Blue ox pin failure

[captron33]

10000lb. Tow bar towing my jeep grand cherokee and one of the pins that connect the tow bar to the car broke , luckily i saw the jeep swaying in my camera and safely pulled over. Has anyone else had this happen??

[UsualSuspect]

I must be really lucky, my toad weighs more than most, and I have not broken a pin yet, or lost one. I am not sure the pin broke since the pin is not there no one can inspect it to see if it did fail, and what failed. Since it is missing something happened, but I have doubts it broke.

[captron33]

Finally got a reply from blue ox......they offered to send me new pins IF i returned the one that broke.. Do they really not understand that the broken pin fell on the highway. AMAZING...i mean REALLY?

[Mr_Mark1]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
When I first started using a tow bar, I noticed that my pins always moved in a certain direction. I then started inserting my pins so that when they moved, the strain would be put on the bend of the pin, rather than the retaining pin lock. For my rig, inserting the pins from the inboard of the connection through to the outboard has been the most successful. You may want to keep an eye on your pins and see if they don't usually slide in one direction more than the other.

Good observation, I'll check ours.

MM.

[rockhillmanor]

Just a note about some base plates and locking pins. BEFORE you buy them look at how your base plate tabs are set up.

My Tracker base plate had 3 tabs. When you put the locking pin in, there was minimal room to get the key in and turn it because it was so close to the the third tab.

[rgatijnet1]

When I first started using a tow bar, I noticed that my pins always moved in a certain direction. I then started inserting my pins so that when they moved, the strain would be put on the bend of the pin, rather than the retaining pin lock. For my rig, inserting the pins from the inboard of the connection through to the outboard has been the most successful. You may want to keep an eye on your pins and see if they don't usually slide in one direction more than the other.

[moisheh]

rockhillmanor: Thanks for that reply. I do not think it was the bar locking pin. I have since gone over 3500 miles with no problem. But your comment is another thing to consider.

Moisheh

[supercub]

Had a Blue Ox base plate brake on my 07 Escape hybrid after a couple years of use, probably about 10K miles total use, safety cables did their job.
Called Blue Ox and they had re engineered the new base plate for my model/year...sent me a new one, no charge. New one was much better built.
Brian

[rockhillmanor]

moisheh wrote:
We were on the road in Mexico. I have been using a Blue Ox tow bar for over 10 years. This was a 2 year old Blue Ox.I have a procedure where I insert the pins and the small pins with the ring. Then I connect the safety cables and the electric wires. I then do a check that everything is connected properly. I even grab the tow bar and shake it. All was good and we hit the road. About 10 minutes later I glanced in my left hand mirror ( I check both mirrors every 5 minutes or so). My heart stopped as I saw my PU half way into the left lane! I applied the toad brakes slowly and took my foot out of the throttle. Not much traffic on tis road and I managed to get stopped. The front bumper of the truck had a few scrapes. The MH was fine. The left hand pin was gone. I carry spares. IN 15 minutes we were back on the road. When we returned to our home I checked the road in front of the house were I hooked up. No safety pin. At first I blamed myself but was sure that pin was secure. Did some Googling and apparently others have had this problem. My instructions for my first Blue OX stated that the pin should have the locking part on the inside. My new bar states it should be on the outside. I do know that the pin moves as often when we stop to unhook the head of the pin is tight against the brackets. I was going to use the locks shown in one of the posts but thought about a fire and just ordered new pins. I am going to change them every 3 years.

I still don't know if the safety pin broke or the locking pin?Moisheh

My bet it was the 'tow bar arm' locking pin came disengaged and the arm extending snapped that pin out.

I think they had a string of bad tow bar arm locking pins there for awhile. When I first got my tow bar I would pull forward and check it. The first 2 times one arm would be stretched out and not locked. Being new I thought it was something I was doing. Not.

I had a BRAND NEW blueox tow bar that the arm pin did not engage properly. It would go in and out while towing. So it would jerk around the MH but when you went out to check it it would be in the locked position. I too jerked and pulled on those arms before driving off. But they were disengaging and engaging while towing.

Fought that for several hundred miles. Every time I stopped at a BO dealership they'd check it and say nope not the tow bar, arms are locked. Must be the steering in your MH.

Long story short the last dealership that said the tow bar was not the problem, I bought 'another new one' right on the spot that day for my safety.

The dealership called BO and told them I was so serious about it being the tow bar enough to PAY for another new one and they comped me for the new tow bar! P

Pulled out of there and up on the interstate with the new tow bar and all the front end swaying on my MH stopped. Gee do you think it was the tow bar? :C

[moisheh]

We were on the road in Mexico. I have been using a Blue Ox tow bar for over 10 years. This was a 2 year old Blue Ox.I have a procedure where I insert the pins and the small pins with the ring. Then I connect the safety cables and the electric wires. I then do a check that everything is connected properly. I even grab the tow bar and shake it. All was good and we hit the road. About 10 minutes later I glanced in my left hand mirror ( I check both mirrors every 5 minutes or so). My heart stopped as I saw my PU half way into the left lane! I applied the toad brakes slowly and took my foot out of the throttle. Not much traffic on tis road and I managed to get stopped. The front bumper of the truck had a few scrapes. The MH was fine. The left hand pin was gone. I carry spares. IN 15 minutes we were back on the road. When we returned to our home I checked the road in front of the house were I hooked up. No safety pin. At first I blamed myself but was sure that pin was secure. Did some Googling and apparently others have had this problem. My instructions for my first Blue OX stated that the pin should have the locking part on the inside. My new bar states it should be on the outside. I do know that the pin moves as often when we stop to unhook the head of the pin is tight against the brackets. I was going to use the locks shown in one of the posts but thought about a fire and just ordered new pins. I am going to change them every 3 years. I still don't know if the safety pin broke or the locking pin?

Moisheh

[rockhillmanor]

Never had one break but with me

banging on the pins to get them out

(yea I know how to do it right) I had cracks in them and replaced them once.

The day a CG worker directed me into what was 'supposed' to be a long pull thru site after dark is when "I" had to learn "HOW to get those pins out fast!

I turned into the site and as the MH and Toad where at a 45 degree angle as I pulled in there in my headlights was a huge concrete bumper staring me in my face! :R

He accidentally put me in a back in short site.:S
Now I have the toad jackknifed and can't back out! Crank a tow bar at 45 degrees and trust me those pins are not coming out anytime soon. AND I was blocking the only road into the CG. I'm Sorry on the CG hosts part was really not enough for me right at that moment.

What sits under my seat now at all times after THAT fiasco is a socket extension the diameter of the pin and a small hammer. And hitch pins that are slathered with silicone on a daily basis.

[mci7]

We all have different luck, my origional pins had a lot of wear, so bought the Blue Ox key lock type pins 4 of them for all the pin replacements. Never had an issue with either but prefer the lock types.
Some drill out the small hole, get a pad lock that fits.
Dave M

[sjholt]

Thanks for letting me know about this.
I'll check my pins more often.

[rr2254545]

Never had one break but with me banging on the pins to get them out (yea I know how to do it right) I had cracks in them and replaced them once.

As others have said - need to inspect them

[bshpilot]

captron33 wrote:
10000lb. Tow bar towing my jeep grand cherokee and one of the pins that connect the tow bar to the car broke , luckily i saw the jeep swaying in my camera and safely pulled over. Has anyone else had this happen??

any pictures of the broken pin ??

Ive not had a problem, but this is why i run grade 70 safety chains, a brake buddy.
I also had an extra camera so i mounted it low, so i can occasionally "watch" the connection points as we travel down the road.