Dropped my Trailer

[okiecowboy]

Originally Posted by Jfkmk

Glad nothing bad happened. I can (almost) guarantee it won’t happen again!

Guaranteed!

[okiecowboy]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

#1 When I connect, I watch the ball enter into the coupler, and raise the jack until it is 1" off the jack pad, then if the coupler latch won't lock down, I "jiggle" the tow vehicle forward and backward a little bit, and it's usually the forward motion that lets the latch lock into place. That's the way my RV dealer showed me how to do it.

#2 Then as a second check you are actually locked onto the ball, lower the jack again and actually raised the back of the tow vehicle. I have to do this anyway to put on my weight distribution bars, but even if I was using weight distribution, it's a good second verification to do anyway.

My dealer told me lots of people try to pound the latch down, or bounce things up and down to get the latch down, but the way to ensure everything is really connected correctly is to move the tow vehicle slightly forward or reverse (usually forward) until the latch locks into place easily.

Usually when heading out on a trip I have to raise the pickup bed slightly to get my sway bars attached also, which is a good way to ensure being latched in properly. But yesterday since I was only going a few miles I just hooked up without the wd hitch. I thought nothing could happen in just a few miles!

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Originally Posted by flyflotrtim

Dropped my utility trailer once. Forgot to put the pin in the tow bar. Had the ball hooked up correctly but of course the draw bar disengaged from the truck. Embarrassing but luckily no damage.

Did the same thing. War Department was with me. We got about 20 feet down the gravel driveway. BanG! Got out. Quickly remedied the situation. Got back in. Wife asked what happened?? Nothing just a little rattle

[wanderingbob]

We spent the nite in a Wal mart lot in New Hampshire . Next morn went about one mile and trailer dropped on chains . The pin was missing and receiver hitch had slid out . I had another pin and had no damage . Where was the original pin ? Luckily we were going up hill slowly and trailer stopped with out need for brakes . I now use a locking pin as I suspect the pin was removed as a lark by a bunch of teens in lot .

[Semperfi24]

This is an interesting read so far. I have a 5th wheel now, but had 2 Mini Lites before that. And I encountered a similar screw up. However, I hooked up, and got all the way home before noticing...

So my theory was that the weight distribution bars actually prevented a disaster. When hooking up, somehow the tongue was sitting on the ball. I am thinking the latch was closed, then I lowered it onto the ball, and then did the rest of the hook up as normal. Perhaps there was some kind of distraction, or difference between "normal procedures". I cant really recall.
And the bars forced the tongue down onto the ball and prevented it from sliding off the side or back of the ball. What drew my attention to it was when I was disconnecting the trailer, and started raising the tongue. Couldnt believe what I was seeing so I purposely left the tongue "latched onto the ball". But it raised up off the ball while still latched. I almost had a heart attack. I can not figure out how I managed that, and to astound me further, it never moved from the ball. The camp ground was 55 minutes drive.

[Blank]

Glad everything worked out, with minimal damage. Definitely a learning experience. Never did that, but did hook up my toy hauler (with 2 5/16 ball) on my 2" ball for utility trailer once. Makes a heck of a noise when pulling (2 blocks) but luckily no dips or hills. Now the inserts/balls are spray painted and color coded to match the appropriate trailer.!!!

[babock]

Since I lift my tongue up to put on the equilizing bars, likely won't have the same problem. Of course even if you don't use equilizing bars, you can use the tongue jack to lift the coupler up to make sure the ball is seated correctly.

[railroaderone]

Glad it wasn't worse, I always secure everything then jack the trailer up while Conected to make sure it's coupled right. If it raises the truck higher than it normally sits were good

[AceCombat]

Years ago we bought our first pop up! We were so excited to set it up we forgot all about the stabilizers. We walked around played with stuff! Everything was fine until my wife decides shes gonna sit at the end im at! Well we do a wheely with neighbors watching down the driveway out onto the road where i threw myself fowards and back onto the front jack wheel!!! Now we are really rolling still unable to steer though! Luckily we stopped when the front wheel went into the soft gravel before the ditch! The neighbors still laugh everytime they see a popup!

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by AceCombat

Years ago we bought our first pop up! We were so excited to set it up we forgot all about the stabilizers. We walked around played with stuff! Everything was fine until my wife decides shes gonna sit at the end im at! Well we do a wheely with neighbors watching down the driveway out onto the road where i threw myself fowards and back onto the front jack wheel!!! Now we are really rolling still unable to steer though! Luckily we stopped when the front wheel went into the soft gravel before the ditch! The neighbors still laugh everytime they see a popup!

Your not the only one who had something like that happen. Years ago, my DW took our popup to the campground and set it up in pouring rain. Since she was soaking wet she fired up the furnace, changed her clothes and crawled into the rear bunk. After falling asleep her girlfriend came and got onto the same bunk to talk. The front of the popup went up, dumping everything out of the fridge. The only difference is they didn't go for a ride down the hill. I didn't get there til 10 pm after they cleaned everything up. Had scrambled eggs for breakfast, just needed to watch for eggshells.

[CaptnJohn]

Thankfully I never did that but caught it once. I got in the habit of just before leaving I’d crank the tongue up high. Once it slipped off. Haven’t pulled a TT in a decade, always a pull test on the 5ers.

[bopeepjim]

As a class 8 driver doing a tug test before getting on the road might have caught ball not in socket of the hitch. Same for 5th wheelers, just as with class 8 tractor trailers, it will catch a miss latched coupler

[okiecowboy]

Originally Posted by bopeepjim

As a class 8 driver doing a tug test before getting on the road might have caught ball not in socket of the hitch. Same for 5th wheelers, just as with class 8 tractor trailers, it will catch a miss latched coupler

Bopeep, I’m not sure what a tug test is. Tell me how it’s done. I actually pulled the trailer 2 to 3 miles before it came loose, and had taken several corners. That’s why I was so surprised when it happened.

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by okiecowboy

Bopeep, I’m not sure what a tug test is. Tell me how it’s done. I actually pulled the trailer 2 to 3 miles before it came loose, and had taken several corners. That’s why I was so surprised when it happened.

You lock the trailer brakes while stopped with the manual lever on the brake controller, then try to move the tow vehicle forward.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by bopeepjim

As a class 8 driver doing a tug test before getting on the road might have caught ball not in socket of the hitch. Same for 5th wheelers, just as with class 8 tractor trailers, it will catch a miss latched coupler

Ball couplers don't behave the same as fifth wheels.

The coupler will hold while "tugging" because of the bottom lip on the forward edge while a kingpin will release if not properly latched.

Ball couplers not properly locked usually come loose when bounced and they lift off the ball because rear latch is not in place.

Also, if using a WDH the spring bars are pulling down with 500-1000# or more.

[NavyLCDR]

Very true ^. The real test for a ball hitch is to simply lift it with the trailer jack. The tug test with a ball hitch is more od check of the brakes - and the pin in the receiver.

[seemannc]

After scaring myself doing the same thing I now run my jack up to see it pull on my truck bumper up a bit. This is a great check and an even better piece of mind!

[czachry]

Everyone has to learn this lesson. After hookup I always try to see if the trailer will come off the ball by jacking up the trailer tongue. Had it come off twice in my early days of RVing but there was no damage just scaly.

[djglover7]

Drill a tiny hole in the top of the coupler. Stick your favorite tickler into the hole. Learn the correct depth for ball-correct / ball-not-correct.


Only downside is an occasional squirt of grease from the tickle hole.

[thomlinson]

As part of my belt and braces - and then an extra piece of string just in case - routine, I look under the coupling before taking off. I can just about make out the fork of the slider sitting in the neck of the ball. I usually do this after the second, but before the third, walkaround to confirm that I did indeed retract the stabilizers. I've still managed to drive off with the steps down, though.

John