Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[civilian]

I've always done this, but honestly it's only because I've seen it done that way. I realize now I have no idea why. I couldn't think of a better place to ask than here. So, why are chains crossed?

The cradle support is one, but the other reason for crossing is for shorter chains to keep the cradle off the ground while allowing for vehicle turns and not drag chains. Jon

 

[Soundguy]

Good point. I had a trailer coupler break and come off. The chains were short and the breakaway cable was long so it didn't brake. I needed a new bumper anyway. :confused3:

that's where your panic brake switch on your e-brakes comes in.

I don't think any trailer I have ever owned would be able to touch anything on my truck, if the tounge came off and was cradled by the emergency chains. With them cradling it.. it's hanging lower than the bumber already.. and the chains aren't 4' long, so there's no way the body of the trailer is coming up to the back of the truck... Most tounge's are long enough so that your vehicle can turn to at least around 45' without jack knifing... if yes, the, then the static length of your safety chains needs to be shorter than the distance from your bumper to your trailer frame.

 

[sixdogs]

Good point. I had a trailer coupler break and come off. The chains were short and the breakaway cable was long so it didn't brake. I needed a new bumper anyway. :confused3:

Interesting. Anyone else have the trailer come off? It must be a scary few moments.

 

[sklunk]

Along those lines I have always been taught that your breakaway cable should NOT be attached to your trailer hitch receiver. It should be attached to the bumper or some other point on the towing vehicle. I have seen rusted receivers come right off the frame of the truck. If the breakaway is attached to the same area as the safety chains and the entire receiver comes off the truck you will lose the trailer but the emergency brakes will never activate since the cable won't be pulled.

I usually attach my breakaway to one of the bumper brackets if possible.

 

[BigBlue1]

Along those lines I have always been taught that your breakaway cable should NOT be attached to your trailer hitch receiver. It should be attached to the bumper or some other point on the towing vehicle. I have seen rusted receivers come right off the frame of the truck. If the breakaway is attached to the same area as the safety chains and the entire receiver comes off the truck you will lose the trailer but the emergency brakes will never activate since the cable won't be pulled.

I usually attach my breakaway to one of the bumper brackets if possible.

If you believe your vehicle is possibly in poor enough condition for a hitch to be rusted off (or if you don't know it won't) you may have bigger issues to address.

As for the breakaway cable, it also needs to be shorter than the safety chains so that it pulls the plug if/when the hitch uncouples. Does you no good if the cable is longer than the chains.

Rob

 

[Redneck in training]

When I was a kid my father used make racing boat engines while his friend was building the boats. We used to go racing just about every weekend during summer. There was no regulation on the trailer coupler at that time (in fifties) so the trailer was connected by eye and pin to the car and no safety chains. I remember, while already driving back home after one race, one guy said:"I don't remember if I put a safety clip to the pin." So they debated short time if to stop and check or keep driving. In that moment the trailer came off, was sliding on the road when the tongue hit a pothole catapulting the whole thing in air. The trailer was making somersaults while passing above a guy on motorcycle going in opposite direction and landed upside down on the road. The boat was total loss. Only few hardware pieces were salvaged. The engine flywheel was broken off and the aluminum housing for the prop gear looked like a mushroom after hitting the road.
The motorcyclist was just shaking saying :"You could have kill me."

 

[BigBlue1]

The motorcyclist was just shaking saying :"You could have kill me."

That's what so many people fail to comprehend. Towing and hauling things safely is not just something you do to preserve your own stuff, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to do in order to keep everyone else on the road safe. If your negligence causes an accident you will be held responsible and will have to live with the consequences of your failings. Think about what if that was your kid riding that cycle, not just some other random person.

 

[fordmantpw]

A person I know was killed near here several years back due to a runaway trailer. The boat trailer had come unhooked and the tongue came through his windshield. People don't realize how their (in)actions can and do affect other people in terrible ways.

 

[DavesTractor]

The safety chain hooks are required to have positive retention also. Many trailers that are a little older just had slip hooks without the spring clip. When things go awry, you don't want a hook jumping out of the hole.

Interesting comment on the brake away cable needing to be shorter than the safety chain. I'm not sure I agree that is best in all cases. Years ago one of our drivers had a trailer come uncoupled. The chains held it fine, the brake away cable device was not activated since the chains were shorter than the cable. The driver applied a little brake via the brake controller and pulled over to the side of the road with no damage. In that case, I am not so sure I would want my trailer brakes to be locked up. Now had the chains failed, the brakes would have locked up and we would have wanted it that way.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My neighbor, 6-2 and 175# wet, sold a boat last year. The guy came back the next day to pick it up in a 80's GMC. It had a bar with a 2 5/16" ball and required a 2" ball for the boat trailer. They pulled the pin to remove the draw bar and it would not budge. My neighbor gave it a kick and the entire hitch and pieces of frame from the truck fell off in his driveway.

Long story short he towed it to the guys home with his Ecoboost for $50.