Lets talk small utility trailers,78 inches wide x 14 feet long.

[s219]

I think it's better to have a little extra length in the chains, and then you can twist them a couple turns to control the "droop". Can't make short chains longer though! I got used to the chain length on my 7x16, which takes a couple twists on my SUV to keep off the ground, but is good as-is with my truck. Used my smaller 4x8 with my truck for the first time, and realized the chains are just too short to reach the hitch with enough slack for tight turns, so they will need to be lengthened if I use that trailer more often.

Agree about ditching the hitch extension -- a simple way to look at it is that you are reducing the tongue weight capacity of your truck by quite a bit, perhaps as much as 25-30% if it's the Frontier in your pics (eyeballing based on lengths).

 

[aczlan]

Safety chains can be adjusted as needed to suit the load/tounge sag by putting a few twists in each chain to tighten up slack. My 20' deckover has chains that always need a few twist to not drag, even unloaded.

Of note, chain manufacturers say not to shorten a chain by twisting it. I assume that's because it puts a twisting force on the chains in addition to a straight line pull.
What I have is a piece of light (3/16"?) braided line with a 1/4" 'Lock pin' (
CountyLine® Lock Pin, 1/4 in. x 1-3/4 in. - Tractor Supply Co. ) on the bottom. The chain hooks to the lock pin and is kept off of the ground during normal use.
Could I shorten the chain? Yes, but we tow this trailer (3000# 6x10 landscape trailer) with multiple vehicles and some of them need the extra length.

Aaron Z

 

[s219]

Of note, chain manufacturers say not to shorten a chain by twisting it. I assume that's because it puts a twisting force on the chains in addition to a straight line pull.
What I have is a piece of light (3/16"?) braided line with a 1/4" 'Lock pin' (
CountyLine® Lock Pin, 1/4 in. x 1-3/4 in. - Tractor Supply Co. ) on the bottom. The chain hooks to the lock pin and is kept off of the ground during normal use.
Could I shorten the chain? Yes, but we tow this trailer (3000# 6x10 landscape trailer) with multiple vehicles and some of them need the extra length.

Aaron Z

I think that is good advice for chains in general (definitely for normal chain use/loads) but I wouldn't worry about it for safety chains on a trailer -- if you've ever seen a trailer come off, the chains can get pretty twisted up on their own, so it may not matter. I always wondered about the crossed vs. straight thing. I always cross them myself, but have heard others say straight is better.

I did see one guy at a boat ramp using bungee woven through his chains to help keep them off the ground, and thought that was a decent idea. Won't restrict the chains and gives way when the chains need to stretch out.

 

[aczlan]

I think that is good advice for chains in general (definitely for normal chain use/loads) but I wouldn't worry about it for safety chains on a trailer -- if you've ever seen a trailer come off, the chains can get pretty twisted up on their own, so it may not matter. I always wondered about the crossed vs. straight thing. I always cross them myself, but have heard others say straight is better.

I did see one guy at a boat ramp using bungee woven through his chains to help keep them off the ground, and thought that was a decent idea. Won't restrict the chains and gives way when the chains need to stretch out.

From the trailering guidelines of the US Fish and Wildlife Service employee handbook:

5.3 What are the general requirements for towing and trailers? When towing, you must:
A. Comply with applicable Federal and State Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations (e.g., 49 CFR and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations).
B. Ensure that the towing devices you use on any combination of vehicles are structurally adequate and rated by the manufacturer for the weight drawn and are properly mounted. Towing devices include receivers, hitches, hitch balls, trailer couplers, and tongues.
C. Not exceed the towing capacity of any tow vehicle.
D. Not exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of a medium or heavy-duty truck when in combination with a trailer. The manufacturer specifies this value as the maximum loaded weight of a combination vehicle.
E. Couple every trailer, except fifth-wheel trailers, to the towing vehicle with safety chains or cables that meet Society of Automotive Engineers International standard J684. This prevents the vehicle and trailer from separating in case of trailer/hitch disconnect.
(1) Cross safety chains or cables in an “X” pattern below the ball mount with enough slack so that they do not restrict turning, drag the ground, or allow the coupler to hit the ground.
(2) Use properly rated safety chains with clevis hooks that have a functioning safety latch to prevent the hook from disconnecting from the tow vehicle except for a trailer manufacturer that provides “S” style chain hooks as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) equipment.
(3) Do not twist the safety chains to shorten their length.
F. Load trailers so that the weight is distributed evenly on all wheels. When properly balanced, approximately 10-15 percent of the total weight should rest on the trailer hitch. For multiple stacked items loaded onto a trailer, the heaviest items should be on the bottom to maintain a low center of gravity and aid in stability.
G. Use electric hookups to activate the tail lights, brake lights, license plate illuminator light, and turn signals. Trailers that are 6½ feet wide or wider at any point, including the load, must have front and rear side marker lights.
H. Ensure that any trailer with a GVWR of 2,000 pounds or more has brakes and breakaway components or switches that are maintained in good working order. State regulations and local guidelines that impose more restrictive requirements than this chapter take precedence.

From Laclede Chain

It’s boating season! Time to review some Trailer Safety facts! Here are ten quick facts to review before attaching a trailer to a vehicle:
1. Trailer Chains 10,000lbs and lighter conform to the SAE J-684 industry standard
2. Trailer Safety chains are classified in a “Class” determined by the GVWR, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, in lbs.
Class 1 3000# GVWR
Class 2 3500# GVWR
Class 3 5000# GVWR
Class 4 76000# GVWR
3. Definition of GVWR, Gross Vehicle Rating: Is the maximum load of the total trailer weight, this includes everything on the trailer itself. This weight can be found on the factory installed placard on the trailer.
4. If using hooks with a lower rating than the chain in an assembly, you must decrease the GVWR of the assembly to the rating of the lowest component.
5. Trailer chain assemblies should be measured from inside the bottom of the end link to inside the top of the hook at the opposite end (bearing point to bearing point.)
6. NEVER twist trailer safety chains. Zip ties are a safe and effective way to shorten a trailer chain by gathering the excess links.
7. It is NEVER ok to spread the link of a chain to accept an oversized bolt.
8. When attaching chains to a vehicle, always cross the chains. Crossing the trailer chains aids in turning the trailer by reducing the probability of stress. It also acts as a cradle in the event of separation from the tow vehicle.
9. Clear and or Yellow Zinc are the most common finishes for trailer safety chains.
10. NEVER use a trailer chain assembly for an overhead lifting application.

Personally, I don't twist chain as if it has to be used, you then have a twisting motion as well as a pulling motion on the place where the chain is attached to the trailer and that could cause the chain to fail at the worst possible time.

Aaron Z

 

[check]

One issue with chains that are too long is that they will not cradle the trailer highenogh off the ground if the trailer becomes disconnected. For those who tow with multiple vehicles, and who need differing lengths of chain, perhaps it might be a better idea to rig up a short length of chain that can be inserted into any one link of the main chain with a proper bold, and then use that to determine the final length of the chain.

 

[Markcuda]

I think I might be done or about 99.9% LOL

Two LED license plate light from Etrailer=very bright.

She sure looks sweet on the trailer.

Made a frame for my air tank.


I thought that I would never do this, but, I drilled a 1/4 inch hole and installed two hitch pins
And, what I think is the best addition, lights, I love LED lights, I put two more light bars on the rear.


Two front stake pocket tie downs, these are super duty, they were only
15 bucks, I just had to buy four
Here is what I just love, when I did the rear gate delete, I didn't think I was going to get the ramp baskets, but they put them under the trailer, it is so nice not having the ramps on the deck, another tie down, I had to shorten this one a bit.

Chris, do you think 180 pounds of tongue weight is enough?

 

[newbury]

Instead of twisting the chains I use a piece of 10 or 12 gauge wire to "cinch" up the excess, because I also tow with multiple vehicles. It's easy to untwist and modify for about any length.

 

[bcp]

I wonder why more trailers don't have adjustable chains.

Safety Chains

Sears.com


Airtow Trailers, Ground-level Loading / Full Air Suspension, Trailer Features

And others ways I've seen but can't find online.

Bruce

 

[sld]

Good job on the hitch pins for the tail gate. I was lucky when mine came off it was on a rural 2 lane and I noticed it right away after hitting the bump.

You won't always have an interference fit when the wood dries out and shrinks.

 

[Markcuda]

My wood gate is a 2 x 10, when I first started this project as needed, I swore I would not go the hitch pin route.
As the stuff got done to the trailer, I think I became more flexible on how things should be
Edit= I thought Chris would have chimed in by now.