bull dog hitches.

[Lancie49]

Why did it come un-hitched Slow ?
There had to be a reason ...............

They don't just jump off the ball, something caused it to come adrift.

Did the ball shank or the hitch actually break ?

Don't s'pose you've got a pic ?

[Mukilteo]

Ya got to remember that Slow is, ahem, slow at posting pictures.

[Mukilteo]

If it's a Fulton hitch, they need to be adjusted.

[Mukilteo]

Shadow Catcher shows what can happen.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=49883

[Lancie49]

Thanks mate, I remember reading Shadows story.
Those hitches seem to be a bit of a hassle to setup correctly don't they.
Is it common for them to let go ?
We don't have that style of hitch over here.

[PKCSPT]

I have a hard time with the lever coupler on my Little Guy and wanted to replace it but my local RV store said it is pretty much the only type out there, is teh bull dog easier to use. I find it hard to push the lever down and usually have to step on it and it takes many tries.

[stumphugger]

I have a hard time with the lever coupler on my Little Guy and wanted to replace it but my local RV store said it is pretty much the only type out there, is teh bull dog easier to use. I find it hard to push the lever down and usually have to step on it and it takes many tries.

The same here. I can often give it a hard backwards kick, but I wonder about the wear and tear of doing that. I always check if my hitch is secured by using the jack. If the trailer comes off, I didn't get it on good.

[pete42]

it does not happen often but when it does come unhitched only bad things can happen.
I saw one in sebering Florida the driver did not heed the BUMP STRIPS sign and when his jack hit one
of the bumps not only did it uncouple the trailer it bent the crap out of his jack.
it does pay to check and adjust them, but like slow was doing I doubt if any of us would have
checked before pulling the boat up to the barn.

Slow I hope you get it fixed.

pete

[jstrubberg]

Whenever I hitch up, I use a large cotter-style pin through the hole on the latch lever. Unless you've let the hitch become so loose that it can move up and down on and off the ball, it ain't coming loose once you put the pin in.

A lock works too, if you worry about a trailer being stolen.

[Shadow Catcher]

Yep Had a problem!



Compass Rose should be done this weekend and it now has a Bull Dog hitch.
I picked up a Da Bull hitch lock, probably the the most secure tongue lock available.
http://www.shop.trailerlocksonline.com/ ... ock_c4.htm

[Verna]

I have a hard time with the lever coupler on my Little Guy and wanted to replace it but my local RV store said it is pretty much the only type out there, is teh bull dog easier to use. I find it hard to push the lever down and usually have to step on it and it takes many tries.

What I found from Shadow Catcher's accident thread is that on my Little Guy, there is a bolt up inside the hitch. You may need to loosen or tighten the bolt to make it fit. My neighbor helped me get the adjustment just right this weekend. Too tight, and it wouldn't attach to the ball. Too loose, and it could have come off the ball. It only took a couple of minutes.

Look at Mukilteo's pictures--the one on the right is how mine looks.

[PKCSPT]

I willl look at it tomorrow , thanks Verna. It is the only thing I really strongly dislike about my Little Guy.

[Melvin]

By Bulldog hitches are you meaning collar locks or the cast head wedge locks?

I firmly now belive after dumping my boat trailer on the ground that trailer chains are made and put on a trailer for the self adjusting rv style hitches like in the harbor freight trailer kits only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of never being a single mistake away from failure. I've found that safety chains also help when the draw bar retaining pin that retains the draw bar in the reciever is accidently put in behind the draw bar instead of through the hole in the draw bar thereby retaining nothing. When that happens one gets a couple blocks from home before the drawbar exits the receiver and the trailer drops onto the safety chains. Or, ah, so I've heard.

[Shadow Catcher]

Compass Rose is now home and has the Bulldog hitch. I just attached the Gus Hill hitch lock probably one of the most secure available.

[Melvin]

melvin this thingy on loosing the draw bar hitch in the reciever. is best cured with one of the locking trailer hitch pins.

Somewhat ironically that is what I'd put on. I was moving and all my worldy possessions were in my trailer so I'd bought a fancy locking hitch pin and receiver pin set. When I replaced the non-locking pin with the locking pick I must have pulled on the drawbar and the new pin went behind the bar instead through it. Also I must have missed testing the draw bar cause after I got stopped and checked everything out the locking pin was still there.

The real lesson is try to avoid doing anything like this while stressed and tired. I was rushing a deadline in miserable weather conditions on not enough sleep.