Towed vehicle breakaway events?

[mtrumpet]

In thinking about the breakaway systems used along with supplemental braking systems on towed vehicles, it got me wondering about how many times these breakaway systems actually may have been called upon in the event of an actual breakaway of a towed vehicle? I personally have never heard of an incident of “towed” breaking away from the towing vehicle. In fact, in several motorhome accident photo’s that I’ve seen, the motorhome was as much as tipped over on its side, yet amazingly, the towed vehicle was still attached to the motorhome via the towbar!

So, my question simply is, how many of you have either experienced or have heard of a factual event of a towed vehicle actually breaking away from the towing vehicle? It seems to me that there would have to be several simultaneous catastrophic failures of the towing system that would have to occur before a breakaway event? Comments?

(PLEASE, this is not intended to be a thread about whether or not to use a breakaway system. I happen to use one, so kindly spare the lectures about disregard for safety, breaking laws, insurance liabilities, intending to injure or kill fellow motorists...)

[bshpilot]

alageezer wrote:


Have no idea why the pin came out, we had been on the road for a couple days.
I'll never trust a locking pin again.

I don't use the cotter/hair pin types anymore - not for any particular reason other than paranoia.

I use lynch pins or locking pins like these pictured below.

Because we overnight a lot in rest areas I've even drilled out my hitch pins so i can use a pad lock - to prevent anyone from pulling a pin or trying to steal the jeep while we sleep (see paranoia statement above) 😉

[oilslick]

Last year I was backing up an unloaded dump trailer with a skid steer it was off road and just as I was stopping the skid steer stopped but the trailer continued on. The ball was still locked into the trailer hitch but the hitch had snapped off at the bend. The hitch was rated at 7500lbs and showed no sign of an imperfection in the metal this really shocked me and I now use minimum 12000lb hitches when towing.

[mtrumpet]

willald wrote:

mtrumpet wrote:
Interesting responses. One of the outstanding points that I've gathered from the discussion so far is the importance of somehow getting the safety chains (or cables) hooked to the frame of the motorhome, and not just the receiver. Although something tells me that's a little more difficult to accomplish on some rigs

..Difficult and not realistic on almost ALL rigs, actually.

There really is no good way to attach safety chains to the frame in most cases. And, most hitch receivers provide a very good, convenient place to attach them, so I think thats what 99.9% of us do.

Now, you definitely want the break-away cable to connect to something other than the receiver (preferably the frame of the MH). Thats a bit easier to do, though.

I'm going to use a cable arrangement to attached the break-away cable to the frame of the motorhome. Certainly easier to accomplish as the break-away cable remains slack. The safety cables, well, that's a different story.

[willald]

mtrumpet wrote:
Interesting responses. One of the outstanding points that I've gathered from the discussion so far is the importance of somehow getting the safety chains (or cables) hooked to the frame of the motorhome, and not just the receiver. Although something tells me that's a little more difficult to accomplish on some rigs

..Difficult and not realistic on almost ALL rigs, actually.

There really is no good way to attach safety chains to the frame in most cases. And, most hitch receivers provide a very good, convenient place to attach them, so I think thats what 99.9% of us do.

Now, you definitely want the break-away cable to connect to something other than the receiver (preferably the frame of the MH). Thats a bit easier to do, though.

[UsualSuspect]

mtrumpet wrote:
Interesting responses. One of the outstanding points that I've gathered from the discussion so far is the importance of somehow getting the safety chains (or cables) hooked to the frame of the motorhome, and not just the receiver. Although something tells me that's a little more difficult to accomplish on some rigs. Also a good reminder to periodically check the mounting points of the receiver.

I have checked the bolts on my receiver and they have never loosened. My TOAD is probably heavier than at least 95% of the TOADs out there, I would think I would see all the problems, but I must be lucky. On the off chance the hitch separates, I bought a longer breakaway cable and it is attached to the motorhome frame. If by some stroke of bad luck, the hitch were to separate, the aux, brake would come on when the breakaway was pulled.

[mowermech]

alageezer wrote:
You'd be surprised how many folks run around with no brakes in the toad.

No, it wouldn't surprise me one bit!

[mtrumpet]

Interesting responses. One of the outstanding points that I've gathered from the discussion so far is the importance of somehow getting the safety chains (or cables) hooked to the frame of the motorhome, and not just the receiver. Although something tells me that's a little more difficult to accomplish on some rigs. Also a good reminder to periodically check the mounting points of the receiver.

[alageezer]

You'd be surprised how many folks run around with no brakes in the toad.

[UsualSuspect]

I saw the aftermath of one last year just east of Fresno, thankfully a tree stopped it, and the tow bar was still attached to the MH. The tree was almost 75 feet off the road, and judging from the damage to the Jeep, the tree won, and the brakes either did not work, were not installed or operating, and they did not use a breakaway.

[teddyu]

This afternoon I observed a wrecked HHR TOAD on I-90W near the Pattersonville Service Plaza in NY. The TOAD was cross ways in the road with the receiver an hitch still attache. The towing vehicle (a MH I presume) was no where in sight. Not sure how far they got before they discovered the TOAD was missing. As we passed by, I could not tell if the breakaway had actuated (no definitive tire marks)or if the breakaway cable was attached to the receiver. Not sure if there was an auxiliary braking system installed. This is the second time I have observed this type of failure. The other I mentioned in my earlier post. This stuff does happen. JM2¢...

[alageezer]

I had the locking pin that holds the draw bar in the receiver come loose one time, and it caused the draw bar to pull out. I felt the tug when the cables caught it, and as I was slowing down, the car came to rest up against the right rear corner of the m/h home. The cross bar on the Roadmaster tow bar came into contact with the hitch on the m/h, causing only two very unnoticeable scratches.

Have no idea why the pin came out, we had been on the road for a couple days.
I'll never trust a locking pin again.

[teddyu]

Typically receivers are bolted to the MH frame. These bolts can loosen in time. I soun my bolts once a year to ensure they are tight. Maybe it just for my peace of mind, or maybe your's. JM2¢...

[willald]

dubdub07 wrote:
I worry the most about a false triggering event where the breakaway pops the box and my pretty Jeep is being dragged down the highway.

Yes, this is one reason why IMO its a very wise idea to wire some kind of indicator light on the MH dash, that will indicate when towed vehicle brake pedal is being depressed (regardless what supplemental braking system you use). NOT when the braking system engages, but when brake pedal is pressed. This way you'll always know when your towed vehicles brakes are being engaged, and if they ever get engaged when they should not, you'll know right away and can (hopefully) stop before major damage is done.

....If my receiver comes of my MH, I will sue the heck out of Fleetwood and Draw-tite......I cannot see, other than rust, how a receiver coming off a MH is anyone's fault but the installer and/or the MH company. If it is a do it yourselfer and that things comes of, someone needs to go to jail......cuz that be criminal.

On the contrary, there are a lot of ways an owner can abuse the hitch receiver on a MH and contribut to its early demise.

MHs typically have quite a bit of rear overhang. In many cases, the hitch receiver is the first thing to scrap and have a lot of upward force/pressure put on it when going over steep bumps or inclines.

Also, as you know, most MH receivers are limited to 500 lbs (or 350) maximum tongue weight. How many MHs do you see towing fairly big, enclosed trailers behind them? You really think those trailers loaded up, have less than 500 lbs of tongue weight? Or, even flatbed trailers with a car on them. You think that trailer, with a car on it, is putting just 500 lbs or less of tongue weight on that receiver?

Soooo, I would not assume that most hitch receiver failures are the fault of the manufacturer. There are definitely ways the owner can cause such.

I made it a point when I first set up our MH to tow our vehicles, that the break-away cable attaches to the frame of the MH, not the hitch receiver. If there was a good way to attach the safety chains to something besides the reciever, too, I'd do it.

[Bobbo]

When I had my baseplate installed on my toad, the installers hooked the breakaway to the RV's receiver. I made them move it to the RV's frame. They grumbled, but they moved it.