Reliability of fiver latch mechanism
I don't want to hijack the other thread about the poor family whose fiver fell on their truck rails. But his thread got me thinking about the reliability of the different jaws and I just wanted to...
Forum Discussion
Vulcaneer wrote:
In a Pullright, if all is in good shape then the Jaws are designed to be failsafe. They use "wrap around" type jaws. The way they are designed, the pivot point is in such a position, that if the handle release occurs, then the jaws get tighter, since there is pressure on the jaws.
This actually happened to me. Bouncing over I20 westbound in LA. The hitch handle bounced over the pawl, and released. The jaws never let loose. I found this had occurred when I went to unhitch at the campground. I installed a larger padlock on the hitch to prevent the handle from jumping over the pawl.
All that being said, there are times that damage can happen to a hitch...thru out of (left/right or up down) alignment or etc. In cases of damage, the jaws may not fully capture the pin. It is a RARE occurrence. but it does happen.
Very most likely operator error is at fault. But component failure can occur too.
I'm curious how you use a pad lock on the handle. I can not see a way to use a padlock. Never thought that bouncing could cause handle to release. I was always worried about someone disengaging when I was parked some where.
Can you send a pic or an explanation of how you lock it. I have the 16k pullrite slider.
