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Location: Mountains of NC | I have a 2002 Bison 2 horse bumper pull trailer that I have been pulling with the same vehicle for 8 yrs. Last week I drove down the steep drive onto a 4 lane road and as I turned right the trailer (with 2 horses inside) came off the hitch. I pulled it by the safety chains to the turn lane where I was able to hook back up. I blamed the steep driveway although I've been pulling down it for 4 yrs with no problems. I am being told a hitch should never, under any circumstances come off if it is hooked up properly (it was). I had to take the pin out and pull the cuff back to open it back up before hooking it up again. Anybody know what my problem is? I need to move a horse soon and this really shook me up. Do hitches break or balls wear down? Thanks for any advice. |
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Location: Mountains of NC | Correction to my post |
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Location: Lockport, Illinois | Do you grease the ball, which would also put grease in the coupler?If you do not grease the ball, you could cause the ball and coupler to wear, making the diameter of the ball smaller and the diameter of the hitch larger, if this occurs the ball and coupler should be replaced.did you ever see a semi bob-tailing you will notice all the grease on the 5th wheel,it is there for a reason. |
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Location: Mountains of NC | No, have not greased the ball - no one told me to do that . I wish the place where I bought the trailer had told me that! If the coupler is now bigger, would a bigger hitch ball work? The place where I bought this trailer is out of business (found out today) - I'm taking it to a U-haul place that installs hitches to have it checked out in the a.m.. Can I trust them? |
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Expert
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Location: Vermont | Hitch your trailer up on level ground and put a farm jack under the tongue of your trailer and try jacking it up...if the hitch slips off the ball...one of the two items have changed...the ball or the hitch |
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Location: Mountains of NC | I'm getting some great advice here! Now I know to grease up and using a jack is a great idea. I sure wish I had the same hitch that was on my 1972 Hale horse trailer - I cursed it when trying to get it hitched up, but there was no way it could come off the ball. The coupler was divided in two and when the ball was in just the right place, it hinged back along the other side and completely enveloped the ball. I wonder if they still make those kind. I will never trust this drop down style again. |
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Location: Lincoln, NE | Extra pressure grease, just a thin coat, was recommended to me. Is that okay? I knew it was supposed to be greased but didn't know why. Thanks for the info. |
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| Is it possible that you didn't latch the hitch around the ball? You could have latched it all properly with it sitting on top of the ball. That actually happened on my utility trailer once. I let it down. It seem to set on the ball properly and I fastened it. It looked right. It was not properly fastened, however, and could be lifted off the ball. Funny how normal it looked when it wasn't around that ball, though. |
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Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Time for a new hitch coupler and ball.... Never been greased, 8 years of hauling, 4 years out the steep driveway stretching the coupler every time you go in or out.... It's a worn out ball joint, you were able to reattach it but it's going to happen again and it will pop off much easier the next time. |
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Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | Originally written by Phoresic on 2010-09-15 10:24 PM Is it possible that you didn't latch the hitch around the ball? You could have latched it all properly with it sitting on top of the ball. That actually happened on my utility trailer once. I let it down. It seem to set on the ball properly and I fastened it. It looked right. It was not properly fastened, however, and could be lifted off the ball. Funny how normal it looked when it wasn't around that ball, though. I would say this what happened, as you lowered the trailer down, the locking mechanism was pushed up into the ball cavity on the hitch. It will almost look normal and it will seem to lock. As you went down the hill the trailer simply slid forward off the ball, you get out to look and the coupler is still locked. I'd bet a roll of c-notes this is what happened. I just take my finger and feel under the locking mechanism to make sure it's up against the backside of the ball after I lock them.
Edited by HWBar 2010-09-16 5:41 AM
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Location: Hudsonville MI | Bulldog coupler: http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Coupler-pm-Bulldog-sf-A~Frame_Coupler.aspx I never had one before but most recent trailer is a project Circle J with this coupler. Gotta tell you I love it. |
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Location: Arkansas | The bulldog coupler is what we prefer also.... As far the the OP, I would invest in a new ball and hitch, too much depends upon it. |
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Location: western PA | Originally written by HWBar on 2010-09-16 6:38 AM Originally written by Phoresic on 2010-09-15 10:24 PM Is it possible that you didn't latch the hitch around the ball? You could have latched it all properly with it sitting on top of the ball. That actually happened on my utility trailer once. I let it down. It seem to set on the ball properly and I fastened it. It looked right. It was not properly fastened, however, and could be lifted off the ball. Funny how normal it looked when it wasn't around that ball, though.
I would say this what happened, as you lowered the trailer down, the locking mechanism was pushed up into the ball cavity on the hitch. It will almost look normal and it will seem to lock. As you went down the hill the trailer simply slid forward off the ball, you get out to look and the coupler is still locked. I just take my finger and feel under the locking mechanism to make sure it's up against the backside of the ball after I lock them. I agree with these two threads. I had the same thing happen on a boat trailer, and have seen several other folks, miscoupling the hitch balls when attaching their trailers. You quickly find out who has used their safety chains or not. |
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Location: Western WA | Any chance you have a 2 5/16" hitch on your trailer and a 2" ball on your truck? |
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Location: Mountains of NC | Thanks to everyone for your help! I had to move my horse today, so I took the trailer over to a U-haul place where they jacked up the tongue of the trailer to the point where it almost lifted the back wheels of the truck - did not come off. In fact, he tried it with the coupler open, too, and it stayed on til he hit it with a hammer! Quite often I have to stand on the bumper to get the hitch unhooked. So, now I don't think its a mechanical problem, I think I must not have had things in the right place the day it came off. I always do better when I hook up solo, but that day someone was talking to me and I may have gotten distracted. All I knew was that I had to remove the safety pin and push the sleeve back to open the hitch in order to hook the trailer back up. At this point I will now take it to a trailer place and have them evaluate ball and coupler. I'm glad to know this can be replaced, if needed. I will grease things now, too! Thanks again for the info and advice. This is a great group. Happy trails, Debi |
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Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Quote!!! ....but that day someone was talking to me and I may have gotten distracted....  That's when it will jump up and bight you, glad you got it checked out!!!!!! |
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Location: Home of the WNFR at Christmas | Not that it is the same but I had a trailer come off due to the nut on the ball backing off on a long trip, 8 hours with only stops for fuel, so now it is worth an extra check now and then and some red locktitle when ever a ball gets replaced. Just another little thing to check. |
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Location: sc | Originally written by tr0y on 2010-09-16 8:12 PM
Not that it is the same but I had a trailer come off due to the nut on the ball backing off on a long trip, 8 hours with only stops for fuel, so now it is worth an extra check now and then and some red locktitle when ever a ball gets replaced. Just another little thing to check. A properly torqued nut with lock washer and a greased ball will not back off no matter how long the trip. Lock tite is not necessary, but if it makes you feel better...... A 1 1/4" shank requires 450 lbs of torque........not standing on the wrench, not hitting with an impact gun, not 'take it to a truck shop', not 'damn that's tight'......needs-to-be-torqued to 450 lbs. It is literally the single nut that holds the combo together, let's do it right. |
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Location: western PA | The best way to lock the nut, is to drill a hole through the nut and bolt and insert a cotter pin. The nut then can't loosened by any movement on or of the ball. |
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Location: Florence, SC | I second Phoresic, HWBar, and Gard because I did that exact thing one time. It all looked right but I'd locked the hitch up with it just sitting on top the ball. Thankfully, I didn't have any horses on the trailer and I got the shock of dragging the trailer with the safety chains going down the driveway.
Now I double and triple check everything I pull. |
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Location: Home of the WNFR at Christmas | Thanks for your insight Chad, I was just putting that out there since I only tow 20 to 30K a year my use may be slightly different than most. Any fastener even at proper torque, with a lock washer, and by the way lock washers do have a lifespan, with or without a thread locker or otherwise can come loose over time. To state they can't or won't come loose might be considered ignorant.
I would agree with gard if you have the time and capabilities a drilled and pined or safety wired fastener is the superior way to go. For a great example have a look at just about any race vehicle and you will notice most everything is pinned, wired or is installed with a thread locking compound. |
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Location: Kentucky | Chad, is that 450 inch pounds or foot pounds, cause if you're putting the info out there, it should be complete.....
Edited by kentuckyrain 2010-09-17 6:47 PM
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Location: sc | Originally written by tr0y on 2010-09-17 11:24 AM
Thanks for your insight Chad, I was just putting that out there since I only tow 20 to 30K a year my use may be slightly different than most. Any fastener even at proper torque, with a lock washer, and by the way lock washers do have a lifespan, with or without a thread locker or otherwise can come loose over time. To state they can't or won't come loose might be considered ignorant. I would agree with gard if you have the time and capabilities a drilled and pined or safety wired fastener is the superior way to go. For a great example have a look at just about any race vehicle and you will notice most everything is pinned, wired or is installed with a thread locking compound. Semantics, but since you want to go there; I did state "trip", I would allow cross country and back as a "trip". Surely you don't believe the 'lifespan' of a lockwasher in this application will be less than one trip? I don't know if I would consider a lockwasher as having a lifespan anyway. Wouldn't re-use one in a critical application, but having a lifespan? Seen plenty of old ballmounts, have not seen or heard of a large number of lockwashers just reaching the end of their lifespans and falling out. Of course now this conversation is heading down metal stress/duty cycles, not something I have time to fool with in a forum. On the issue of semantics, if my statement might be considered ignorant, what then (with all your implied experience/knowledge on this subject) would losing a trailer via loose nut be called? Stupidity? |
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Location: sc | Originally written by kentuckyrain on 2010-09-17 6:46 PM
Chad, is that 450 inch pounds or foot pounds, cause if you're putting the info out there, it should be complete..... Should become pretty clear to anyone smart enough to turn a wrench....... |
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| Please go to www.dangeroustrailers.org and take note...NO STANDARDS FOR A TRAILER HITCH!!! NO TESTING IS NECESSARY. We have a defective hitch in Florida...I have the filed lawsuit.We have a trailer hitch that simply breaks..and a world champion horse gets killed.We have a trailer hitch that simply came off and a 19 year old women lost her life..Go here and see..http://www.dangeroustrailers.org/uploads/2010R87_Recon_Report-1_Stunning_Rreport_Whitney_Radder.pdfPlease understand that the reason the hitch failed is because they are getting worn out...and they are not made to a Quality National Standard!!!!! The Hitch Manufactures..and the Trailer Manufactures have fought to make everybody play by the same rules.They are destroying our organization because they do not want us to tell you the truth.We act when gas lines fail...we act when oil rigs explodes yet we don nothing when hitches fail.in 2009 379 lives where lost...and 20,820 were injured!! |
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Location: Vermont | Interesting site... http://www.dangeroustrailers.org/2_Horses_Rescued_1killed.html |
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| Thank you for not attacking me....and our web site...our mission is to point out the facts. Look at our facts...and prove us wrong. WE are not selling anything but pointing out that we have concerns.Go here and see ... this horse was beautiful....simply one of the most magnificent horses I have ever seen!! Now it is gone by a failed Hitch.http://dangeroustrailersaccidentsthatjust.blogspot.com/2009/09/trailer-hitch-broke-causing-accident.htmland then see this...why do humans and animals have to suffer?NOTE...NO INSPECTIONS ON TRAILERS THAT ARE ONE POUND UNDER 3,000 GVWR. Then see All have the same issue LOOSE TRAILERS this..http://dangeroustrailersaccidentsthatjust.blogspot.com/2008/04/loose-trailer-kills-pregnant-horse.htmlLOWGAP — One horse had to be put down after bottom fell out of the trailer it and four other horses were riding in.The incident happened at N.C. 18 and N.C. 89 at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Skull Camp Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Moose.“Once we got there, we found a truck and a horse trailer that was coming off of N.C. 18 turning onto N.C. 89 when the bottom of the horse trailer broke through and one or two of the horses’ legs fell through. They didn’t know right away that it had happened. So they don’t know how far they had driven like that,” said Moose.He said there were five horses, two donkeys and one sheep in the trailer. He said one horse was trapped by the legs between the road and the bottom on the trailer and was unable to get up. The horse had to be euthanized at the scene.He said Surry County Animal Control was called to the scene to remove the animals from the roadway.Moose said both highways were shut down for 30 minutes and N.C. 18 was closed for more than two hours.He said the three men in the truck had left a stock yard sale in Virginia and were headed toward Mount Airy at the time of the incident.Moose said in his opinion the medium-sized horse trailer was overloaded, which caused that accident.Trooper Kevin Johnson with the N.C. State Highway Patrol charged Jose Rodriguez Flores, of 366 Forest Oaks Drive, Dobson with no registration, no insurance and fictitious tags. Johnson called Trooper Bobby Miller with the Motor Carrier Division who charged Flores with $150 in civil fees for no lights on the trailer and having unsecured load. The Motor Carrier Division is in charge of inspecting trailers.Read more: Mount Airy News - Horse trailer floor collapses highway blocked for hours |
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| We want to help yet they continue to fight us and keep us quiet....look at this...http://dangeroustrailersviedos.blogspot.com/2008/04/man-continues-to-recover-from-december.htmlSee his legs....again..all caused by the same issue as the person who posted and was brave to let you know!!!!We are trying to save lives which includes horses!!!!Why do they try to discredit us? |
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| This one is really sad...we really do have a problem in the United StatesCouple Killed In Multi-Vehicle CollisionTroopers Looking For Driver That Left Utility Trailer On Interstate ANDERSON, S.C. -- A detached utility trailer may have caused a deadly collision on I-85 southbound Saturday night.The collision happened at about 8:30 p.m. near mile marker 23.According to Lance Cpl. Scot Edgeworth with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a utility trailer became detached from a vehicle that did not stop.The driver of a Chevy Tahoe pulled to the side of the road and got out of his car to call police about the utility trailer.Moments later, a Honda Oydessy hit the trailer. The impact caused the minivan to move into the next lane where a tractor trailer collided with it. The minivan was knocked off the interstate and into the Chevy Tahoe.The driver of the Tahoe, 35-year-old Jimmy Estrich, was hit by his SUV.Edgeworth said Estrich was taken to AnMed Health to be treated for his injuries, but two people inside the minivan were killed.Anderson County coroner Greg Shore said the married couple from Spartanburg died at the scene. Their two children, a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, were taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.The South Carolina Highway Patrol is looking for an unknown vehicle that may have been pulling the utility trailer. Troopers described it as a dark colored pickup truck.Anyone with information is asked to call (864) 260-2200. |
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Location: Home of the WNFR at Christmas | Wow Chad resorting to calling names, mature. Have mom make you a snack and back down in the basement and continue the troll. |
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Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | If you are looking to put some more government in my life, my answer is no thanks....... |
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Location: Claxton, Ga. | Agreed, No more government for me either. |
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| I agree - no more government intrusion. |
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Location: Vermont | Originally written by kentuckyrain on 2010-09-17 6:46 PM
Chad, is that 450 inch pounds or foot pounds, cause if you're putting the info out there, it should be complete.....
Ball Torque is over looked on 95% of installs, a 3/4 in shank needs to be 150 ftlbs, 1in shank needs to be 250 ftlbs and a 1 1/4 in shank needs to be 450 ftlbs
you'll need a torque multiplier to get that last number... http://www.weldfabulous.com/Hand-Tools/Torque-Multipliers/Bessey-JM...
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| Not slamming your website or your posts,that is good information,but,I am taking a quote from the first story and reposting it here because it's valid.Officer Robert Bailey of the Department of Public Safety said this it not the first time time kind of accident has happened."Last month, we had that happen here near the 202 and I-10, some people pulling two Clydesdales that came off the trailer," he said. "It happens from time to time."Bailey said it's possible that the safety chains on the hitch might have snapped."A lot of times, it's operator error," Bailey said. "And they might not have strong enough safety chains. Those safety chains often snap, especially with those heavy horses."I've pulled a BP trailer many times,first time I owned a trailer,I'd never owned one or hooked one up.I was pretty dumb about it,and,I had the ball on the bumper of my 1/2T truck.UHaul installed it for me.(duh.) I happened to drive my empty trailer by my long time mechanic's house,and,he is the one who told me that not only was it unsafe,but,it was not level enough for my horse to stand comfortably,and,I needed to invest in a hitch welded to my vehicle frame for safety and stability,which I did.I admit that I really did not know any better.Operator error there,had something happened.the only time I"ve had a BP hitch to come off of the truck hitch,my husband hooked it up in a HURRY,I hauled it from our farm to my house and when I pulled up in the driveway on an incline,the hitch came off.No horses inside at the time.Operator error.
Edited by crowleysridgegirl 2010-09-20 8:57 AM
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Location: North Carolina | Originally written by ronmelancon on 2010-09-19 5:54 AM
We want to help yet they continue to fight us and keep us quiet....look at this...http://dangeroustrailersviedos.blogspot.com/2008/04/man-continues-to-recover-from-december.htmlSee his legs....again..all caused by the same issue as the person who posted and was brave to let you know!!!!We are trying to save lives which includes horses!!!!Why do they try to discredit us? Hello ... Welcome to the forum. I've looked at your site.. Who is the "They" that is Fighting, silencing and discrediting" you ? Some of the cases you have on your site are not trailer related. For example: When a person pulling a trailer hits a parked vehicle on the shoulder of a road, the trailer is only following the tow vehicle. I don't see a trailer causation. Same with the hayride accidents. When a toddler is let down by a mother from a moving trailer, and run over, I see no trailer cause. Just tragic accidents from human error. More regulations don't change ordinary human behavior. The regulations just cause more law suites and increased costs.... and the elimination of many opportunites for fun. ( I wonder how many hayrides make any money for the operator ??) I know of many horse ride opportunites that have disappeared because of potential law suite. |
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Trailer came off hitch - why?
