slack in safety chains

nomad297 wrote:

mosseater wrote:
And, in addition, we're all trying to be safe and do the right thing and have the correct chain, hooks, latches, etc., but have you ever looked at the chain anchors and the welding quality at the attachment point? I believe the chain and attachments are the least of our worries. Probably going to pull that welded loop right off the "A" frame, IMO.

I have thought the same thing. That loop sure looks like a weak point on all trailers.

Bruce

I'm sure no ME, but you need to remember that in a breakaway scenario it's a dynamic situation and the trailer and TV are both moving in the same direction and while the forces on things like the chains and attachment points are going to be high I question just how high they are really going to be. Let's say a 10K trailer were to separate from a vehicle going 60mph I would think the forces from the trailer brakes being applied full strength might only result in a "force" of like 1/2 the weight of the trailer and that scenario would only last for well under 60 seconds until the trailer and TV are basically stopped. One could get a feel for this by simply manually activating their brake controller full tilt while going 60mph with their foot off the TV "go pedal".

Maybe Ron might see this and do his magic with some guesstimates on the forces expected.

WRT the single attachment point and crossing the chains I'm one that thinks crossing them is still the way to go since it does provide IMO more of a cradle to at least provide a "skid plate" from the chains to keep the tongue from "catching on the pavement" and it keeps the trailer tracking basically straight behind the TV. It might not provide a 100% cradle scenario from the tongue from ever touching the ground, but is that "really" needed to be effective. I would think what you wouldn't want is the tongue "digging into" the pavement and trying to "swerve" off to one or the other side of the line of travel of the TV and putting HUGE side forces on the rear of the TV.

When this subject comes up I wonder if all of us "arm chair" engineers wander too far off into the weeds in our novice thinking of "WHAT IFS".

Larry