Check your hitch

[dscribner]

For those who have no life and read this forum too often, you may recall my story. Bought a boat, then a trailer, then a truck to tow it. Finally, taught self to sail. Well, used truck=used hitch. Last weekend, towing her home, I hit the brakes just a touch harder than normal (I'm normally soft and careful on the brakes). Something about kids in the crosswalk convinced me. I heard a crunch/grind/boom as I came to a stop. Looking in the mirror, I saw my boat about 30 feet back, looking forlorn and abandoned. So, I jump out to see what the hey. The tongue was on the asphalt with this brown/red log over it. Then it dawned on me that it sort of resembled a trailer hitch cross-tube. Surveying my trucks back end, I saw naught but a gaping hole where my receiver hitch used to be. The boat had ripped it clean off. Luckily I was going maybe 2 MPH. No real harm done. (Most weeks, I'd be on the highway at 65 MPH.) In less than a minute, a man from across the road came over and we both decided that there was no way to safely get home. Now, as we talked, I could not help noticing that he had a J22 on a trailer and a buff looking F150 next to her. So I asked . . . "Any way you'd consider towing her home for us?" "How far?" "About three miles." Within 5 minutes, we were hooked and driving. Total down time, maybe 10 minutes. Lucky? I prefer "Blessed".

So, what's wrong with the idiot that's driving around with a cruddy hitch and a 5000 lb boat? I checked the hitch in the spring with a ball-peen hammer and it looked OK. I was wrong or corrosion accelerates.

Today, my Curt Class IV hitch arrives. 10,000 lb capacity, 1000 lb tongue weight. $20 extra for greater peace of mind. Tonight: 1 hour to cut the old bolts off. 5 minutes to drink a beer. 15 minutes to install new hitch. 10 minutes to bandage knuckles and irrigate rust from eyes. An hour and a half and that will be behind me.

So, word to the wise for you purists out there. Check your hitch well and don't end up on YouTube.

 

[Nom De Guerre]

I was so hoping that the YouTube text was a hyperlink to a video...



Great tip!

 

[Merlin Clark]

Glad it worked out the way it did and you weren't on the highway!

 

[CalebD]

Yup. Trailering is a lot like sailing except that there a a whole bunch of different pitfalls; things that can go badly and quickly wrong.

I was helping a friend tow his 26' MacGregor "S" model. I followed the tow in my car. Once they hit the highway (NYS Thruway) within 2 minutes the trailer started getting squirrely. The next thing I saw was a tire bouncing around making unauthorized lane changes towards the side of the road. The MacGregor sat in its trailer with sparks trailing from the axle. Miraculously no one was injured except perhaps our egos. It could have been much, much worse.

 

[caguy]

Check the tubes of your trailer as well. This is what I found after towing the boat home for the first time. I decided to paint the trailer and when I got to the tongue I strarted cleaning off the "surface" rust, only to find a small hole under the flaking paint. I probed it with a screw driver and created a 2" hole the full length of the tube on the top and bottom of the 3" square tubing. I had panned on going sailing that weekend but spent it replacing the tongue. Thank goodness I decided to paint it that week because I would have never notice what was (was not) under the paint. I doubt that the boat would have made it to the marina.

 

[dscribner]

Wow! That's nasty! My trailer is galvanized and appears to be in great shape. Sound familiar?

The change out went well and just about on time. About 1:45. One nut really had an attitude. Installation was a snap though. Maybe 10 minutes. The new hitch is real purdy! Now, if my harness isn't shot, Saturday may be a go. Mid to high 50s and a slight change of rain.

Attached is a photo of the aftermath. Note how much of the steel still has paint on it. It's still thick and looks pretty good. The parts that gave up the ghost are at the welds where the tube passes thru the plate.

 

[rgranger]

For those who have no life and read this forum too often,

I just learned I have no life....

 

[Sail123]

You really cannot check welds under paint. Play it safe, chain your receiver hitch to your frame!

I have a simular story. I was given a 30" sailboat several states away in OK City. I had a large heavy two car flat bed trailer and started off from Nebraska. I checked the trailer every time I stopped, last time 30 miles from sailboat. At the marina, in driving rain, I have my helper get out to help me back up the trailer because I could not see it in the rain. NO TRAILER!

Circled the loop I lost it in for two days. Police, impound yards. Nothing. No trailer, so the guy gave the boat to someone else.

Hitch I had used hundreds of times over ten years decided to break off.

The good news? A toll road coming back was one dollar less without a trailer. Lol

I later snagged a better trailer on CL that needed new boards and some welding. So to replace the trailer, and fuel across America and back again cost me a couple grand.

Very grateful no-one was hurt.

Someone in OK City has a very nice flatbed and a like new 14" fiberglass stepladder.

I now never tow anything without safety chains to the frame.

 

[finding41]

I saw a cargo trailer on my street two weeks ago. It is a very busy 4 lane st. It was kind of sitting cockeyed at a stop light. When I drove past it in the other lane I noticed it wasn't hooked to the truck in front of it! There were a couple of very confused guys standing between the truck and the trailer.
My boat trailer had one chain on it when I got it. I have changed it to two chains. Two chains crossing each other under the tong is law here. Makes sense too. If the tong pops off the ball it will fall on the chains allowing for a bit of control stopping.

 

[caguy]

I saw a cargo trailer on my street two weeks ago. It is a very busy 4 lane st. It was kind of sitting cockeyed at a stop light. When I drove past it in the other lane I noticed it wasn't hooked to the truck in front of it! There were a couple of very confused guys standing between the truck and the trailer.
My boat trailer had one chain on it when I got it. I have changed it to two chains. Two chains crossing each other under the tong is law here. Makes sense too. If the tong pops off the ball it will fall on the chains allowing for a bit of control stopping.

Ah Ha! That's why the chains on my trailer are "too" long. I nerver thought to criss cross them.

 

[centerline]

dude, you seriously need to do something about your overactive trailer brakes.......

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a Former small boat dealer, I use to teach the following to my customers.

1. Puchase the appropiate hitch for the wieght. Gnerally if over 3000 pounds in
most states, brakes are required. I suggested surge brakes if doing alot of
trailering and checking the fluid resivoir for every trip if submersing the trailer
alot particularly in salt water. If salt water, wash the trailer off after each
submersion.
2. Cross the chains and if too long, you can turn the chains over to shorten them.
Make sure the hooks are hooked so the top of the hook is on top facing toward
the boat.
3. Hook up lights after the trailer is out of the water and check for lights working.
4. Trailer should have a safety chain to the bow eye in addition to the other
cable or winch strap. Should the safety chain be too long, turn it too to shorten
it.
5. Ensure proper tire air pressure when cold. Alsol, it would be a good practice to
buy new trailer tires every 4 to 5 years regardless of tread, no dry rot and so
forth. Carry a spare tire and the appropiate jack and wood blocks to chock the
other tires.
6. Ensure the bow of the boat is secured and a strap is placed around the boat. A
good suggestion to the strap to keep it from flapping against the boat due to w\
windage is to turn it a few times on each side. Make sure all gear is stowed, mast
secured, etc. Regarding the motor if left on the bracket, leave the bottom of
the motor down and suggest a line tied to the handle on motor to something
firm on the back of the boat to keep motor from bouncing on the motor bracket
from up and down if you hit any chug holes.
7. Go appx 10 to 20 miles and stop to make sure all lines, straps and chains are
taunt as boats will shift or settle down in the trailer.

I know this is alot but many incidents were avoided.

crazy dave

 

[jepomer]

2. Cross the chains and if too long, you can turn the chains over to shorten them.
Make sure the hooks are hooked so the top of the hook is on top facing toward
the boat.

Remind people that purpose for CROSSING the chains is to cradle the trailer tongue if it comes unhitched.

Sometimes we forget the obvious.

 

[dscribner]

Crazy,

I've trailered some in my day, not tons, but some. And I have a little paranoia to help out too. Crossed chains, CHECK! Adequately sized hitch, CHECK! Lights, brakes, safety cable.. CHECK!CHECK!CHECK!. The hitch ripped off the truck so all that stuff was still neatly attached, 30 feet back! Except for the lights anyway. At any rate, went out his weekend and enjoyed a little front-end of Sandy. Winds were N-NE at about 15 knots on the return. Seas around 4 feet. Made for a nice sail. Right now, however!!!! Not so much.

 

[Kermit]

Remind people that purpose for CROSSING the chains is to cradle the trailer tongue if it comes unhitched.

Sometimes we forget the obvious.

Thanks for explaining "the obvious." I always wondered why crossing the chains is important.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Thank you all for the imput. One other thing to make sure. If a hitch is secured to the bumper, that might be ok for a small daysailor but for a larger boat, it should be attached to the frame. I have corrected some of those too.

The replica HMS Bounty sunk off the coast of North Carolina with 14 rescued, 1 dead and a missing Skipper. I have been on that ship before and have a jacket with HMS Bounty crew. I ask that all of you say a prayer for the skipper's safe return and to all of those affected by the Hurricane Sandy in the North East. The loss of the Bounty hit me pretty hard.

As for the US Coast Guard, my thanks to them for the heroism shown but fondly they did it not for credt but it "was our job only." Thank you Gentlemen.

Dave Condon

 

[soldier1964]

I lost my trailer once driving thru south chicago in the rain. didnt have the chains crossed and the tongue got dragged on the ground. when I lifted the trailer back up to hook back up, the tongue was so hot it blistered my hands. ever since that day, I never forget to cross those chains.

 

[Bill sanders]

Well I will admit.....try loosing a 32ft camper as it was being move out of a camping spot, someone forgot to put the pin in to hold the receiver hitch in place....I will blame the natural light beer! Can't blame momma she won't let me.