What is your preference safety cable or chain

[flycaster]

What is your preference on your trailers:
Safety Chains or Safety cables, and how do you hook them to tow vehicle?

 

[Jeff-in-PA]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I've always used chains. ALWAYS crossed under the tongue when hooked up and open end of the hook ( in the receiver ) facing down.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

cables are for people who for some reason want to try something different..... chains are for everyone else who want something that just always works

cables rust and get weak without looking weak..... chains can also rust to the point of being weak (although less likely) but it's plainly obvious because the links get thinner.

cables = eh might be ok
chains = always worked and always will

 

[Texasmark]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

Ditto with Jeff. I have had cables separate at the loop crimp when subjected to shock loading. I use them to lock stuff up as they are hard to cut, but that's it.

Mark

 

[dingbat]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I use a cable for no other reason that I boat in saltwater and the chains become a rusted mess in short order.

The trick to the cable is to spend the money on a good heavy set. When I did he resreach for mine I found lots of cheap, inferior products out there. Also make sure you buy cables coated with clear vinyl so you can keep an eye on them. You can't see what is going on with the cables coated in black vinyl

The set of cables on the horse trailer are OEM 1994 so cables can and do live long lives if you buy a quality product and take care of them.

 

[rbh]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

Chain!!, 100%
(you can inspect chain for wear, wire rope, you can only inspect the outside wraps)

Chain is rated, (transport rated chain) welded not bolted to the reach (its a wear issue) long enough to be crossed over and reach the hitch point, but not touch the ground.
(Jack knife vehicle and trailer, streach tight and then add 10-20%)

If the ball ever lets go or the trailer gets disconnected in travel the chain acts as a cradle.

Hooks are rated as well, I like to go hook side up, but all hooks must have a locking device.
(snap/flap usually spring loaded)

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I just bought a tandem trailer with big (maybe 3/8) vinyl-coated cables. What a PITA!
They're certainly beefy enough for safety but for whatever reason are self-coiling and have a mind of their own.
I'm seriously contemplating removing them and putting on chains.

 

[90stingray]

I just bought a tandem trailer with big (maybe 3/8) vinyl-coated cables. What a PITA!
They're certainly beefy enough for safety but for whatever reason are self-coiling and have a mind of their own.
I'm seriously contemplating removing them and putting on chains.

My glastron trailer had the exact same setup... until I welded on my folding tongue. Then I welded on chains while I was there. I think the coiling cables is a nice attempt... but chains all the way. Crossed them and clipped to factory receiver hitch holes.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[H20Rat]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

If the ball ever lets go or the trailer gets disconnected in travel the chain acts as a cradle.

99% of the time that isn't true...

Here is an experiment... Chain up, and then unhook the tow vehicle. Yep, tongue falls right into the cradle, it works great, when nothing is moving! Now chock the tires of the trailer, and pull your vehicle ahead... Once you get enough tension on the chains, they will end up parallel to the ground, and the tongue will fall right through the cradle. If it doesn't fall immediately, give the tongue a light kick, and it will drop through. (simulate a bump in the road.)

Now of course you say this isn't a real world test... What do you think the chains are going to be doing .5 seconds after the hitch comes loose? The drag of the boat going down the road is instantly going to straighten them out.

Don't believe me? Go try it! Best to use an old vehicle and a small/light trailer, if the trailer hops the chocks is going to come forward, quickly!

Crossing chains is good for other reasons (allows you to use the minimal length of chain without binding on turns), but as far as the cradle, doesn't happen and no real world benefit.

 

[rbh]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

99% of the time that isn't true...

Here is an experiment... Chain up, and then unhook the tow vehicle. Yep, tongue falls right into the cradle, it works great, when nothing is moving! Now chock the tires of the trailer, and pull your vehicle ahead... Once you get enough tension on the chains, they will end up parallel to the ground, and the tongue will fall right through the cradle. If it doesn't fall immediately, give the tongue a light kick, and it will drop through. (simulate a bump in the road.)

Now of course you say this isn't a real world test... What do you think the chains are going to be doing .5 seconds after the hitch comes loose? The drag of the boat going down the road is instantly going to straighten them out.

Don't believe me? Go try it! Best to use an old vehicle and a small/light trailer, if the trailer hops the chocks is going to come forward, quickly!

Crossing chains is good for other reasons (allows you to use the minimal length of chain without binding on turns), but as far as the cradle, doesn't happen and no real world benefit.

I think you missed a couple of other things while your at it.
If a trailer comes loose from the hitch/vehicle you have lost control of that trailer except for the trailer brakes (hopefully, they still work) as well for horizontal control!

If you had no chains BYE BYE trailer

This is not a perfect world but there are things we do to mitigate the amount of damage that can be done,
"This is Why We Cross Chains" when we are towing a trailer.

The amount of chain is the key to being able to keep the situation under control as well as the points that they are
afixed to the reach of the trailer, and how far they are spaced on the vehicle reciever.

The crossing of the chain does two things, front to back and side to side movement.

Front to back- at the time the trailer lets go either your trailer E-brake or your regular brake should be coming on,
their for all the trailers weight should be pulling to the rear of your vehicle and not sliding under, this is why you make sure that you do not have alot of slack in your chain.

As for side to side movement this is why we cross them so they drop into a cradle, think about useing just one chain, there will be "NO" control, crossed you have some.

Your experement is flawed I believe, because if your not set up right to begin with, you can expect the worse scenario to happen, I would try tightening up your chains a little and widening the cross at the vehicles reciever or the reach.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I use chains & NO HOOKS !

I use the mountain climbers chain link that can be threaded shut. Caribenarras ?? I use 2 small adjustable wrenches or some good black plastic electrical tape to prevent them from opening. NO WAY they open. Come in many proof tested ratings & sizes.

I have seen trailer & boat sitting 50' into pastures at sunrise. It was from Canada & sleeping in upstate N Y pasture. Somebody had a HELLOFA drive back to find it.

 

[cribber]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

Whatever is installed on the trailer just make sure you use them!!! My EZ-Loader boat trailer has coiled cables and my utility trailer has chains. The cables are bracketed to the tongue so no need to cross... I always cross the chains on the trailer. When the coiled cable starts losing tension it's time to replace them regardless of how they look. Also keep a can of liquid tape on hand to repair any nicks to the vinyl covering.

 

[TMALEGA]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

Well the guy that had the boat before i bought it had this little tiny 1/4 inch chain on there that was bolted together with a completly rusted up bolt. Made one giant circle enough left over to make 2 loops and he said i was just suppose to slide the chain over the reciever hitch to secure it. He did apologize for the rusted bolt and i was ok with it i was only going at the most 1 mile down a road to the store and getting new ones. Well i guess he felt sorry and handed me some 1/8 inch cables for a bike lock and said here use this to replace the chain with.

I know it is a small 16 ft bayliner but all i could think was heckk no. I went to home depot and got some 3/8 inch heavy duty chain routed through the area on the trailer that showed the chain feeding through and went on home. Have enough under it to cross them and all the good stuff. The chain isnt welded to the frame but when i went to look at the new bayliners down the road from my work and they were telling me on my year they werent welded and for the size i have i should be ok. I hope they aernt blowing smoke up my rear.

Always have used chains and always will. Lvoe them.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

nothing wrong with bolting or looping through

 

[rbh]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

nothing wrong with bolting or looping through

YUP, there is Smoke, and its just because I got pulled over at a DOT (department of transport) check stop once and they saw that my trailers mounting points for my chains was bolted, "BIG NO NO" in their eyes!!
Now I only got a fixit ticket because the people that inspected my trailer missed it. (4th year in a row )

and as for looping chain, if the trailer pulls away and the chain slips one way or another you "cross" will not be were you want it. (kinda **** eyed)

 

[Thalasso]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

Chain!!, 100%
(you can inspect chain for wear, wire rope, you can only inspect the outside wraps)

Chain is rated, (transport rated chain) welded not bolted to the reach (its a wear issue) long enough to be crossed over and reach the hitch point, but not touch the ground.
(Jack knife vehicle and trailer, streach tight and then add 10-20%)

If the ball ever lets go or the trailer gets disconnected in travel the chain acts as a cradle.

Hooks are rated as well, I like to go hook side up, but all hooks must have a locking device.
(snap/flap usually spring loaded)

Alot of trailers come without snap hooks. Is this a law specific or just an opinion

 

[rbh]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

^^^^^^^^

Up here its law for commecial vehicles, and if I gotta do it for them folk, I do it on everything.

(there is really no difference in the law between commercial vehicles and private owned (POV), you just don't get pulled over as much for inspections, and thats the scary part!!!

 

[jacoboregon]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I've always used chains. Cables hurt if you get a broken strand and get stabbed!

If your chains are crossed correctly without too much slop your tongue won't fall through.

Cables of the correct rating will work, but I prefer chains because for me, they are easier to handle/adjust.

 

[jacoboregon]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

^^^^^^^^

Up here its law for commecial vehicles, and if I gotta do it for them folk, I do it on everything.

(there is really no difference in the law between commercial vehicles and private owned (POV), you just don't get pulled over as much for inspections, and thats the scary part!!!

Oregon has different laws pertaining to the size/weight of the trailer being towed. NO type of clips are required on the chains. The must be the correct tensile strength, be crossed under the tongue, not too short for turning, but not long enough to drag.

I'd recommend checking the state laws for where your vehicle and trailer are registered.

 

[Philster]

Re: What is your preference safety cable or chain

I just bought a tandem trailer with big (maybe 3/8) vinyl-coated cables. What a PITA!
They're certainly beefy enough for safety but for whatever reason are self-coiling and have a mind of their own.
I'm seriously contemplating removing them and putting on chains.

Same here: They tend to self-coil and you have to grip that much harder to latch them onto the hitch. My trailer came from Load Rite with coated cables, and it was part of the salt water upgrades, as was dual axle flush kit.