Don't forget to......

[KT64TM]

latch your tongue onto your ball..... wait that didnt sound good


Hooked up and went to the lake to try to run it today. On the way home, after 20 miles round trip on I-35, the trailer came loose.

thank God for safety chains!!

Thank God again for it coming loose on a surface street and not the freeway.

 

[302slick]

Re: Don't forget to......

I don't just put the lever down. I feel or look under to make sure it caught the ball. It only takes a second ... I've seen those boats that came off.
Not my idea of fun.

 

[slowjeep]

Re: Don't forget to......

I have only had my boat for a few months and have had a few close calls with that. I didn't know you had to put a pin in to hold the latch down, mine kept popping up. The first time I trailered the boat home, it was at least a 4 hour trip, I got home, backed it in, went to unhook it and the ball was only being held on by a few threads. Ever since I have made sure the nut holding the ball on is good and tight.

 

[68C15]

Re: Don't forget to......

on the same note it would be a good ide to occasionally check the bolts that attach your hitch to the truck. after all there is no fail safe if the hitch comes off the truck.

 

[Splat]

Re: Don't forget to......

Also chech before you back in to retrieve.

We had some lovelies around here that used to like to walk through the parking lot at the launch and lift the latches on any trailers that weren't locked down.

Bill

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: Don't forget to......

It is a good idea to inspect everything under you tow vehicle. we pull all of our toys with a 85 southwind motorhome. after one particulary bad trip up interstate 15 toward the nevada state line (bridge work had bad bumps at each end) we arrived at our destination. spent the weekend started to leave the campground, looked in the mirror and the whole trailer was beside us with the hitch and three feet of frame rails still attached. when they build motorhomes the sometimes extend the frame rails for the extra length of the coach. the bumps in the road cracked the whole section off. thank god it finished coming apart on the speed bumps in the campground at a slow speed. I can safely say it is put back together super heavy duty now! but I still crawl under there and inspect it before we leave town.

 

[Thad]

Re: Don't forget to......

Also chech before you back in to retrieve.

We had some lovelies around here that used to like to walk through the parking lot at the launch and lift the latches on any trailers that weren't locked down.

Bill

OMG

There would be some broken arms around here. I have never heard of such a thing. But, then again, since I found this forum, I have heard a lot of things I could never have imagined.
I generaly only lock mine when going out of town. The rest of the time, I just use the pin. Maybe I will start locking it all the time.

I have had a trailer come off once. But that is what happens when you put a 2 5/16" tongue on a 2" ball.

 

[mike64]

Re: Don't forget to......

When I first bought my boat I didn't know you were supposed to put a pin in the latch either. No problem until I was on a dirt road with a washboard surface-- rattled the tongue right off. I look in the rearview to see my boat swinging violently back and forth

Fortunately the chains held, and no damage other than a couple dings the tongue put in my Jeep tailgate, and a minor heart attack

Now putting a padlock on the latch is as much standard procedure as hooking up lights and chains.

 

[mddubya]

Re: Don't forget to......

Great advice being given here. I always place my back under the bow of my boat and try to raise up after latching the trailer. Then put the lock back on and latch it.

Every so often crawl under the tow vehicle and check all attachment points. Same for the trailer, a friend had the winch stand break off his trailer once, so I always look at that also.

 

[dlindeblad]

Re: Don't forget to......

My neighbor forgot to latch on the ball. Its an interesting experience when you see your boat pass you and go into a nearby field.

 

[_chris_]

Re: Don't forget to......

Tell me about it. I didn't forget but someone else decided it would be funny to pull the handle.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Don't forget to......

OMG

There would be some broken arms around here. I have never heard of such a thing. But, then again, since I found this forum, I have heard a lot of things I could never have imagined.
I generaly only lock mine when going out of town. The rest of the time, I just use the pin. Maybe I will start locking it all the time.

I have had a trailer come off once. But that is what happens when you put a 2 5/16" tongue on a 2" ball.

Last fall I drove 2 hours to pick up a 26' trailer and took both hitches with me. When I got there I found out it was a 2 5/16". Didn't know there was such a thing. I was going to use my 2", but decided to drive another 1/2 hour to Goderich to get the right size. Just caught the store before it closed. It was a long drive home, alone in the dark, but it seems I made the right call.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Don't forget to......

Hasn't happened to me YET, but I must pass on the story of my brother's escapade. He hooked up his heavy duty (but small) flat bed trailer to his 4x4 to drive over 2 hours to Clarenville to pick up a small landscape bulldozer he had purchased. It was winter and it started to snow very heavily. Through the snow he saw an RCMP cruiser following behind at a distance. His lack of trailer maintenance was now on his mind and was sure he would get a ticket for a broken tail light and less than desireable wiring. The snow got worse and after about 10 miles the cruisers lights came on. When the officer approached my brother said, " I know, I've got a broken tail light, I'm going to fix it when I get back home." To that the officer laughed and said, " No, it's not that. I thought you'd like to know that your trailer is in the ditch about a 1/2 mile back the road."
No ticket though. I guess he figured the day just got bad enough.

 

[MidnightSpeedKC]

Re: Don't forget to......

Hasn't happened to me YET, but I must pass on the story of my brother's escapade. He hooked up his heavy duty (but small) flat bed trailer to his 4x4 to drive over 2 hours to Clarenville to pick up a small landscape bulldozer he had purchased. It was winter and it started to snow very heavily. Through the snow he saw an RCMP cruiser following behind at a distance. His lack of trailer maintenance was now on his mind and was sure he would get a ticket for a broken tail light and less than desireable wiring. The snow got worse and after about 10 miles the cruisers lights came on. When the officer approached my brother said, " I know, I've got a broken tail light, I'm going to fix it when I get back home." To that the officer laughed and said, " No, it's not that. I thought you'd like to know that your trailer is in the ditch about a 1/2 mile back the road."
No ticket though. I guess he figured the day just got bad enough.

oh man, that's some funny stuff right there.

 

[JeepinGunGuy]

Re: Don't forget to......

I was at the lake a few weeks ago and someone took out all the receiver pins. One guy lost his trailer down the ramp because his chains were attached to the draw bar, not the receiver. It's a very steep ramp with a 9 foot drop off at the end, it took them about two hours to get his trailer high and dry with a pontoon crane.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Don't forget to......

I was at the lake a few weeks ago and someone took out all the receiver pins. One guy lost his trailer down the ramp because his chains were attached to the draw bar, not the receiver. It's a very steep ramp with a 9 foot drop off at the end, it took them about two hours to get his trailer high and dry with a pontoon crane.

That's one reason I have a receiver pin lock and a coupler lock.

 

[anon1]

Re: Don't forget to......

This isn't boating related but trailering still.

Recently in Tampa FL a 16yr old was driving his dads lawn service truck with trailer and gear. Trailer comes loose from truck and blasts a woman standing in a parking lot at the hotdog trailer stand. Kills her, dead right there, waiting to buy a hotdog. Probably never saw it coming.

I never heard what actually happened but it must have been a complete screw up. No chains either I guess or maybe they where attached to the draw bar.

[add]
They say the chains were on but broke.

Keep your stuff in order!

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/...e:+Detached+trailer+hits,+kills+woman&cid=rss

 

[insanity]

Re: Don't forget to......

After hearing horror stories like this, when I first started to tow. I have always made sure that I have a lock on the hitch, and draw bar, also made sure I used the right size ball, lights worked, tires are good and inflated accordingly, and if it had breaks that they work as well. I have made a rutine to check all of this before I depart, I hope that if ever ill fortune were to befall me that I am the only one effected.

Some times your mistake is meant to be a lesson for others!

 

[da_ardvark]

Re: Don't forget to......

on the same note it would be a good ide to occasionally check the bolts that attach your hitch to the truck. after all there is no fail safe if the hitch comes off the truck.

Don't forget to check the engine mount bolts in your towing vehicle as well