Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[sixdogs]

View attachment 941087

What was going on with this and what was the need or intent? There already is a coupler on the black trailer so why the silver coupler add on? Did he twist the safety chains on purpose?

In any event, that must have been a harrowing 60 seconds when the thing thrashed itself to a stop while doing $4,000 (?) damage to the vehicle.

 

[WinterDeere]

Okay, just guessing here:

What was going on with this and what was the need or intent? There already is a coupler on the black trailer so why the silver coupler add on?

He probably had a 2" ball mounted, but trailer coupler was 1-7/8". So instead of buying a new ball, he bought that coupler and bolted it to the trailer.

Did he twist the safety chains on purpose?

Yes, to shorten them. Usually done to keep them from dragging on the ground, but here just out of poor judgement.

 

[goeduck]

He probably had a 2" ball mounted, but trailer coupler was 1-7/8". So instead of buying a new ball, he bought that coupler and bolted it to the trailer.

Probably correct. What I want to know is who the heck decided that there was a significant difference between a 1-7/8" ball and a 2" ball and made each a standard. 2-5/16" makes a little more sense as a different standard. If I was the decider, everything in the light towing world would be 2-5/16".

 

[Too many Kubotas]

He probably had a 2" ball mounted, but trailer coupler was 1-7/8". So instead of buying a new ball, he bought that coupler and bolted it to the trailer.

I think it's more likely that the coupler was larger than the ball.

That could very well be a 2-5/16 coupler. And if they didn't have the correct tools, changing the ball instead was ruled out in favor of a destined to fail coupler change.

 

[California]

1-7/8 is a waste of time. 2" will bolt on in place of it, on a light trailer. I've done this on everything to standardize and make life simpler.

I'm just towing with the Subaru or Focus (or my 18 & 24 hp tractors) so there's no need for anything stronger.

 

[LD48750]

I've been towing for 60 years & never needed anything larger then 2"
1 7/8 worked for many a year.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I've been towing for 60 years & never needed anything larger then 2"
1 7/8 worked for many a year.

I don't think it matters for how long somebody has been towing, but what does count is what they're towing.

I doubt that there are many trailers with a 7,000 lb. GVWR or more that doesn't come with at least a 2-5/16" coupler. Or a 3", or a lunette eye. And then there are 5th wheels.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

 

[bmaverick]

Its a Reese mounted receiver, so this has to be correct . . . .

 

[Bad Boy Biker]

I have changed all of ours to lunette. Have not had an issue.

 

[bmaverick]

I don't think it matters for how long somebody has been towing, but what does count is what they're towing.

I doubt that there are many trailers with a 7,000 lb. GVWR or more that doesn't come with at least a 2-5/16" coupler. Or a 3", or a lunette eye. And then there are 5th wheels.

I tow upwards to 14,000 lb. GVWR. You can not be in a stupid mode ever with loads this high. 2-5/16 ball, and upgraded chains. I once had a locked coupler jump off the ball thru a bad uneven intersection. The chains saved everything. I bet if the OE chains were on the trailer, it would have rolled on it's side.

 

[LD48750]

I don't think it matters for how long somebody has been towing, but what does count is what they're towing.

I doubt that there are many trailers with a 7,000 lb. GVWR or more that doesn't come with at least a 2-5/16" coupler. Or a 3", or a lunette eye. And then there are 5th wheels.

Lunette eye??
You mean a pintle hook?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Lunette eye??
You mean a pintle hook?

No, I meant a lunette, or tow ring as they're also called.

After all, we are discussing couplers for trailers, right? The pintle hook normally goes on the vehicle that pulls the trailer with the lunette.

Admittedly, not that I remember why, but one time I did indeed put the pintle hook on the trailer, and to be nice to it, installed upside down.

This isn't quite as crazy at it may sound. Most of my bumper pull trailers have a receiver on the tongue, so I can put various things on them, including upside down pintle hooks.

 

[BigBlue1]

Lunette eye??
You mean a pintle hook?

Apparently the hitch on the vehicle is called a pintle and the trailer side ring is a lunette. I thought it was collectively called 'pintle'. But yes, they are both referencing one single towing connection type.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I should probably explain my fetish for having receiver tubing on most everything.

I've put them on regular blades, box blades, trailers (front and rear), you name it.

This allows my to put just about anything anywhere, and only need a few pintle hooks and tow rings. For example, that rectangular tubing sleeve at top left makes it possible to use 2x2 1/4" wall tubing to extend the tongue of a trailer, or the reach of my "sky hooks" (that's a different story, those go on the loaders).

I have also made a few other gizmos. For example, this one can be used to raise the effective tongue height of a trailer, or lower the height of a receiver. It's kinda like a big Lego, but for towing stuff.

For regular road use, it's almost all gooseneck trailers, and a few with a tow rings. And while I have a few of the multi-ball ballmounts, I never use them. If for no other reason, because most have a ridiculous 7/8" ball on them.

 

[bmaverick]

 

[bmaverick]

Ah, it's only a rental truck for $19.95 a day . . . .

 

[Dftodd]

I've been towing for 60 years & never needed anything larger then 2"
1 7/8 worked for many a year.

It depends on the weight your pulling.

2" balls are usually rated to 7,000lbs.

2 5/16 goes up to 15,000lbs.

Any trailer rated for over 7,000lbs will come with a 2 5/16 hitch, or pintle hook.

 

[California]

...I have also made a few other gizmos. For example, this one can be used to raise the effective tongue height of a trailer, or lower the height of a receiver. It's kinda like a big Lego, but for towing stuff.

View attachment 980844

My one ton equivalent. Upper half made by Reese, lower half from HF then attached by me.

It's for the cargo rack, not towing. (Photo, in use.)

 

[WinterDeere]

It depends on the weight your pulling.

2" balls are usually rated to 7,000lbs.

2 5/16 goes up to 15,000lbs.

Any trailer rated for over 7,000lbs will come with a 2 5/16 hitch, or pintle hook.

There's definitely good reason for having 2-5/16". I think the original argument made a good point though, in that 2" and 1-7/8" are so similar that having both of these standards yields more trouble than solutions.

How many of us have backed up to a trailer where the tongue is coated in paint so thick you can't even find the stamped coupler size? Towing a lot of boats at the marina, this was a constant source of frustration. I had to always make sure I had both size balls in the truck, and the ball size I needed was always on the wrong height (drop) hitch.

Having both 1-7/8" and 2" standards should have never been allowed, and discontinuing one or the other cannot come soon enough, IMO. I honestly wonder how many trailers hop off balls every year, due to people putting 2" couplers onto their 1-7/8" balls, not even realizing it's not a match. When you skip up to 2-5/16", the mismatch is obvious to even the most amateur hauler, but I could see a lot of less experienced people mixing up the smaller two sizes without even realizing it.