Anyone use the quick coupler (www.quickcoupler.com)?  Looks cool to me!  I hate climbing in the bed.   I love the part about saving relationships with the pic of the husband & wife hollering at each other.  Very true....

Amanda

Actually the part about relationships was on the ad in Trail Rider magazine, wonder why it wasn't on the website....

I would still have to hook up my emergency brake wire and safety chains, which are right beside my coupler's locking pin. It would not save me from a trip into the bed.

Gard

OK, I'll bite. I had a couple of Kiefers and they came with the spring loaded lock, I loved it. I don't ever hook up the safety chains anyway. I would run the brake cable over and attach it to the truck bed. So it worked well for me, someone who nevers uses the safety chains, so I never had to crawl up in the bed.

As a disclaimer I have never seen a gooseneck horse trailer come off the ball, I'm sure there will be thousands of first hand through tenth hand accounts of trailers flying off the trailer ball(you know, I had coffee one morning with a guy, who ate supper one night with a gal, who's little brothers trailer came off the ball). I also understand that it may be illegal to not have them hooked up(not positive of this part because I do own a trailer that never had safety chains). Anywho let the bashing begin.

Wow, good point.  I didn't think about the safety chains.  I guess there's no way of getting around it....gotta crawl into the bed.   I wonder if they even used safety chains on the commercial.  I'll have to go back and look at the clip on the website.  I guess it's not worth $400 bucks to be lazy.  Things like this are why america is fat I suppose.

Amanda

Just don't plan on driving through here with safety chains unhooked unless you can avoid being stopped by a state man,because,it's the law.

I've seen a trailer come off once.  The guy went over the RR tracks way to fast and even though he said everything was locked, when I walked to the trailer to see if I could get my truck under the trailer and get it out of my neighbours fence the coupler was unlocked and the trailer had no chains. 

He bounced it off when he went flying over the RR tracks.It can be done,especially on a BP trailer.

Yep.  Except it was a goosneck and his truck wasn't pretty afterwards.  The trailer came off the ball, but stayed in the bed of the truck bouncing off the sides and finally destroyed the tail gate.  The back end of the trailer was through my neighbours fence and the front was in the middle of the road.  He didn't realize that the RR sign and the big sign that said SLOW,BUMP was there for a reason.  It sounded like a freight train was comming down the road which would have been really bad since they were unused tracks and lots of the wooden ties had been stolen or rotted out over the years.

OK, I'll play, how does a cop in car see if my chains are hooked up in the bed? Unless he is driving Bigfoot he can't see them.

Well,I'll be glad to tell you how it happened to US,and how one was able to see into the bed of our truck.I don't know how one might see into yours,however.

We were taking a trailer up to swap for a trade.A state trooper pulled us over,apparently,we had turned on the lights to overide the automatic headlight system,and only had on our parking lights,which is also illegal in this state.He walked all around our rig,and,he looked in the bed at the safety chains.About a month later,we were stopped at a sobriety/seat belt check point,and the state boy at that incident took himself a quick look,also.

This law was put into effect after two accidents in close proximity where #1: a utility trailer came loose and crossed a median and hit a car headon and killed the driver,and,a flatbed trailer with a couple of cars came loose and struck a vehicle and killed the 2 occupants.It is something that we take seriously.

Not too long ago in PA, a commercial truck pulling a trailer with a wood chipper had the coupler fail, the single safety chain wired on didn't hold, the brakes were nonexistent. The trailer crossed the road, slammed head on into a minivan and killed an entire family of five.

Contractors, horse and boat owners, anyone pulling a trailer is now paying the price, with increased "safety inspections" and in some instances, out right police harassment.

It is important that every vehicle on the road is being driven safety, and is in, an excellent mechanical condition. All safety rules should be followed. Safety equipment is just that, a way to make your trip as safe as possible for you and the other drivers who share your space. I agree with these statements, and hope that all other drivers do as well.

I don't want to be the next victim of an arrogant, lazy driver who has no consideration for what he drives, or the lives of the people his presence may endanger. It doesn't take a rocket scientist, to understand that a thirty second chore may save someone's life. If it only affected the driver, that would be one thing. But when it is a time bomb waiting to go off, endangering other innocent lives, it is unacceptable. People should be mature enough to accept responsibility for their own actions. Who is the driver going to blame when the next trailer kills another family?

Please, all you people who disregard basic safety standards, and have little regard for the lives of others, come to PA. Our best representatives will enjoy giving you a life lesson on responsibility and maturity. They don't have to see into your truck bed while driving; they will be checking you out while you are parked beside the road, trying to explain away your transgressions and stupidity.

Gard

Nope, I sell equipment not trailers. After thinking about this for a little longer, I also pull a 2006 Cedar Creek Fifth wheel trailer and it doesn't have any chains on it either. So I am really confused now. I have an older Sundowner I pull, no chains, The fifth wheel, no chains, and newer horse trailer that has them, so I guess I could be super safe 1/3rd of the time if I wanted to be. Hey, I do hook up the lights.

I agree that it would probably take one hell of a jump to bounce a GN trailer off of the coupler ball if it were locked on there.It is heavy as all get out.It wouldn't take much to bounce one off of a BP trailer,tho,altho I wonder how those old rusty chains that are on,say,our 95 Delta stock trailer would come close to holding that thing,since it doesn't have a breakaway cable on it for brakes.That's the issue with a BP,most of them don't have a breakaway that we see on the road,not the older BP's,anyway.

I'm not saying I think,"AAAA,I don't feel like putting those chains on,they wouldn't hold it,anyway," which,I'm darn sure if the wreck is bad enough to shear a big LQ off of the ball,those chains aren't going to be worth a hoot in you know where to help out.But I just know they passed the law in my state,and,they'll be looking at them if they pull  you over for any reason,so,we put them on.

Well,you know a lot of those older stock trailers didn't even come with breakaways on them.I had a nice little 2H S&H that had the battery and cable,but the box was missing out of the dressing room.Of course,the LQ has one,and I have an older Sooner 2H '90 model I bought from a gal down at Cabot,Trailer Country,and it has one on it.But most of the steel trailers I've had over the years didn't have a breakaway kit.THey've all had chains,tho,and,I use them.

And,YEAH,I'm darn sure a lawyer could make a good time out of an accident happening if someone didn't have their chains hooked,or had a breakaway that wasn't working,ect.But you live here,too,and you know as well as I do,from seeing the tons of junk getting pulled down the highways that most of them dont' even have working LIGHTS,much less breakaways and chains! But it's the law to have chains here in good ole I'll say it proud: ARKANSAS.

Both the owner of the truck and the driver, were held responsible for the deaths of the PA family members. Most of the several convictions were based on a lack of safety equipment, the lack of maintenance concerning the trailer and the inoperable brakes of the trailer. No inspections had been effected or recorded.

How much effort does it take to have a welder install a $20 set of safety chains? Ten, maybe fifteen minutes? Anyone without them has no logical excuse for their absence.

Can anyone reasonably expect that the ball hitch mechanism is absolutely foolproof under every condition? What happens if I were in an accident, and something in the hitch failed because of the impact? I would have a six ton, 35 foot missile headed for god knows where. I don't want to be responsible for anyone's death.

Gard

Me,neither.I've got a horror of that GN coming off the ball and into the cab anyway,ever since I heard about the accident involving  top Western competitors Steve Heckamann and his wife.His wife was killed by such an accident as this,although the impact that would probably CAUSE a GN to shear off the ball would be enough to kill you,much less the GN coming in on you like that.

It feels to me like we're hauling a danged HOUSE trailer behind us,anyway,and my nerves are such nowadays that I doubt seriously we'd ever attempt any place like over in the Smokies,or out west in the mountains.The hills of the Ozarks are enough to keep my grip on the door handle with white knuckles.

Surely your not questioning the knowledge of the great one.

Maybe you could ask some of your buds for the right answer.But,since you don't use your chains,I can't see as it really matters?

I just went out and checked the trailers I presently have here. The trailers made in FL and OK have bolted safety devices. One has chains, the other, cables. My two trailers that are from IN have chains that are welded. I have another trailer presently in NY, that was made in TX.  It also has welded chains.

I do not know the regulations of each state. I would think that a manufacturer producing equipment being sold in many states and perhaps used in all, would have to conform to a national standard.

That begs a question; is there a national standard for the safety equipment on trailers? Obviously, lighting, reflectors and brakes are regulated, are chains and cables? I don't know the answer to your statement.

Gard

They are on tow dollies in doubles situations. It goes back to the fifth wheel application. It is considers a more positive lock than the ball and socket type on a gooseneck.

I've got two goosenecks that weren't built with safety chains and I haven't ever added them. I personally don't agree with them on goosenecks. Not what most manufacturer's put on there anyways. Two reasons; 1. If the coupler is in good working order, and is latched, it is not coming off. 2. If I am in a collision hard enough to shear the ball rated at 30,000, the chains most are using aren't going to make any difference.

I absolutely agree they should be used on a bumper pull trailer, I actually cross them to create a craddle on BP's. I just think they are a waste of time on a horse trailer the laws of physics say it would be practically impossible for a horse trailer to come off the ball, look at where the axles are located. The most logic would say that a fifth wheel type trailer would be required to have safety chains before a gooseneck would, the Cedar Creek I pull, the axles are centered on the floor of the trailer, why? So that the trailer is not as heavy on the truck. Horse trailers axles are towards the rear, why?  because thats where most of the weight is. So that puts alot weight on the truck hence why I think they would be very hard to come off.......... even if they were not locked on, it would take a pothole the size of a small car to bump one up and off the ball. The shorter the trailer the more likely this would be to happen. A 14' shortwall with full LQ would be impossible to come off the ball. Now back to the question as to why semis don't have to use safety chains.......... because the trucking industry doesn't want them to, and they are a very strong lobbying organization in DC. SO.......... you all keep argueing about how safety chains on goosenecks have saved thousands of lives and I'll read it and laugh. This forum is begining to be my main source for comedy everyday.

And for those of you who say well it's the law........... so is the speed limit, using your turn signals and obeying traffic lights, how many of you all high and mighty's haven't broken one of them in the last week.

 SO.......... you all keep argueing about how safety chains on goosenecks have saved thousands of lives and I'll read it and laugh. This forum is begining to be my main source for comedy everyday.

And for those of you who say well it's the law........... so is the speed limit, using your turn signals and obeying traffic lights, how many of you all high and mighty's haven't broken on of them in the last week.

I have,and you have,and all of us have "broken the law." That's what is a good point that was made in the Bible,wasn't it? We can all strive to do better even tho we all fall short.And,you know,if you get caught speeding,running lights,ect you'll also get a ticket,just like you will if you come to Arkansas and a state boy catches you w/out chains on your trailer.Even tho it is pretty stupid to think they'd hold a GN if it came off of the ball anyway.So I'll go ahead and hook mine up,even tho,it probably won't make a hoot in you know where in a dire emergency.

Not trying to sound "high and mighty," just saying what we do here.You do what you want to.No sweat,ok by me.

Hi Folks,

I'm new tto the forum but enjoy reading everyone's posts.  As for safety chains, I have seen two times where the chains caused more damage than they prevented.  In both cases the trailer came loose from the tow vehicle and caused the trucks to roll over, injuting one person and killing two more.  I guess the moral of the story is just like seatbelts, they don't always have the intended effect.

Safety chains are a requirement and should be crossed under the tongue of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Always leave enough slack so you can turn. Never allow the safety chains to drag on the ground and never attach the safety chains to the bumper.

Trailer Classification: Safety Chain Breaking Force-Minimum

Class 1: 2000 lbs (8.9 kN)
Class 2: 3500 lbs (15.6 kN)
Class 3: 5000 lbs (22.2 kN)
Class 4: The strength rating of each length of safety chain or its equivalent and its attachments shall be equal to or exceed in minimum breaking force the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of the trailer.

After all of the above verbage...Check out the following on non-enforcement...

http://federaltrailerposter.blogspot.com/

An officer with the Ark.Highway trans.dept couldn't tell me for certain about chains.I've been told by dealers and haulers that they are required.Perhaps they meant on vehicles for commercial hauling? I use them,anyway,they are on there,and I don't want them dragging around.She was trying to find out about chains,but she said basically that the book is a thick as a catalog,so,she couldn't find it at the moment.So,guess Arkansas' finest trusted with upholding the highway laws "don't know" themselves!!!

But what she did read me from the reg.book was: every tow with a gross weight of 3000# or more must have an independent braking system,and it must be designed to operate so as if the towed vehicle comes loose,the braking system operates independently of the driver.(A breakaway system,basically,is what she's talking about.)

To heck with this!!!