It pays to double check the trailer connection

[Slager]

The second or third time I pulled my boat, I had the ball lock trapped on top of the ball. I made it 10 miles to the launch and 5 miles home. On the highway going 65, the hitch popped off the ball. The safety chains held, but it was the scariest towing e perience I've ever had. The car handled the weight swinging about back there very well. I was able to stay in my lane and move to the median while slowing down. My chains took a bit of road rash, 30% of the chain was wore through and about an inch of my Jack wheel was gone. I consider myself lucky.

 

[hemi rt]

The second or third time I pulled my boat, I had the ball lock trapped on top of the ball. I made it 10 miles to the launch and 5 miles home. On the highway going 65, the hitch popped off the ball. The safety chains held, but it was the scariest towing e perience I've ever had. The car handled the weight swinging about back there very well. I was able to stay in my lane and move to the median while slowing down. My chains took a bit of road rash, 30% of the chain was wore through and about an inch of my Jack wheel was gone. I consider myself lucky.

I always put my finger under the ball to make sure the coupler lock is under the ball and not sitting on top, the locking latch will close with the coupler lock sitting on the top of the ball and may lock like it's coupled properly.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I always put my finger under the ball to make sure the coupler lock is under the ball and not sitting on top, the locking latch will close with the coupler lock sitting on the top of the ball and may lock like it's coupled properly.

I've taken to doing this, too. Only takes a second to check. It's surprising to me that a correctly latched hitch doesn't look that different from one where the latch is sitting above the ball.

 

[brian4321]

My rig at work is an F550 pulling a 22 foot trailer hauling construction equipment. Last summer we got a new 18,000# trailer , and the ball latch slides the opposite direction that the old one did, and after 4 days of hauling a 9,000# load 100 miles a day I discovered the ball had never been latched in. I guess enough tongue weight kept it from hopping off ... Got very lucky, another lesson learned...always double check

 

[brian4321]

I guess that incident wasn't enough cuz I didn't double check my trailer connection the morning I had the incident I started this thread about...

 

[boatman37]

i graduated from high school with the father in this story. very sad. he was a great person. the trailer was improperly latched

http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_444002.html