True, but scary, hitch story

[brulaz]

After a day's tow I discovered this:



It was very cold and raining very hard when I hitched up. And somehow I managed not to get the hitch socket completely on the ball before closing the latch. I remember that getting the Equal-I-Zer bars in place was unusually difficult, as you might expect. So there was a lot more pressure holding the hitch socket on top of the ball.

Still can't believe that the tongue didn't just pop right off the ball at some point during the tow.

Luckily the under-ball latch wasn't mangled much at the end of the day, and the hitch continues to operate fine.

Lesson? When conditions are tough, mistakes can be made. So be extra careful.

[hohenwald48]

2DHoop wrote:
Yikes! As I get older I try to have routines for doing things the same way every time in an effort to complete the process, but still, it's not hard to get distracted by external factors - unpleasant weather, someone yelling to hurry up, yahoos watching while you try back up into a tight space or the best of all: the boat ramp arguments between couples...

Glad this ended without incident.

That's why I never talk to folks who are hitching/unhitching. It interrupts their routine.

[allen8106]

I once had the same issue with a double jet ski trailer I was towing. Considerably different than yours due to the weight difference but mine was particularly scary because the tongue weight was very light. Light enough I can lift the trailer off the hitch by hand.

[2DHoop]

Yikes! As I get older I try to have routines for doing things the same way every time in an effort to complete the process, but still, it's not hard to get distracted by external factors - unpleasant weather, someone yelling to hurry up, yahoos watching while you try back up into a tight space or the best of all: the boat ramp arguments between couples...

Glad this ended without incident.

[byrdr1]

DID the same thing once while towing the POPUP camper for like the first long tow. We left the house and the noise it made kept my wife asking what is that noise. I told her she just wasn't used to us towing a camper. We stopped 15-20 miles from our house to top off the fuel tank. I was doing a walk around due to the noise, I heard it too but brushed her off. I got to looking at the hitch set up and sure enough, the hitch was sitting on top of the ball and it was unlocked. Bought a hitch pin lock at that point and always made sure it was locked in and down on the ball.
Both of us were lucky. Stay safe,
randy

[rolopayne]

wow, that could have gotten ugly, thanks for the reminder to double check our stuff

[dodge_guy]

Reality Check wrote:
Reason #42 why I hate balls..



No questions; it's latched or it's not.

Glad it worked out well for you...

What is that contraption? I know what a pintle hitch is but that looks sketchy at best!

[Tvov]

Glad nothing bad happened. I can see that happening from leaning over hitch, looking straight down. I've had similar happen with equipment trailers - which is why I've developed the habit of stopping and re-checking the hitch about 50 feet down the road - especially if something "feels not right" when pulling out.

Experience is a tough, but effective, teacher!

[brulaz]

sch911 wrote:
The process for connecting the arms generally includes raising the jack up above level to take the load off of the bars before connecting them. Do you follow that process? IF so you'd have found this situation.

I normally do this.
But really not sure what happened that day.
Perhaps in my hurry to get out of the foul Newfoundland weather I forgot.

[TomG2]

Reality Check wrote:
Reason #42 why I hate balls..

No questions; it's latched or it's not.

Glad it worked out well for you...

Nothing is foolproof. I had a driver hitch up a twelve ton trailer behind one of our tandem dump trucks with the pintle hitch upside down. All that kept it on was the flimsy little safety catch. He used the jack to raise the trailer up and into the hitch from the bottom side.

[Reality_Check]

Reason #42 why I hate balls..



No questions; it's latched or it's not.

Glad it worked out well for you...

[Huntindog]

This is a perfect example of why it is not necessary to lock the coupler when using WD... WD puts so much pressure on the ball that it simply cannot come off.
I would check the coupler and ball for damage. The coupler is probably OK, but I bet the ball is damaged. If it is, do not use it, as it will damage the coupler.

[Valkyriebush]

I did that once on my utility trailer but caught it before pulling out. Glad no mishap.

[GaryWT]

I agree that lifting the hitch/truck to connect the bars should have shown that the trailer was not on the ball. For my E2 hitch i always lift it so the bars just slide on.

[CavemanCharlie]

I had a 14 foot TT one that I towed 50 miles without remembering to lock the hitch. I got lucky and made it the whole way. No WDH on that little unit either.

[hohenwald48]

I guess that proves that a pad lock thru the coupler latch won't keep your trailer from being stolen.