I'm amazed I didn't lose my trailer - I should have.

[eggsalad]

Just back from the first *real* camp in The Coffin. Everything went really well, except I did a very stupid thing that should have cost me my trailer. I'm amazed that it didn't!

Did everything by the book hooking up my trailer. Then I pulled it out of the side yard and on to the street, where I did a full pre-flight check. Everything seemed to pass, so I made my 100-mile journey.

After arriving and backing the trailer to un-hitch, I released the coupler and pulled. Instead of the coupler coming off the ball, the drawbar came out of the hitch! Upon inspection, I found that I put the hitch pin BEHIND the drawbar instead of THROUGH it.

100 miles of urban, highway and gravel road, at speeds of up to 65mph. Somehow, the drawbar NEVER pulled out of the hitch. I'm incredibly happy, but also amazed and perplexed. How come I didn't lose my trailer? (or at least drag it by the safety chains)

[nrody]

Lucky- You must have a powerful guardian angle

[Juneaudave]

Wowzer...Your safety chains must have just been tight enough to prevent the hitch from pulling out of the receiver. That or the angel on your shoulder!!!

[Woodbutcher]

Holy Crap! You better get out and buy a lottery ticket before it's to late.

[PKCSPT]

I am with Woodbutcher, time to play the lottery

[tony.latham]

And why is it called The Coffin?

Glad it made it home!

TL

p.s. BTW -Thanks for sharing that. It took a set of brass round things. It's one more thing I'll make sure I check.

[eggsalad]

And why is it called The Coffin?

Glad it made it home!

TL

Well, because it looks like one!

[working on it]

I wouldn't have dared to call my trailer a suggestively-negative term like the "Coffin", for fear of invoking bad karma, or bad ju-ju, or whatever other adverse energy that seems to be drawn to me. You must be on the other side of the "force". Or else, your drawbar was either rusted in place, or subject to temporary intermolecular bonding, or there was a magneto-gravitometric anomaly occurring at the TV-trailer interface. Or you were just very lucky.

[TESKELLY]

Lucky for sure. My guesses are that it was slipping back and forth but the chains were tight enough to prevent it from coming all the way out or you just had enough upward or downward pressure on the receiver that it simply wouldn't budge. You would have needed to be at some point completely level and had very very little tongue weight for it to have slipped right out. Lucky for sure

[tonyj]

Don't ask why-- just say "thank-you", and don't ever make that mistake again.

(and i thought I had guardian angels...)

[S. Heisley]

Don't ask why-- just say "thank-you", and don't ever make that mistake again.

(and i thought I had guardian angels...)

[Shadow Catcher]

It is useful for the rest of us however to have this reminder, and it gives me the opportunity to remind you all about adjusting the coupler or you could end up with this. There is a nut and it needs top be adjusted to the ball or it can come off!

[Redneck Teepee]

All of my plug-in hitches have a line of paint (I prefer yellow) on the side that is inserted, at the "stop here" or proper depth, you do not see it when inserted. When un-installed 1/2 is yellow and the other 1/2 is black or what ever you like your exposed part of the hitch to be. It also helps with hole alignment for the pin and prevents things like this....just another idea.

[Vedette]

It is useful for the rest of us however to have this reminder, and it gives me the opportunity to remind you all about adjusting the coupler or you could end up with this. There is a nut and it needs top be adjusted to the ball or it can come off!

My feelings exactly!
Great warning for the start of the camping season.
I will be adding it to my check list for sure.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[eggsalad]

All of my plug-in hitches have a line of paint (I prefer yellow) on the side that is inserted, at the "stop here" or proper depth, you do not see it when inserted. When un-installed 1/2 is yellow and the other 1/2 is black or what ever you like your exposed part of the hitch to be. It also helps with hole alignment for the pin and prevents things like this....just another idea.

Yep, that was the idea I came up with as well. It will definitely be happening before the next tow!