Posted 2010-09-15 7:55 PM (#124906) Subject: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Member
Posts: 17
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.
Posted 2010-09-15 8:11 PM (#124908 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402 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.
Posted 2010-09-15 8:22 PM (#124909 - in reply to #124908) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Member
Posts: 17
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?
Posted 2010-09-15 8:31 PM (#124910 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 3853 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
Posted 2010-09-15 8:46 PM (#124912 - in reply to #124910) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Member
Posts: 17
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.
Posted 2010-09-15 9:57 PM (#124917 - in reply to #124908) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Veteran
Posts: 201 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.
Posted 2010-09-15 10:24 PM (#124919 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
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.
Posted 2010-09-16 5:37 AM (#124920 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 3802 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.
Posted 2010-09-16 5:38 AM (#124921 - in reply to #124919) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 1283 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.
Posted 2010-09-16 10:13 AM (#124927 - in reply to #124921) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 5870 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.
Posted 2010-09-16 12:02 PM (#124936 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Member
Posts: 17
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
Posted 2010-09-16 8:12 PM (#124953 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Veteran
Posts: 114 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.
Posted 2010-09-16 9:51 PM (#124955 - in reply to #124953) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 1416 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.
Posted 2010-09-16 10:30 PM (#124957 - in reply to #124906) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 5870 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.
Posted 2010-09-17 8:12 AM (#124960 - in reply to #124927) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Veteran
Posts: 152 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.
Posted 2010-09-17 11:24 AM (#124968 - in reply to #124957) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Veteran
Posts: 114 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.
Posted 2010-09-17 10:46 PM (#124979 - in reply to #124968) Subject: RE: Trailer came off hitch - why?
Expert
Posts: 1416 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?
Trailer came off hitch - why?
