Towing safety

bearskinner · Jul 9, 2015

One more thing while im on my soap box, make you towed trailer sit level. a longer or shorter drop, get air bags for your tow vehicle, or better springs. Use a bolt, or hitch pin through the clasp on the tongue, and if you use stabilizers, put a pin on them too. I have quality air bags on all my tow vehicles, and all my trailers have load range "E" tires.

Daren Todd · Jul 9, 2015

Thanks,

I've seen lot's of pics of them but never hooked to the vehicle. It was hard to tell how they hooked up.

Do the stabilizers restrict you some backing up? Or is it buisiness as usual?

bearskinner · Jul 9, 2015

you may loose a SLIGHT amount of turning radius, but you shouldn't need to turn so sharp that the stabilizer bars are in a bind, and backing is no problem, possibly made a little easier, as your trailer wont be so twitchy with the bars attached. You will notice the improved ride quality, immediately.
I talked my dentist buddy ( 300K salary) into getting them for his NEW car hauler trailer. He has a 60K monster Dodge diesel, a new 4K flatbed, towing a 60K race car, but didn't want to spend $300. for the stabilizers.... WTF??... so the second time out with his race car, his wife was towing it with the 3500 4x4 suburban, he was leading with another larger trailer. I don't know how, but she lost control, hit the center divider, spun the whole rig 1 1/2 times around on a 4 lane freeway, the trailer slapped the L side of the Suburban, did lots of damage, rolled two tires off the rims, but held tight and together. The first cop on the scene told him the only reason his wife and daughter didn't roll, crash and die, was because of the stabilizers. one was bent bad, and so was the tongue of his new trailer. EVERYONE LIVED......and really no injuries, other that scared s##t less that's the best reason of all.

08quadram · Jul 9, 2015

I regularly tow my 30 foot travel trailer camper with my RAM. I use an equal-i-zer weight distribution hitch. Serves as a built in sway control also. Interesting talking about crossing the chains. I always did that anytime I towed anything. The way the chains are attached to my camper it would do no good as they are on a hook at the front of the tounge. Not at each aide. Kinda funny how many people ask me if I'm going to cross the chains though.

Mike

cerlawson · Jul 10, 2015

No one has discussed where the center of gravity of the load should be. I suspect that rating a trailer hitch makes the assumption that the trailer is properly loaded, so more than say 10 percent sits on the hitch (including the hitch with stabilizer bars). If one puts his load way up front, that adds a lot of load to that hitch. I doubt that the load rating of the hitch means all that weight can sit on the hitch. Of course it is not only gravity that must be resisted, but inertia from stopping and starting, etc.

There is anther factor that structural engineers are involved with, such as bridges, and it surely applies to trailer hitches. It is called fatigue.

Let's say you take a trailer hitch and secure it in a load testing machine and load it to the point it either bends or breaks. Then take that same hitch type and load it to, say 3/4 of that break load, but do it for several thousand times. Finally, after enough of these cycles it will break.

Then take another hitch and run it through these cycles, but only 1/2 the original breaking load. It also will break, but at many cycles more than the 3/4 load.

So you see with only one load application, even higher than the rating, not much happens, but it is all those cycles that finally breaks things.

For steel, with infinite number of load applications, one has to be at least 1/2 or less of the breaking load to be safe.

Grouse Feathers · Jul 10, 2015

cerlawson said:
There is anther factor that structural engineers are involved with, such as bridges, and it surely applies to trailer hitches. It is called fatigue.

Let's say you take a trailer hitch and secure it in a load testing machine and load it to the point it either bends or breaks. Then take that same hitch type and load it to, say 3/4 of that break load, but do it for several thousand times. Finally, after enough of these cycles it will break.

Then take another hitch and run it through these cycles, but only 1/2 the original breaking load. It also will break, but at many cycles more than the 3/4 load.

So you see with only one load application, even higher than the rating, not much happens, but it is all those cycles that finally breaks things.

For steel, with infinite number of load applications, one has to be at least 1/2 or less of the breaking load to be safe.

The trailer hitch should be rated for a load well below the elastic limit of the steel or any other hitch breaking point including failures caused by fatigue. If you don't exceed the rated loading you will not have to worry.

Daren Todd · Jul 10, 2015

Here's my set up. I found that backing the tractor on with the implement towards the front of the trailer works best for me. Gives me the perfect balance of weight. Most of the tractor weight is centered over the axle and just enough tongue weight. Total weight of the tractor and bush hog is right at 2600 lbs. and with it sitting on the trailer the way it is, you really don't feel it. When I hauled it home, the first time, I had the back blade stood up on end wedged into the front of the trailer, and drove the tractor on with the bush hog on the back. Beat the daylight's out of me going down the road.

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Daren Todd · Jul 25, 2015

Ok guys, I wouldn't recommend doing what this guy did for his trailer. The sheet of tin is held on with a ratchet strap, and not supported for about 4' on the front of the trailer.

Dude's hauling a brand new lawn mower

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Daren Todd · Oct 8, 2015

Occasionally you have to do an idiot check

kinda wondering what this person was thinking.

Kinda easy to figure out why the lights aren't working you would think

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Daren Todd · Nov 25, 2015

Hooked up a trailer brake controller in my truck today. I googled the installation for my year model truck.

I was pleasantly surprised how simple it was

video was 6 minutes. Took me ten minutes with getting my tools lined out and put back.

Now at a later date, I'll convert my 16ft trailer to a seven prong plug, and add brakes to the back axle.

https://youtu.be/B4jLRD7qES0

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Tooljunkie · Nov 25, 2015

Converting trailer to electric brakes may cost a little,but what price do you put on your personal safety?
Where i worked, it was rare to see someone check lights,and nobody tested brakes before leaving yard. Unless i was right there. And did it for them.
Its great everybody can share there experiences for others to understand the importance of trailering safely.

Daren Todd · Nov 25, 2015

Here's a weight distribution hitch being installed on the truck as well.

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Tooljunkie · Nov 25, 2015

That hitch does wonders,makes the ride not unlike a big ol chrysler.
Not to mention how much easier to drive.
Enjoy your new camper.

Daren Todd · Dec 3, 2015

Tj, that hitch was decent

where I picked the camper up at, it's on one of the roughest stretches of road in the state. Normally towing down that highway, I can only get 55 mph max before it beats the daylights out of me and some places I'm slowing to 40 mph. Was able to get 60 with the camper.

Found this site online. Ordered a set of power tow mirrors for the truck. These are supposed to be direct replacements for the existing power mirrors. Will post pics of them after they arrive and get installed on my truck,

http://www.1aauto.com/search?q=Tow+mirrors+pair&year=2009&model=1719

Daren Todd · Dec 8, 2015

Got the new mirrors installed on the truck. Gonna take me a bit to get used to them. But ought to be able to see around the camper while towing. Installation took about an hour.

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ShaunBlake · Dec 8, 2015

That's a very nice upgrade!

I was worrying how you could see around that monster "camper" with your stock mirrors... guess you couldn't.

Sadly, they don't have mirrors for my Transit Connect. (Not that I need them to see around loads in my trailer, but the stock mirrors until 2014 were just a tiny bit bigger than Focus mirrors! Got some European mirrors, but the angle isn't right on the passenger mirror. But they are BIG - like a F150's!)

Daren Todd · Dec 9, 2015

Shaunblake, I could see the sides of the camper if I leaned way over

I was looking at the clip on extensions that they sell at the auto parts stores and wally world, but they were narrow and would have been hard to see out of. I was also affraid I would be driving down the road and have one fall off

Was shocked when I found direct replacements for such a low price. So then it was a no brainer.

I had mentioned to my wife on several other occasions that I wished the 1/2 ton trucks came with tow mirrors

The big fish eyes on the bottom work wonders for cutting down on blind spots

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