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Thread: Almost Lost It

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    Left The Driveway Mike Kop's Avatar
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    Almost Lost It

    Last August, my wife and I drove to San Antonio, TX, to take delivery on a new (never used) 2019 297RSTS, from a private owner. Driving a Ram 2500 diesel, set up for towing, we hitched up the Reflection Trailer with a 14,000 lb Equalizer hitch and pinned the hitch to the truck receiver with a lockable pin. I have been using the same pin for several years pulling a different trailer. Driving back to New Mexico on I-10, we had gone about 50 miles with no problems or sway. I decided to test the trailer brakes using the truck's manual control. I heard a very loud bang! I released the brake and felt the trailer swaying. I was going up a hill, so I let off the gas, DID NOT HIT THE BRAKES, coasted to the shoulder and let the rig stop by itself. My thinking at the time was somehow the trailer popped of the ball mount, even though the latched was locked. I was shocked when I got to the back of the truck. The entire hitch assembly was free of the truck receiver and caught in the crossed chains! Always crossing the chains, when attached to the truck, saved us. The hitch assembly was hanging about 2 inches above the road. The chain attachment plates were severely bent down. The lockable cap of the pin was the only thing left of the pin assembly! It was found where the chain attached to the truck. What happened? Did the pin shear and break when the trailer brakes were tested? Did the lockable pin cap not engage properly when locked? With that much load applied, I can't believe that an unlocked pin would work its way loose and fall out. Because of the loud bang, I think the Pin broke. I was able to reassemble everything and luckily, I had a spare, new standard pin that got us home safely. I have been towing trailers and boats for 40 years and never heard of a pin breaking. Reaffirmed a couple of lessons; if something seems wrong, stay calm, don't panic brake and pull over immediately and check it out. Carry extra pins of all kinds for the trailer attachment, you never know if you are going to need one. I now triple check everything on that hitch before moving. Tow long enough, the improbable can happen.

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    Big Traveler Txfivver's Avatar
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    Wow that's scary, that could have gotten ugly real quick!! Most people don't know that those receiver pins have a max weight rating, some of the Walmart ones for boats are only rated at 6000 pounds! The one that came on my new truck has 24000 pounds stamped right in it, matches the receiver hitch rating. Thanks for sharing.
    Last edited by Txfivver; 03-17-2020 at 10:25 AM.
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    Left The Driveway Mike Kop's Avatar
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    I think you are right! Don't know what the weight rating was for that pin. The previous trailer, I was towing weighed only 3000 lbs.

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    Big Traveler Txfivver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kop View Post
    I think you are right! Don't know what the weight rating was for that pin. The previous trailer, I was towing weighed only 3000 lbs.
    Here's what I was referring to, this is the pin that came with my truck. Click image for larger version. 

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    This almost happened to me on the way home from Yellowstone last year. Had a locking hitch pin attached and when I got home from the 8 hour drive the locking cap was nowhere to be found, luckily, the pin was still engaged but had walked it's way out an uncomfortable amount. My guess is that it was user error and that I didn't get the push lock engaged all the way.. Definitely a good reminder to check often. Glad it didn't turn out too bad for you!

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    Quote Originally Posted by IdahoIV View Post
    This almost happened to me on the way home from Yellowstone last year. Had a locking hitch pin attached and when I got home from the 8 hour drive the locking cap was nowhere to be found, luckily, the pin was still engaged but had walked it's way out an uncomfortable amount. My guess is that it was user error and that I didn't get the push lock engaged all the way.. Definitely a good reminder to check often. Glad it didn't turn out too bad for you!
    May not have been user error. I have had a few locking clips walk away. I guess someone else needed it worse or kids were curious. Even had my 5er hitch unlocked in a wall mart parking lot. I caught it in my walk around before leaving. (handle was out of position) I am thinking of getting a small padlock instead of the clevis pin that came with the hitch.
    2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th wheel with 6K axle upgrade. B&W 25K OEM Companion, Steadyfast system, 2022 F350 SRW 6.7 King Ranch 8' bed, Trailer reverse lights, rear spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, and Solar

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    How fast were you driving when you tested the manual brake controller? If the trailer brakes were a little out of adjustment you would have a 10k trailer trying to pull itself away from an 8k truck. Sounds like a lot of torque on a pin. With commercial rigs we always check our controller at low speed, under 10 mph, when first starting out and then you have to trust it to do its job.
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    Quote Originally Posted by powerscol View Post
    May not have been user error. I have had a few locking clips walk away. I guess someone else needed it worse or kids were curious. Even had my 5er hitch unlocked in a wall mart parking lot. I caught it in my walk around before leaving. (handle was out of position) I am thinking of getting a small padlock instead of the clevis pin that came with the hitch.
    I've been using a padlock since I started towing. I even lock one of the latches in the bed of the truck. I still check everything before moving again after a stop. I would hope no one would mess with a hitch and potentially harm someone but you can't be too careful.
    Tom & Misty - Dover, FL
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    Quote Originally Posted by lorend View Post
    How fast were you driving when you tested the manual brake controller? If the trailer brakes were a little out of adjustment you would have a 10k trailer trying to pull itself away from an 8k truck. Sounds like a lot of torque on a pin. With commercial rigs we always check our controller at low speed, under 10 mph, when first starting out and then you have to trust it to do its job.
    When I had an aftermarket controller, in my previously owned Chevy, the instructions were to test around 25 mph on a straight road. I still use around 25mph for my fifth...so, before getting on the highway.

    OP, glad nothing serious happened and the safety chains performed!!

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    Left The Driveway Mike Kop's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eodbusch View Post
    When I had an aftermarket controller, in my previously owned Chevy, the instructions were to test around 25 mph on a straight road. I still use around 25mph for my fifth...so, before getting on the highway.

    OP, glad nothing serious happened and the safety chains performed!!
    It sounds like I might have caused the problem, since I was going 50 MPH. Thanks for the good info, I check it at the proper speed from now on.
    Bobbie and Mike Kop
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