A heart wrenching story and reminder.

[hockeytownmom]

Mistake by driver kills father, daughter | Local 4 Defenders - Home

This is why I switched to a lock instead a cotter pin. So sad.

[Wiscampsin]

Sad indeed.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by hockeytownmom

Mistake by driver kills father, daughter | Local 4 Defenders - Home

This is why I switched to a lock instead a cotter pin. So sad.

Drilled the hole out in the pin and use a padlock. Have for years to prevent someone with sticky fingers walking off with it. Even padlock my filler plug for the hitch.

[ChooChooMan74]

I was just on Dangerous Trailers.org and although, this guy does go overboard, there is some scary and dangerous stuff on there.

[rattleNsmoke]

Such sorrow. I can't imagine having to live the lives of either of the parties involved.

[jeeplj8]

Tow Ready Locking Hitch Pin for 2 or 2-1/2 inch Receivers 63223

no reason not to own one. I would never trust the cotter pin anyway. Most likely one was installed that fell off in this case.

[Gripper]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Drilled the hole out in the pin and use a padlock. Have for years to prevent someone with sticky fingers walking off with it. Even padlock my filler plug for the hitch.

I like the set-up never thought of drilling out. Do you (or anyone) have any comments respecting; The mastercraft key safe hitch lock, the pin slides through and a key locking mechanism attaches on other end. Ever heard any bad about those types. Any best practices out there to help avoid such tragedies?

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by Gripper

I like the set-up never thought of drilling out. Do you (or anyone) have any comments respecting; The mastercraft key safe hitch lock, the pin slides through and a key locking mechanism attaches on other end. Ever heard any bad about those types. Any best practices out there to help avoid such tragedies?

Have a link to the particular one you are talking about? There are a lot out there.

As for best practices, use your safety chains, double check your rig connection, then check it again. I get on mine and jump and down a little to see if anything moves that should not, and make sure what should move, does.

Chains should be crossed and twisted to remove any excess droop.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Gripper

I like the set-up never thought of drilling out. Do you (or anyone) have any comments respecting; The mastercraft key safe hitch lock, the pin slides through and a key locking mechanism attaches on other end. Ever heard any bad about those types. Any best practices out there to help avoid such tragedies?

Never had the mastercraft hitch lock, was always too cheap when I had a bunch of Master padlocks. We have about 8 or 10 Master padlocks all keyed alike that we use on trailers, hitches etc. Used the same ones since 1966 when I started work for IH and that's what they used to lock panels on their experimental combines.

[hockeytownmom]

While traveling to a campground with my kids, I stopped at a Walmart to pick up some food items. When I came back out, started my truck, I noticed my break controller light didn't come on - I knew it was working when I got there! Someone unplugged it. :-O

[Gripper]

Originally Posted by jeeplj8

Have a link to the particular one you are talking about? There are a lot out there.

As for best practices, use your safety chains, double check your rig connection, then check it again. I get on mine and jump and down a little to see if anything moves that should not, and make sure what should move, does.

Chains should be crossed and twisted to remove any excess droop.

Here is a picture, I like oldcoots set-up drilling out but this is what I have now.

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by Gripper

Here is a picture, I like oldcoots set-up drilling out but this is what I have now.

That looks like a nice solid lock, and I think it would work great.

I would not try to drill out a pin myself, as I do not have access to a machine shop with a drill press.

[avolnek]

best part for a lot of us pulling travel trailers and using weight distribution hitches is the torsion bars will actually "theoretically" hold the coupler of the trailer onto the ball of the hitch head.

I generally will do a walk around after I finish hooking up the hitch, then I turn back around and make the walk around in the opposite direction to do a double check and see things from a different angle. I also ALWAYS make sure I am the one who hooks the hitch up! I want the reassurance that I did it and no one else. I also don't want anyone else to ever have to feel responsible if something were to happen with the hitch...

An experience I had with one of the locking receiver pins was that the dimpled groove for the lock to seat into actually broke right there once while installing it... Fortunately didn't happen while moving... I haven't used one since then... I'm sure this was a freak occurrence but it has me scared of them. I'm sure the same thing could happen to the conventional pin as well...

Truly a sad sad story though...

[pwrstroke2012]

Trimax makes hitch pin and coupler locks that you can have keyed the same and they have the wider hitch pin for the new F350 hitch. I have 3 trailers total and now I have them all keyed the same.

[force]

Tragic is an understatement here, so sad.

I'd say there's no excuse for it, but, I suspect some of us have forgotten something simple before and just got lucky no one got hurt as a result.

I'll fess up and admit one time I forgot to put the pin in my tilt snowmobile trailer. Half way up a steep grade the trailer flipped up and started swerving side to side behind my Jeep. I am fortunate that no one was coming at us the other way!

As for the hitch pin, I have used a Master Lock pin for 15+ years, through all weather conditions, including salty New England roads in winter (we snowmobile too). These are stainless steel and have rubber seals. It fits tight to the receiver so that you couldn't possibly cut them off either.

I picked this one up at West Marine after I got my GMC, as it was the only place that had the wider pins for my Class V hitch.

EDIT: Here's a link. $28.

[CampinDad]

Can't view the video at work - can someone provide a short recap? Sounds like either the cotter pin broke or was never installed and the ball pulled out of the hitch? Were chains not attached either?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by jeeplj8

That looks like a nice solid lock, and I think it would work great.

I would not try to drill out a pin myself, as I do not have access to a machine shop with a drill press.

Don't need a drill press, just leave it in the hitch and use a good 1/2" drill motor and the appropriate drill bit. Once the hole is large enough you will have to file or grind a radius on the sides of the hole so a regular padlock will close. Takes about 10-15 minutes.

[Gripper]

This something that always keeps me on my toes. I agree and do hook up everytime, no one but me and I do this practice with our last son still at home so he learns right. I double check and even drive a mile or so and pull over to make sure the hook-up is still solid. Then you read something like above and just wonder is there anything better. Thanks for the comment

[hockeytownmom]

Originally Posted by CampinDad

Can't view the video at work - can someone provide a short recap? Sounds like either the cotter pin broke or was never installed and the ball pulled out of the hitch? Were chains not attached either?

No chains or cotter pin in the hitch receiver to hold the hitch in place.

[crushor]

Wow, that is really a horrible situation. I know I am still running the original equipment cotter pin on my Equalizer. I think I will start looking for a suitable locking replacement hitch pin. Prior to purchasing this hitch, I always ran a locking pin. My only concern was finding a pin rated for use with this hitch. My heart goes out to that lady and her little boy. It certainly goes to show what can happen if a person fails to take the extra 5 minutes to ensure that everything is correct.