Don't let this happen to you...

[CaptEditor]

My teardrop hopped off the ball once while I was halfway up a 15% grade single lane curvy gravel driveway cut into a very steep hillside above a creek. It happened once and now I always make sure that it will never happen again! I was careless and in a hurry!

[celticquetzel]

I'm going to print this and laminate it. Had a tent trailer previously, and it was so easy to forget something. Thanks for sharing.

[2bits]

I don't just hop in the car now and turn on the stereo with the trailer in tow. I like to drive for a few miles with no music so I can listen for any potential problems.

This is exactly what I do as well, I think it is very good advice!!

Slow, I second your preference for the "Sleeve-Lock" style hitches, my car hauler has one and I like it alot.

[Miriam C.]

[Ron Dickey]

doug. this one main reason I got rid of the rv style coupler on my harbor freight trailer when i started build a teardrop on it.

i wen to a way more relaible bull dog hitch. these are a very dependable non-adgusting cupler.

the problem is with a rv style adjusting coupler its hard sometimes to get one that will fit proper and they are bad and not being on the ball when you think they are hitched up. I have one on my boat trailer and I sometimes have to jump on the trailer hitch to get it on the ball than at other times have to pry it off the ball to un hitch it with a flat head sqrew driver and a hammer!!!!!!!!!!!

I have seen way to many times that the rv adjusting hitch will turn a trailer loose while going down the road or not hitch proper.

for me I have never heard of any problems with a bull dog bumper hitch.

slow

etrailer and a bulldog coupler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h49zHaQoKNo

[Ron Dickey]

I really like the hitch I have. It is really easy to see if it is locked correctly.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... -Questions

[2bits]

etrailer and a bulldog coupler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h49zHaQoKNo

That was a great descriptive video of the coupler, It showed me that I need to go buy a pin! I don't have one on mine and didn't even know it had a place for one!

Thanks!

[working on it]

Slow-I have a Bulldog Hitch coupler on my car hauler trailer, and it has popped off the ball, even though locked and in perfect condition; my wife's Puma trailer has a Fulton coupler, also in perfect condition, that we' had difficulty not being able to un-couple once. I am going to use an Atwood coupler (with the latch bar) on my TTT. All use round hitch balls to join to. IMHO, there is no foolproof system in ball coupling systems. When my Bulldog coupler came loose, I was exiting my driveway with too much load on the rear, at an acute angle, with a drop/twist at the same time (Roly- crossed chains saved it from dropping to the ground). When the Fulton coupler wouldn't unlatch, the angles/attitudes of the TV and trailer were again askew. Extraordinary circumstances, ?? But, a common problem occurs using any coupler/ball system. In the first dozen or so of my many trailer excursions, mainly with heavy loads to races, I would have the trailer jiggling about, lurching up and down, to the point where I would stop and check to see if all was still hooked up. I then bought a used Weight Distributing System at a swap meet with proceeds from my "retired" car parts. When I started using it, I couldn't believe the difference. Stability, smoothness, and security were all enhanced. Since the WD spreads the load between TV and trailer, and does so by pulling the coupler down under spring (spring bar) tension, I am assured that the coupler/ball will not easily be parted, assuming that I have everything loaded , latched, and locked properly. With my TTT build, whether my trailer is nose or tail heavy, regardless of which brand coupler I have chosen to use, single beam or A-frame trailer, 1k...1.5k...2klbs TTT, then I always intended to use a WD system to maintain that "latched" feeling. I will never leave home without it. Haven't put it on the TTT yet, but next week. I never remove the WD shanks from either of my trucks, and if the TTT ends up light enough to pull with the HHR or Cobalt, they'll be so equipped too. The only alternatives in my way of thinking would be the Lock n Roll system like jss06 has, or ball/pintle combo (though I've seen pintle failure). There are no absolutely failure proof hook-ups. Pick the one you like, maintain it, load latch and lock correctly, avoid extreme situations (if possible), cross your chains (and heart, if so inclined), and hope for the best.

[jss06]

I really like the hitch I have. It is really easy to see if it is locked correctly.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... -Questions

I have read that thread before. The issues they discuss do not effect this particular hitch. It is a 12K lb. 50*V hitch not the smaller one everyone else uses. You can not jack knife this one enough to let the hitch rotate down to the position that causes the damage reported.

[Ron Dickey]

I really like the hitch I have. It is really easy to see if it is locked correctly.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... -Questions

I have read that thread before. The issues they discuss do not effect this particular hitch. It is a 12K lb. 50*V hitch not the smaller one everyone else uses. You can not jack knife this one enough to let the hitch rotate down to the position that causes the damage reported.

maybe this site is better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDULQy3Vqc
and
very quick video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK99NpixLFI
Dig this one from Australia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&featu ... pOCn3s3o7M why don't we have simple things like this here??

[GerryS]

I guess I don't understand this..........cross your safety chain stuff. My safety chains are attached to the same single bolt on the tongue hitch, so crossing or un crossing doesn't make much sense. Just in case, I do try to cross the chains, but in the event of a, hop-off-of-the-ball, I can't see that it would make much difference. I can't see that crossing or uncrossing, would help catch the tongue and hitch, in the event of a failure of the hitch connection, which seems fool-proof, if connected correctly. What am I missing here? To cross or uncross, that is the question........
Roly, 35'000- miles so far, with no problems.

It sounds like you have a single point if failure potential. Each chain should be connected to the trailer frame with its own separate connection mechanism....welded loops, nuts/bolts. They should form an "X" roughly below the hitch, close enough so that if you lower the hitch into the cradle created by the "X" that the hitch is still off the ground.

The chains need to be loose enough to allow a full turn and thus the maximum extension of each chain in both left and right directions. If the hitch hits the ground, they are too long. If either chain fully extends and becomes tight during a turn it's too tight.

This is important stuff. Safety equipment can easily make the difference between a relaxing weekend and a nightmare. I've had my hitch fail on my commercial use 6x12 trailer... That's something you do not want to contend with on a Sunday evening, while it's getting dark, and you've still got to load 3/4 ton of equipment before it gets dark. The crossed chains added 5 minutes. A broken hitch would have required a welder to be called, significant time, money, and heartache.

Also make sure the coupler is tensioned right....mine was loose. I didn't even know they were adjustable. There are threads on this forum that talk about that.

Find a good RV or trailer shop have the help if aren't mechanically inclined. Safety is one thing you should never compromise.

[jstrubberg]

With the chains crossed, the uncoupled receiver falls into the cradle formed by the crossed chains. Not crossed, the chains are longer and the receiver can swing farther, allowing it to hit either the roadway or the back of your tow vehicle.

Crossing shortens the chains without limiting the side to side movement of the receiver (for turning).

[Dale M.]

I really like the hitch I have. It is really easy to see if it is locked correctly.

NIce off road hitch... What is it and where did you get it, if I may ask...

Dale

[Dale M.]

I guess I don't understand this..........cross your safety chain stuff. My safety chains are attached to the same single bolt on the tongue hitch, so crossing or un crossing doesn't make much sense. Just in case, I do try to cross the chains, but in the event of a, hop-off-of-the-ball, I can't see that it would make much difference. I can't see that crossing or uncrossing, would help catch the tongue and hitch, in the event of a failure of the hitch connection, which seems fool-proof, if connected correctly. What am I missing here? To cross or uncross, that is the question........
Roly, 35'000- miles so far, with no problems.

But if that single bolt fails, you have no "safety"....

Dale

[Dale M.]

Also a note in California, its illegal to weld chains to trailer chassis, they must be bolted on or loop connectors in tabs with holes in them..... Calif feels the welding the chain causes (or may cause) a weak point in chain where weld is done....

Dale