Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

KnottyBuoyz

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
712
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

Our trailering incident followed pretty much the same scenario as everyone else except!!!<br /><br />I had bought one of those expensive draw bar locking pins, you know the ones with the lock that snaps on the end, well figuring it was so expensive it had to be good right? NOT!<br /><br />Unbeknownst to me while trailering the 20 Excel cuddy the freakin' lock falls off the draw bar pin. While driving through the middle of town at rush hour and approaching a red light at the main intersection the pin finally falls out and releases the boat and trailer behind me. WHAMOO! The safety chains draw the bow of the boat into the hatch back of my Jimmy! Oh Sh*t!!! There I am dragging my boat by the safety chains out of the intersection with a crowd of about 50 gigglin' and pointin'! I can hear the snickers all the way across the intersection.<br /><br />The bow of the boat made a pretty big dent in the hatch just below the window. Mangled the wiper too. Didn't break the window! *Whew* The dent is still there. It ain't rustin' out so I'm not touching it for now. To this day I always tell people the dent is from a motorcyclist who crashed into the back of my truck and the dent is where his helmet hit. Unless they were there the day it actually happened I get away with it.<br /><br />Moral of this story: the most expensive piece of equipment isn't necessarily the best. I know use a 7/16 grade 8 bolt and teflon locking nut to secure the draw bar. It'll never come loose again.<br /><br />Moral of this story: when recent memory fades and the witnesses aren't around, lie like hell and make up the wildest excuse you can come up with. People will believe you!
 

bayman

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 2, 2000
Messages
669
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

It's amazing how many problems are due to using trailers!
 

KnottyBuoyz

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
712
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

I think it's 'cause we use the same brain to hitch up our boats that we used to choose our ex-wifes. *sigh*
 

rottenray6402

Ensign
Joined
Jul 27, 2004
Messages
923
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

That brings a tear to my eyes KnottyBuoyz, true pearls of wisdom. My ex-wives have cost me a lot more money than my trailers have however!Actually more problems too.
 

KnottyBuoyz

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
712
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

This is what happened last fall when I slipped the trailer hitch off of the ball without blocking the wheels of the trailer. As much as I pulled and tugged I couldn't keep the boat from rolling into the ditch firmly imbedding the outdrive into the bank. I hate trailers.<br /><br />The Jimmy didn't have the balls to pull it out so had to call a tow truck. First boat the guy had pulled from a ditch, go figure. Cost of this lesson? $100.<br /><br />
1704100_1455-med.jpg
 

booger man

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 29, 2004
Messages
31
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

knew a guy that after a day of partying on the water all day ,he loaded his 21ft cuddy on the trailer and hauled it 30 odd miles home parked it and went to bed ,woke up the next morning and realized he never tied the boat to the trailer just drove it on and drove home good thing the ramp wasn't steep ...the boat was about a foot and a half from the bow stop,how lucky (or stupid) is that.
 

Gary H NC

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
8,972
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

Another reason boats and alcohol don't mix! :rolleyes:
 

Twidget

Commander
Joined
Jun 16, 2004
Messages
2,192
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

A couple of years ago, somehow managed to latch my trailer on top of the ball. I dutifully put the padlock through the latch so it would stay down and attached the safety chains.<br /><br />I then drove 30 miles or so across town(s) to my house. I was really lucky.
 

anyfishlldo

Seaman
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
72
Re: Forgot to lock the trailer to the hitch...

I'll admit this with embarrasment:<br /><br />When I had my boat winterized last year I went to pick it up from the dealer and was B.S.ing with the sales guy about campers and wasn't paying attention when I hooked up. Same thing as Twidget, latched the coupler but it wasn't on the ball. Got about 3 miles and went across an intersection with a good hump and heard a thump and a screeching tire. Thank God the spare was mounted so far forward on the frame, the whole trailer just slid on the spare until I came to a stop, no damage to anything except for the small amount of uneven wear to the spare and the devastating blow to my pride.
 
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