wdk450
Well-known member
Gang:
I thought I would share ANOTHER hitching disaster (see my previous thread of trying to hitch while a trailer pin locking device is in place) I had today. I had to got to the tire place to get some tires moved around on rims and the tires balanced. My storage guys brought the trailer outdoors with the forklift and set it with the front near a dropoff from the asphalt to dirt. I had to back in to the pin over this hump. Well, I had some resistance, gave the truck some gas, and ended up banging hard with the hitch to the pinbox. I came out to inspect things, and found that the locking bar had moved to its locked position (as it usually does), so I secured the bar with the lock, raised the landing gear, put the safety lanyard in place, and proceeded to pull out, but I was interrupted by a HUGE BANG!. The pinbox had come out of the hitch and banged down onto my truck's tailgate (totalling it). With my landing gear and some jackstands I now keep on hand I was able to raise the pin high enough to clear the jammed tailgate.
I took the truck to my local repairer, RV Doctor George, who got my tailgate off the truck with the aid of a forklift to push the bowing out section back into place where 3 guys could remove it. I had the pros there examine the Reese 20K hitch (as I had done earlier) and nothing seemed to be wrong with it. Later in that day, I did hitch up again and tow successfully.
I think what probably happened is that I might not have been exactly on side-to-side when I hitched, banged the hitch hard, AND THE SPRING LOADED LOCKING BAR CLOSED THE JAWS BEFORE THE PIN WAS INSIDE THEIR GRIP. I think when I pulled out the pin was sitting BEHIND the jaws.
I see 3 lessons from this story: 1) Just because the hitch locking bar has moved into the locked position DOES NOT ABSOLUTELY MEAN that your pin and hitch jaws are hitched properly. 2) ALLWAYS LOOK in at the hitch jaws from the rear - If you see closed jaws you are O.K., but if you see the PINBOX PIN then you are NOT hitched securely. Always pull a bit with your truck to see if the hitching is solid WITH YOUR LANDING GEAR STILL DOWN!!!
P.S. I've got a new, vented tailgate on overnight order through Dr. George. The local "recyclers" wanted $600 for a tailgate, and the new vented ones ranged from $250 to $550.
I thought I would share ANOTHER hitching disaster (see my previous thread of trying to hitch while a trailer pin locking device is in place) I had today. I had to got to the tire place to get some tires moved around on rims and the tires balanced. My storage guys brought the trailer outdoors with the forklift and set it with the front near a dropoff from the asphalt to dirt. I had to back in to the pin over this hump. Well, I had some resistance, gave the truck some gas, and ended up banging hard with the hitch to the pinbox. I came out to inspect things, and found that the locking bar had moved to its locked position (as it usually does), so I secured the bar with the lock, raised the landing gear, put the safety lanyard in place, and proceeded to pull out, but I was interrupted by a HUGE BANG!. The pinbox had come out of the hitch and banged down onto my truck's tailgate (totalling it). With my landing gear and some jackstands I now keep on hand I was able to raise the pin high enough to clear the jammed tailgate.
I took the truck to my local repairer, RV Doctor George, who got my tailgate off the truck with the aid of a forklift to push the bowing out section back into place where 3 guys could remove it. I had the pros there examine the Reese 20K hitch (as I had done earlier) and nothing seemed to be wrong with it. Later in that day, I did hitch up again and tow successfully.
I think what probably happened is that I might not have been exactly on side-to-side when I hitched, banged the hitch hard, AND THE SPRING LOADED LOCKING BAR CLOSED THE JAWS BEFORE THE PIN WAS INSIDE THEIR GRIP. I think when I pulled out the pin was sitting BEHIND the jaws.
I see 3 lessons from this story: 1) Just because the hitch locking bar has moved into the locked position DOES NOT ABSOLUTELY MEAN that your pin and hitch jaws are hitched properly. 2) ALLWAYS LOOK in at the hitch jaws from the rear - If you see closed jaws you are O.K., but if you see the PINBOX PIN then you are NOT hitched securely. Always pull a bit with your truck to see if the hitching is solid WITH YOUR LANDING GEAR STILL DOWN!!!
P.S. I've got a new, vented tailgate on overnight order through Dr. George. The local "recyclers" wanted $600 for a tailgate, and the new vented ones ranged from $250 to $550.
