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I had an empty 5x8 utility trailer (maybe 500 or 600 lbs) come off the ball on my Jeep Cherokee as I crossed a railroad track (very flat, no real bump) at about 50 MPH. Stayed attached by the chains. Threw the Jeep about 45 degrees sideways back and forth (but managed to stay on the road) 3 or 4 times before I got it back under control. Deep, steep ditches on both sides of the road, luckily no traffic in the other lane or I would have hit them. Took about a week before the seat in the Jeep came "unpuckered" .............

I hate to imagine what would happen if my boat came loose. No wonder you see those cars and trailers upside down beside the interstate when a trailer comes loose. I make it a point to check my hitch VERY carefully several times and make sure the safety pins and latches are in place.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

when i connect mine i put a pad lock in for the safety pin. on day at the ramp, someone came thru and opened every hitch they could. wasn't funny watching trailers coming uncoupled as the boat was loaded.

 

[millwood]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I do the same thing. Bought a pad lock just for the safety reason. When you look at those little pins they give ya, there just isn't much to them. Still most people don't use anything at all. Just not safe.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

Back in the 60s, my Dad was hauling the family and his pop up camper on one of our regular camping trips. The hitch broke at about 55mph and resulted in the tongue digging into the road, sparking and bouncing wildly behind the car. We came to a rest in the middle of nowhere and found the coupler welds had failed. Fortunately, we ended up not far from a local farmer who could weld and helped us out. That was the first, and hopefully last, time I ever experienced anything like that while towing. I'll never forget it and it has had a lasting effect on how I look at and handle towing anything.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

When I was a kid, my dad had a similar experience to MrBigStuff's dad. Tow vehicle was a 1960's VW van. Camper only weighed about 400 lbs empty, maybe twice that fully loaded. Trailer rolled on side and hitch came undone. I don't know which happened first. Dad pulled over with the trailer still hanging on by the chains, rolled it back over and hooked back up. We kids did not even realize that anything was wrong until the van was almost stopped. Rest of vacation no issues. Trailer hitch did not fail nor did the chains. Doubt very much that my dad failed to check things before (or certainly after) knowing his meticulous nature about things automotive. Cause unknown.

Terry

 

[cbavier]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I do the same thing. Bought a pad lock just for the safety reason. When you look at those little pins they give ya, there just isn't much to them. Still most people don't use anything at all. Just not safe.

I too use a Pad Lock. Not only at the ball and Coupler but underneath at the hitch Pin also. Not only keeps it safe from coming loose but also keeps it secure.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

a boat looked just like my boat once passed me on the street. it was my boat. Just liberated itself from the tow vehicle. Thought my boating days were over. Like launching a missile, only not one of the smart, guided missiles. I found the drawbar hanging from the coupler - I hadn't inserted it far enough into the receiver, so the hitch pin passed behind it instead of through the holes. Friction held it in place for a block or so until I accelerated enough to pull free, then when I braked, the boat saw its opportunity for freedom and made a break for it. Went right passed a parked car, between two brick mail boxes, up a driveway and plowed into the turf. And of course the safety chains were hanging safely from the trailer where I had forgot about 'em. No real damage to speak of, but I still shudder when I think of it.

 

[Tuck56]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I have used a device called Trailer Guardian for three years. It is a simple safety device that keeps the coupler on the ball regardless even if the coupler was to have a failure. You can take the nut off of the trailer ball and nothing will come loose. It comes with pins and a lock. I use it on utility and boat trailers faithfully. Look at www.trailerguardian.com and see the products and video. I have the dual arm.

 

[Ken Barber]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

It happened to me yesterday!

Towing my 18 Ft center console (total rig around 3,000 with trailer), which has been towed by the same SUV for three years with no incident. Traveling 55-60 on the highway heading to the ramp, and all of a sudden a huge screech and I knew I was on my emergency chains. What do you do then? I tried a light brake, only to have my SUv rear ended by the bow, and then both chains snapped like twigs. I watched in my rearview as the entire rig went sailing into the guard rail at 50 MPH and prepared for the worst.

Thank god I was in the right hand lane, and the trailer went off of the road on the right side. Nobody hurt, and no other cars hit the careening rig. Terribly scary, and you really have little control with a few flimsy chains at highway speed. The trailer hit the guardrail and screeched to a stop. I thought my boating days were over, but miraculously, the boat only suffered a few gouges from the guardrail and and two chips out of the bow. But the entire tongue and front of the trailer was bent in a U shape. I believe the old fashioned tie down strap I use is the only reason the boat was still on the trailer. If it was held with transom straps, no way it would still be here.

The flatbed tow driver came with two trucks as he said when the state police call about a boat, it is usually seperate from the trailer.

Very scary, and out 2K for a new trailer -but the Winner CC will float again!

How it happened, still unclear. The hitch was closed and locked with a padlock. 1989 trailer, could it have lost it's grip?

Any ideas?

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

Four years ago I'm driving a 30' Minnie Winnie towing a Honda CRV. I had just the previous month installed a different tow bar with a break away system that would activate the CRV brakes if the tow system failed. We were on our way from Florida to Franklin NC northbound on I75. Had just left Cracker Barrel when we all felt a tug on the RV. Flipped on the rear camera and there's the CRV dancin from right to left on the safety chains. Eased over slowly to the break down lane and found the pin missing from the hitch. It was not a lock in type but just used the spring clip. We dont know if there was some vandalism at the C Barrel or not. Just that every thing worked perfectly and the CRV never touched the bumper of the RV. Needless to say, I have never since used a non locking receiver pin.

 

[Ezrider_92356]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

i had a trailer come uncoupled one time, in my haste i forgot to lock the latch pin just put it threw the hole it bouned out pin came up after that i went over some railroad tracks bounced off and was cought by the safety chains, lucaly no damage and i was only going about 15mph when it happed

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Any hitch ever come loose or apart?

I too use a Pad Lock. Not only at the ball and Coupler but underneath at the hitch Pin also. Not only keeps it safe from coming loose but also keeps it secure.

Thats how I do it too. I keep the padlock on the coupler when its not hooked to the truck, so when I go to hook up, its laying on the bumper anyways, might as well grab it and lock it back on. I also stop after a block or two and give the tongue a good couple of tugs up and down and I give each of the tiedowns a quick tug as well. its amazing how much even a little 14' Aluminum boat can settle ofter you tie it down and drive a block or so.