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SuperDutyMan's avatar
SuperDutyMan
Explorer
May 20, 2013

Enjoying camping this weekend and...crash!

Was sitting reading at our 5ver at the lake with some friends on Friday evening and I heard a huge crash...jumped up and ran around my friends MH to see what happened, and there was about a 30'+ TT with 2 slides with the tongue laying on the ground,the tongue jack bent over,both front scissors were folded over and the rear bumper was about 4' off the ground.I saw the guy standing there with his wife rubbing his forehead and everyone looked ok,then started jacking up with a hyd. jack and get everything straightened out....didn't look like he wanted any help,so I went back to the 5ver but could see the back half of his TT,he jacked it back up to get it on his ball hitch and backed up to put the rear tires against the concrete curb and put some firewood in front of the front tires........no nothing was chocked when the tongue jack fell off the block ,someone came over and gave him their X-Chocks to use for the weekend,really felt bad for the guy,hope he didn't hurt the TT too bad,both slides were out when it fell,been doing this camping thing along time....as soon as you get it where you want it,the first thing you always do is PUT THE CHOCKS ON THE WHEELS!

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  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    May 20, 2013
    Atom Ant wrote:
    I changed out my hitch to a new 20K Reese with the wraparound jaw, and it requires the pin box to be way low to properly hitch. In fact it has stickers all over it telling you to hit the hitch low. Works great - but......it takes the weight off the landing gear and if you aren't chocked in the rear you can chase your trailer down the street trying to get it to lock. Learned my lesson to today at a truck stop trying to re-hitch after hitting the CAT scale - DW yelling and darn near hit the semi behind me. Didn't even realize I was scooting the trailer back.


    Your solution is below!
    They also should go in 1st, before unhitching!

    Reader1 wrote:
    ...and take the chocks of last when you are hitching up.
  • Paul_Clancy's avatar
    Paul_Clancy
    Explorer
    May 20, 2013
    I always apply the trailer brakes fully during hitch and unhitch as well as chocks.
  • Chuck_Gail's avatar
    Chuck_Gail
    Explorer
    May 20, 2013
    Once in place, chocks first. Ready to leave, chocks last. I'm too old to chase trailers.
  • Atom_Ant's avatar
    Atom_Ant
    Explorer
    May 20, 2013
    I changed out my hitch to a new 20K Reese with the wraparound jaw, and it requires the pin box to be way low to properly hitch. In fact it has stickers all over it telling you to hit the hitch low. Works great - but......it takes the weight off the landing gear and if you aren't chocked in the rear you can chase your trailer down the street trying to get it to lock. Learned my lesson to today at a truck stop trying to re-hitch after hitting the CAT scale - DW yelling and darn near hit the semi behind me. Didn't even realize I was scooting the trailer back.
  • Vulcaneer's avatar
    Vulcaneer
    Explorer
    May 20, 2013
    Seen it happen at least once a year. Last time was in FL. Guy goes to hitch his 5'r. Backs into the hitch. Trailer rolls back about 4 feet. Front landing gear falls off his cinder blocks. Trailer falls on brand new RAM 3500 truck bed. Crushed the bed rails. Damage to 5'r was unknown, except his landing gear was bent up badly.

    Now he doesn't know how to get out of this mess. Several friends standing around with all sorts of advice. Mostly just guessing.

    I strolled over and asked one of the friends if he wanted to know what he should do. Because I knew what needed to be done, and had the tools he needed. Was told to mind my own business. "Carl has been towing 5'rs for 35 years...he knows what he's doing. Beside if he needs anything...We got this."

    My response..."Great. But if you need my two 12 ton jacks...let me know." Then I walked away...thinking that in his 35 years experience he must have forgot the first rule...chock first and last...And the second rule...never put your elevator legs up on cinder blocks. Probably got the third rule though...keep your insurance paid up.

    Last I saw there was a wrecker there, jacking the trailer off the ground. Funny... wrecker guy put chocks under the wheels.

    Yep...They got this, alright.

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