B&W fail or Operator Error?

Thank all the cribbing in his bed or it would have been much worse.

Most likely he failed to hitch up completely.

I'm NO expert but have owned a B & W hitch for 7 years and NEVER had anything like this happen! I'm sorry for your friend's predicament but IMHO that's operator error, sorry. :(

Dan

B&W hitches are very good but if you don't get the handle all the way back and pin it correctly this can happen. Also if you get the kingpin over the jaws this can happen. A pull test should have caught this. Now I'm worried about my B&W pulling a trick like this!!

Likes to tow wrote:
B&W hitches are very good but if you don't get the handle all the way back and pin it correctly this can happen. Also if you get the kingpin over the jaws this can happen. A pull test should have caught this. Now I'm worried about my B&W pulling a trick like this!!

The handle doesn't need to be pinned if it's in place. When you hook up, and the handle comes all the way back, the hitch is secure. You can pull out and the trailer will not come loose, even if you haven't pinned the handle.

You cannot put the kingpin over the jaws, unless you're blind. If you can't see a couple inches of clearance above the hitch head, then you probably should give up driving. :)

This was operator error, pure and simple. I read about one guy that dropped his trailer with a B&W hitch, and it turns out he had pinned the hitch jaws open and forgot to remove the pin when hooking up. The jaws didn't close, the handle didn't move, and he still pulled out.

The guy just messed up. Happens to the best of us.

I think most cases of a FW dropped on truck are operator error, no matter what hitch brand. Most hitch manufacturers instruct the operator to do a pull test, as does B&W. I can't speak for hitches I've no experience with, but with the B&W, IMO, a visual test is more reliable than a pull test.

If you can see the jaws wrapped completely around the center of pin, larger portion of pin showing on bottom, and you have the handle closed, locked with pin/padlock, you are hitched.

Now I remove chocks, do a walk around, steps up, FW door closed tight, nothing laying in path to pull out. All good...but look again just before jumping in truck. Yup jaws properly wrapped, handle closed/pinned, I'm GTG, no pull test needed.

So even if I got distracted unexpectedly, it happens, my last look confirms I am GTG. I am happy to say, I've never needed to redo my hookup.

Jerry

Likes to tow wrote:
B&W hitches are very good but if you don't get the handle all the way back and pin it correctly this can happen. Also if you get the kingpin over the jaws this can happen. A pull test should have caught this. Now I'm worried about my B&W pulling a trick like this!!

Ha...your B&W is not capable of "pulling a trick" on you. It's like saying "who stole my glasses" when you don't remember where you put them.

Someone played a trick on you, took your keys, when you left them in your jacket pocket.

Yup, I've been there! :)

Also I agree, by design of the B&W cam action jaws, you likely don't need the pin in handle, to tow your FW. It's kind of a Chinese handcuff thing, the harder you pull on the jaws, when fully wrapped around the pin, the tighter they hang on! Do I recommend trying this....nope!

Jerry

Yup, Operator Error..

MFL wrote:

Likes to tow wrote:
B&W hitches are very good but if you don't get the handle all the way back and pin it correctly this can happen. Also if you get the kingpin over the jaws this can happen. A pull test should have caught this. Now I'm worried about my B&W pulling a trick like this!!

Ha...your B&W is not capable of "pulling a trick" on you. It's like saying "who stole my glasses" when you don't remember where you put them.

Someone played a trick on you, took your keys, when you left them in your jacket pocket.

Yup, I've been there! :)

Also I agree, by design of the B&W cam action jaws, you likely don't need the pin in handle, to tow your FW. It's kind of a Chinese handcuff thing, the harder you pull on the jaws, when fully wrapped around the pin, the tighter they hang on! Do I recommend trying this....nope!

Jerry

Yeah, not a good idea to do it on purpose. But it has happened, and that person drove about a mile down the road out of the campground before he was informed he hadn't pinned the lever closed. But it wasn't me. :)

I dont understand some peoples obsession with not using proper procedures or included safety features. The pin in the handles is there for a reason why not us it? Is it soooo hard to do a pull test?

Fulltimer50 wrote:
I dont understand some peoples obsession with not using proper procedures or included safety features. The pin in the handles is there for a reason why not us it? Is it soooo hard to do a pull test?

Of course you should pin the B&W handle, or better yet use a padlock, so someone cannot pull the pin!

John's buddy...the rig in pictures, stated he did a pull test. The pull test failed to save him from this disaster!

On hitch pictured, a visual test would have alerted him, that something is not right. Handle not closed properly? A gap between hitch head and pinbox? Jaws not full wrapped around pin? East to SEE, if you understand how this hitch works.

Some folks are more mechanically minded than others, but knowing and understanding how YOUR hitch works, no matter the brand, adds much to the safe hookup of any hitch.

Jerry