S hooks vs quick links: safety chains

[bcp]

How could chains exert twisting force to flip the Suburban? A sideways pull at hitch level is unlikely to flip it, too. I suspect the coupler did the twisting as it reached its limit of rotation.

If the chains broke, the runaway trailer may have killed some other family.

Bruce

 

[aczlan]

How could chains exert twisting force to flip the Suburban? A sideways pull at hitch level is unlikely to flip it, too. I suspect the coupler did the twisting as it reached its limit of rotation.

Only way I could see is if the trailer went off the side of the road or went completely upside down and pulled the tow vehicle after it.
Now, I could see the sway/weight distribution system (such as the Reese SC) causing that...

If the chains broke, the runaway trailer may have killed some other family.

I agree. If something comes loose, I want it to stay attached to my vehicle so I can control where it goes at least a little bit.

Aaron Z

 

[devildog1]

How could chains exert twisting force to flip the Suburban? A sideways pull at hitch level is unlikely to flip it, too. I suspect the coupler did the twisting as it reached its limit of rotation. No trailer flipped heavy trailer and HD chains and shackles held and the weight and momentum took Suburban with it.

https://youtu.be/kwOqARlw1EI,,https://youtu.be/oZoGzZL6YSI

If the chains broke, the runaway trailer may have killed some other family. No there is an un-coupler break- away cable that activates breaks on trailer if cable pulls out plunger.

DevilDog

 

[devildog1]

Quite a few of them on U tube, don't know all circumstances, but it happens
DevilDog!

https://youtu.be/sLE1nn0P9AI?list=PL498CA39227F5E6B8

 

[aczlan]

If the chains broke, the runaway trailer may have killed some other family.

No there is an un-coupler break- away cable that activates breaks on trailer if cable pulls out plunger.

That's all well and good, until the brakes on one side pull a little harder than another (or one side hits a piece of debris) and the trailer swings into the next lane and pushes another vehicle into an abutment or (if on a two lane road) into oncoming traffic.
Here is an example of that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWFvzwtQ6ZY and another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKrB4sL_C8k

Aaron Z

 

[Eric_Phillips]

I don't think anyone disagrees that an out of control trailer can flip the tow vehicle. The question comes from a previous poster that said because the chains were attached with shackles instead of S-hooks is why his vehicle flipped. I find it hard to believe the chains or there method of connection could be the cause of flipping the tow vehicle. Either the ball came to the end of its travel or the trailer pulled the vehicle sideways enough to cause it to flip.

 

[aczlan]

I don't think anyone disagrees that an out of control trailer can flip the tow vehicle. The question comes from a previous poster that said because the chains were attached with shackles instead of S-hooks is why his vehicle flipped. I find it hard to believe the chains or there method of connection could be the cause of flipping the tow vehicle. Either the ball came to the end of its travel or the trailer pulled the vehicle sideways enough to cause it to flip.

As I understand it, Devildog is claiming is that it is safer for the tow vehicle to have the S hooks so they bend and let the trailer come loose in the event of a problem rather than keeping it attached and flipping the tow vehicle.

Aaron Z

 

[davrow]

U-Haul here wraps the chain through the safety chain connection point and the s-hook hooks back into the chain itself. With the rubber keepers, I don't see anyway the s-hook could come undone. There simply would not be much stress on it. The real stress is on the safety chain itself.

 

[devildog1]

I don't think anyone disagrees that an out of control trailer can flip the tow vehicle. The question comes from a previous poster that said because the chains were attached with shackles instead of S-hooks is why his vehicle flipped. I find it hard to believe the chains or there method of connection could be the cause of flipping the tow vehicle. Either the ball came to the end of its travel or the trailer pulled the vehicle sideways enough to cause it to flip.

Only telling the story as it was told to me here. I'm not an expert on towing but I can believe that if the chains were twisted or short or became tangled and trailer flipped over that it could take tow vehicle l over. Maybe your the expert or you saw this accident, if so then you know.

 

[devildog1]

As I understand it, Devildog is claiming is that it is safer for the tow vehicle to have the S hooks so they bend and let the trailer come loose in the event of a problem rather than keeping it attached and flipping the tow vehicle.

Aaron Z

]No Aaron not me, the gentleman telling his story said for his future towing he will not have such a robust chain and shackle setup on his trailers. He said he will stick with the S hooks so if he has an accident again the trailer won't flip his tow vehicle over like the first time. It will break away and his family would be safer for it.
DevilDog