Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

LittleBittyBigJohn · Jun 12, 2025

I hauled a few boats last weekend. The son of one of my good friends helped out to make a little extra cash. I'm glad I brought extra parts and was there to help him. I inspected all the trailers and they all had 2" couplers. I made sure everyone knew before hand, and threw 2 extra 2" hitches in my truck just in case. I was lowering the boat down on my friend's son's hitch, I wiped off the ball to read it just in case... sure enough, 1-7/8. Hurray for being through. I grabbed him one of my hitches and we were off with no issues.

Except he had a blowout on a trailer.. but that's a whole different story.

blacktruck · Jun 12, 2025

ning said:
Well no pic
but I have a story
A cautionary tale, some would say

I was pulling a flatbed earlier today, with a bunch of wood on it (consider it lumber, mostly)
Trailer popped off the ball, hit a small berm and dumped its load.
Snapped 3k straps like nothing, load all over.

Good: nobody hurt. Trailer 98% ok; needs a new trailer jack; the lumber stuff also 98% ok. Landed in bushes and soft dirt; I was probably going about 30mph at the time.
Bad: I'm a frikken idjit, like wtf. I can try to blame it on a lousy night's sleep, but the truth is I just completely skipped over the consideration that though it was a lightweight flatbed, it still had a 2 5/16" coupler, and I had a 2" ball on my truck from moving my small enclosed cargo trailer last time I used it (months ago). I just completely didn't consider ball size at all.

Starting to think I need a literal checklist for simple things....

@WM75Guy
It takes a man to admit a mistake.
You definitely did a bone head thing but fortunately, nobody was hurt and property damage was kept to a minimum. Pretty sure I have done the same thing but just got lucky when I did it.
Cautionary tales are important to those who might be prone to do something similar.
Thank you sir for sharing.

John0829 · Jun 12, 2025

Fortunately I am down to one trailer so the ball size is no longer a possible screw up but of late I have been either forgetting to hook up the safety chains or forgetting the 7 way connector. The brake controller usually reminds me if I have missed the connector but I cannot understand why I started missing the chains... after all they are right there when I lock the hitch.

Fuddyduddy1952 · Jun 12, 2025

Two things have helped me: wire tags and a laminator. They're not expensive. Remove wire, write on tag and laminate 8 tags with one sheet. Cut & wire back through.
They save time & mistakes.
Weeks ago I use a gas pump to fill a water tank and the last straw was the flat outlet hose twisted up and burst before I could shut pump off. Yesterday so easy reading tag: 1) check oil 2) green inlet hose to top 3) red hose to bottom 4) prime pump 5) switch on 6)fuel on 7)choke...etc.
So trailer tagged: 1) 2 5/16" ball 2) safety chains 3) check lights...etc.
I think as we get older the brain is like a 5 gallon bucket...it can only hold so much. Either that or dementia!

QRTRHRS · Jun 12, 2025

I saw two "good ones" today but I don't like messing e with my phone while driving so no photos.

The first was a trooper with a straight log truck. Dumb ol' driver had an untagged log sticking out about 6 or so feet. It was in the middle of the load. He could have put it on the top having it stick out over the can.

The second was along a busy road in Lexington, KY. A decent looking round bale sitting on the sidewalk/curb.

WinterDeere · Jun 12, 2025

LittleBittyBigJohn said:
I hauled a few boats last weekend.

Boat trailers seem to be the most universally subject to breakdowns of all highway vehicles and trailers. Between the harsh environments to which they're subjected, and the fact that many are used only twice per year, it always seems like maybe more than 95% of them are of questionable road-worthiness.

I used to race sailboats in a class where guys were routinely putting 30k miles per year on their boat trailers, and even half of them had trailers I'd be afraid to take on the highway.

Rockbadchild · Jun 12, 2025

WinterDeere said:
Boat trailers seem to be the most universally subject to breakdowns of all highway vehicles and trailers. Between the harsh environments to which they're subjected, and the fact that many are used only twice per year, it always seems like maybe more than 95% of them are of questionable road-worthiness.

I used to race sailboats in a class where guys were routinely putting 30k miles per year on their boat trailers, and even half of them had trailers I'd be afraid to take on the highway.

The fact that they get backed in the water each launch and their bearings rarely get greases by most people surely doesn’t help.

Gregster613 · Jun 13, 2025

LouNY said:
This is what UPS did with a package for me a few days ago.,

Shipment Details
You’ve Got the Details
You’re seeing what customer service agents would share with you. If you need more support,
use the Virtual Assistant or contact your shipper.

 Times shown are in Local Time Change
06/02/2025
12:00 P.M.
Delivered
DELIVERED
GREENWICH, NY, US
06/02/2025
7:18 A.M.
Out for Delivery
Out For Delivery Today
Latham, NY, United States
05/31/2025
6:14 P.M.
On the Way
Processing at UPS Facility
Latham, NY, United States
05/31/2025
3:20 A.M.
Arrived at Facility
Latham, NY, United States
05/30/2025
10:32 P.M.
Departed from Facility
Buffalo, NY, United States
05/30/2025
2:29 P.M.
Arrived at Facility
Buffalo, NY, United States
05/30/2025
9:03 A.M.
Departed from Facility
Mansfield, OH, United States
05/30/2025
8:28 A.M.
Arrived at Facility
Mansfield, OH, United States
05/30/2025
4:12 A.M.
Departed from Facility
Lexington, KY, United States
05/29/2025
5:32 A.M.
Processing at UPS Facility
Lexington, KY, United States
05/29/2025
4:38 A.M.
Departed from Facility
Kingston, NY, United States
05/29/2025
3:24 A.M.
Arrived at Facility
Kingston, NY, United States
05/28/2025
10:55 P.M.
Departed from Facility
Middletown, PA, United States
05/27/2025
11:27 P.M.
Arrived at Facility
Middletown, PA, United States
05/27/2025
9:31 P.M.
Departed from Facility
Baltimore, MD, United States
05/27/2025
8:52 P.M.
Arrived at Facility
Baltimore, MD, United States
05/27/2025
3:17 P.M.
We Have Your Package
Pickup Scan
Baltimore, MD, United States
05/26/2025
7:23 P.M.
Label Created
Shipper created a label, UPS has not received the package yet.
United States

From MD to PA to NY to KY to OH to NY and then finally to me.

LouNY....WOW!! All I can say!!!

Dftodd · Jun 13, 2025

WinterDeere said:
Boat trailers seem to be the most universally subject to breakdowns of all highway vehicles and trailers. Between the harsh environments to which they're subjected, and the fact that many are used only twice per year, it always seems like maybe more than 95% of them are of questionable road-worthiness.

I used to race sailboats in a class where guys were routinely putting 30k miles per year on their boat trailers, and even half of them had trailers I'd be afraid to take on the highway.

Around here, it's quite common to see someone's high dollar toy, tractor, motorcycle on a trailer that really isn't fit to haul manure reliably.

Then again, I saw a crew hauling wood in the back of a pickup. Most was in the bed, but they had some longer stuff stacked on top.

The back window was completely gone out of the truck, and it had a piece of plywood held in place with a ratchet strap in lieu of a tailgate.

The passengers in the back seat had their heads about 2 inches from the boards.

Following them down the interstate, I kept thinking that off they got into a wreck, those back passengers would probably lose their heads

Jstpssng · Jun 14, 2025

Dftodd said:
Around here, it's quite common to see someone's high dollar toy, tractor, motorcycle on a trailer that really isn't fit to haul manure reliably.

I had a small boat trailer converted for utility use with a piece of light angle iron welded to the front, and a single sheet of plywood for a deck. The guy I sold it to was going to pull it behind his RV with his nice dresser Yamaha on it... it's his money but I wouldn't have.

Dftodd said:
Then again, I saw a crew hauling wood in the back of a pickup. Most was in the bed, but they had some longer stuff stacked on top.

The back window was completely gone out of the truck, and it had a piece of plywood held in place with a ratchet strap in lieu of a tailgate.

The passengers in the back seat had their heads about 2 inches from the boards.

Following them down the interstate, I kept thinking that off they got into a wreck, those back passengers would probably lose their heads

I was using my nearly new F150 to haul a little firewood from the jobsite back to the landscaper I was working for. My coworker was about 8 feet from the truck when he started tossing. When I put a stop to it he growled " My uncle smashed the back window out hauling firewood when his pickup was a week old."
Exactly my point!!!

I am rather **** about hauling items such as long pry bars, ice chisels et.at. They are always crosswise in the bed. If I ever so leave the road, I don't need a steel missile joining me in the front seat.

WinterDeere · Jun 14, 2025

I guess I didn’t get any photos for the group to play along, but I pulled my log hauler trailer out today and made a 90 minute round-trip run down to mom’s today, looking like something out of Sanford and Son both ways.

Mom’s retirement house, the one she bought when all of us kids flew the coop in the 1990’s, has been sold. The clean-out, in order to fit her and her new husband of 20 years into an apartment at the old-folks community, is substantial.

Running a 106-ish inch wide trailer up and down some of the too-busy roads between here and there was fun, as was maneuvering my 50 foot long rig around her little “over 55” neighborhood.

Dftodd · Jun 16, 2025

Jstpssng said:
I had a small boat trailer converted for utility use with a piece of light angle iron welded to the front, and a single sheet of plywood for a deck. The guy I sold it to was going to pull it behind his RV with his nice dresser Yamaha on it... it's his money but I wouldn't have.

I was using my nearly new F150 to haul a little firewood from the jobsite back to the landscaper I was working for. My coworker was about 8 feet from the truck when he started tossing. When I put a stop to it he growled " My uncle smashed the back window out hauling firewood when his pickup was a week old."
Exactly my point!!!

I am rather **** about hauling items such as long pry bars, ice chisels et.at. They are always crosswise in the bed. If I ever so leave the road, I don't need a steel missile joining me in the front seat.

Don't toss a loose ratchet strap in the bed of the truck.

A buddy who works for one of the city waste water companies tossed a loose ratchet strap in the bed of the truck.

He was driving down the road, and all of a sudden the back glass in the truck was shattered.

The tail from the ratchet strap go picked up by the wind, and eventually dropped down between the cap and bed of the truck.

It was all good until the tail of the ratchet strap got wound into the drive shaft

The strap also cut a channel down the bed of the truck by the cab, and the ratchet portion of the strap was what busted out the window.

The pictures he took were impressive

He then had to have an awkward talk with his boss to explain the damage to the truck.

Renze · Jun 18, 2025

Dftodd said:
It was all good until the tail of the ratchet strap got wound into the drive shaft

When i visited my cousin in Canada in 2004, the wheel well of his Ram 2500 was yanked up, with a sharp fold. He drove over a loose ratchet strap, which yanked on the fixed end of the strap. It was a yank he lost a few mph of speed over, so it must have been pretty serious...

WinterDeere · Jun 18, 2025

Renze said:
When i visited my cousin in Canada in 2004, the wheel well of his Ram 2500 was yanked up, with a sharp fold. He drove over a loose ratchet strap, which yanked on the fixed end of the strap. It was a yank he lost a few mph of speed over, so it must have been pretty serious...

A buddy saw a truck lose half its bed, driving down the highway, due to a loose and trailing ratchet strap. I don't remember the exact details, I only heard the story second-hand, but my buddy saw the loose strap just a few seconds before he watched the passenger side of the bed peel off the truck in front of him.

BigBlue1 · Jun 18, 2025

I was fortunate that on my first load/trip working for a lumberyard in my college days I put ratchet straps on the load but didn't fasten the strap tail well and it came loose. It flopped around and finally got ran over by the rear duals and snapped. Saw/heard it immediately and pulled over. Didn't lose anything on the load. But I quickly learned that managing your straps and tails well was important. Never had another strap issue in 37 years.

WM75Guy · Jun 18, 2025

I just make some loops with the tail and slide in back thru the ratchet. Then I lock the handle down. Never have issues.

gstrom99 · Jun 18, 2025

The leftover "tails" on my big straps are always too long. I've stopped myself from cutting them shorter - as soon as I did that, I'd have been sorry. They always get tied up real good.