New trailer came off hitch!!

[er78mph]

So I bought a new 2018 Jayco jay feather travel trailer 6 weeks ago and the trailer came off the hitch as I was driving! Luckily I was going slow up a hill and the trailer fell onto the safety chains, then bumper, and skidded to the ground! I had it towed to the storage facility with no major damage. This was our first time out with the new trailer but I've pulled a trailer for the past 4 years with no such problem at all hitcing hitching up. I lowered the jack over the ball,engaged the ball and TV hitch, slid over coupler locking device, then slid a pin through the coupler locking device to prevent it from moving. The only difference from any other trip was that I did not use weight distribution bars as we were camping locally. My weight numbers are almost the same as my previous trailer? I'm good with staying within ratings numbers.Any insight of what could have gone wrong? Just when I was getting comfortable with towing! Thanks all in advance!

[wing_zealot]

Grit dog wrote:
^Ok?
I’ve never had an electric jack either, couldn’t imagine cranking the jack back up significantly every time I hook up a trailer...

I did this for 12 years with my last trailer. It's really not much more effort. The higher the hitch the easier it is to hook and unhook the WD bars. So every time i hooked up or unhooked i would raise the trailer with the jack and hook or unhook the bars. Extra added benefit, I always knew the trailer was firmly connected to the ball.
Now i have an electric tongue jack, still do the same thing.

[camperdave]

After the hitch is down and latched, I stick my finger behind the ball and make sure the catch is where it is supposed to be, and didn't get stuck on top of the ball or something weird.

The surge brake mechanism on my boat trailer is especially tricky, it can look correct but the catch doesn't always retract when lifting the release so it's easy to get it on top of the ball. The release still goes back down and looks correct from topside after raising the jack, even though the catch is not under the ball.

[Grit_dog]

^ Sure, but it's looking for a problem where one typically doesn't exist.
I guess it all depends on people's knowledge, confidence or competence with the actions they perform. To me, once a person has hooked up a trailer a few times, it should be old hat, like riding a bike. Maybe that's not the case for everyone?

[happy2rv]

Grit dog wrote:
^Ok?
I’ve never had an electric jack either, couldn’t imagine cranking the jack back up significantly every time I hook up a trailer.
Let’s put this in perspective. Of the 100,000s? Of trailers that likely get hitched up every day, every year, how many come off?
Yes due diligence to make sure you hooked up the trailer right is warranted, but how many people check tire pressure every day or check the oil every day or check lights every day?
I’m sure a few will chime in and say “me”, but it’s risk vs reward type thing.
I suppose if one doesn’t have the confidence that they can actually latch a trailer right, then it is certainly a failsafe, but again, probability type thing.

I can't imagine having a travel trailer that doesn't have an electric tongue jack. I'm sure I wouldn't do this with a manual crank either, but with the electric jack, its much easier to raise the trailer to get the anti-sway bars in place. It's a side benefit that its a pretty reliable test that the hitch is firmly in place.

[Grit_dog]

^Ok?
I’ve never had an electric jack either, couldn’t imagine cranking the jack back up significantly every time I hook up a trailer.
Let’s put this in perspective. Of the 100,000s? Of trailers that likely get hitched up every day, every year, how many come off?
Yes due diligence to make sure you hooked up the trailer right is warranted, but how many people check tire pressure every day or check the oil every day or check lights every day?
I’m sure a few will chime in and say “me”, but it’s risk vs reward type thing.
I suppose if one doesn’t have the confidence that they can actually latch a trailer right, then it is certainly a failsafe, but again, probability type thing.

[mikestock]

I always raise the trailer to try and force it to disconnect.. kind of like a fifth wheel pull-test.

Grit dog wrote:
^No, I never do that, but your process could be replaced with simply bending down and looking at the hitch to see that it’s set all the way down if you want verification.

Many years ago, when I had bumper pull trailers, I lifted my hitch with the jack to raise the "A" frame high enough to ease the latching of the tension bars. Must have done this a couple of hundred times, over the years, and never had a problem.

[philh]

...

[ReneeG]

philh wrote:
First time DW towed the trailer, she picked it up from the dealer by herself. She had watched me before, and I had her do it with my oversight, and never had to say anything. Her biggest fear, not getting it latched down. In her words, her itty bitty brain ciphered that if the front jack lifted the vehicle to put on the load bars, it was properly locked down... **** I love this woman.

Side story, after she had it all hooked up, dealership staff came out to inquire if they could help.

Good for her! She man shamed the staff!

[philh]

First time DW towed the trailer, she picked it up from the dealer by herself. She had watched me before, and I had her do it with my oversight, and never had to say anything. Her biggest fear, not getting it latched down. In her words, her itty bitty brain ciphered that if the front jack lifted the vehicle to put on the load bars, it was properly locked down... **** I love this woman.

Side story, after she had it all hooked up, dealership staff came out to inquire if they could help.

[1320Fastback]

I vote the hitch was sitting on top of the ball or a clasp failure as I've towed over 150 miles accidentally using a 2" ball for my 2 5/16 toy hauler without issue.

Since that day even though nothing happened I always double check the claps is on the underside of the ball and that I'm using the correct ball. I keep no other drop hitches in my truck either.

edit: I do not use WD hitch though so may of made the difference.

[Walaby]

Guess that's the added benefit of the Blue Ox Sway Pro WD hitch. Lifting tongue and rear of TV with the tongue jack to hook up the bars. You have to lift it fairly high, so if the ball was gonna pop loose, it would do it while hooking up.

If it happened to me once, I would follow ependydad's comments, and lift tongue up every time to make sure Im connected properly. Takes minimal amount of time, and sure would ease my mind.

Mike

[troubledwaters]

You're both right. The WDH is putting upward pressure on the cupling system as a whole, this is what transfers weight off the rear and onto the front. At the same time, it is lifting up on the ball and pulling down on the tongue; these forces balance out at some point.

[Boon_Docker]

Kevinwa wrote:
Weight distribution bars put an upward force on the coupler. They wouldn’t have prevented this from happening.

It actually does the opposite, puts more downward force on the coupler.

[Kevinwa]

Weight distribution bars put an upward force on the coupler. They wouldn’t have prevented this from happening.