Came Off The Ball

JASinIL2006

JASinIL2006

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I'd second (or third) the advice that you hook up the trailer to the tow vehicle and the jack up the trailer tongue. If the ball slips out of the socket, you have found your problem. There are many good videos and webpages that show how to adjust the latching mechanism on your trailer tongue. It really is not very difficult or complicated. One thing that you can do, is to lay underneath the trailer and observe what happens when you engage glad.(Make sure the trailer tongue is properly blocked, of course, so you don't have to worry about anything falling down on you.) it is not hard to familiarize yourself with how the mechanism works, and then you will know how to make sure it is adjusted correctly.

Good luck and let us know how it's going!
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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It's never a bad idea to check but in over 25 years of towing LOTS of trailers the only ones I've found to need adjustment were quite old... I've never (yet) found a new one that wasn't right.
 
MTboatguy

MTboatguy

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I know one thing that I do when I buy anything that has a trailer involved is do the ball check, hook it up and then jack it up, any questionable coupler is replaced, they are cheap compared to costs involve if they come loose. Even then it is prudent to make sure that coupler is adjusted correctly, I just purchased a new 1" 7/8 coupler the other day and had to tear it a part and put it back together, because in the factory they did not assemble it right, it is a Reese coupler and they forgot to put the coupler clip under the stop in the assembly, so I had to take it apart and put it back together correctly. Like everybody has said, stick with it, learn it and you will be good to go, one thing I always do, it stop after the first couple of miles and double check everything to make sure it is okay and every time we stop for gas or snakes I check that coupler just to make sure.
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

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I think if I saw a snake big enough that I had to stop for it there's no way I'd be getting out of the truck to check anything.....

Jus sayin ;-)
 
Frank Acampora

Frank Acampora

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The latch that holds the coupler on the ball is spring loaded. The heavy spring is above the washer and nut. This is so if you tighten the nut too far the spring will compress and you can still latch the coupler. NOW: If you can lift the trailer tongue with any movement the latch is too loose. If you need to use excessive pressure to engage the latch it is too tight. Correct tension is just enough so that the coupler will not rise at all off the ball. Too much tension will cause premature wear on the ball and/or prevent the coupler from dropping over the ball.

To tighten or loosen the nut you push up hard on the bent washer and turn the nut. Easier to do with the coupler off the ball but can be done with it engaged.
 
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A

airshot

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GA_Boater said:
Another thing is work on a routine. I do the same thing when I hook up, when I launch, when I retrieve and when I park at the end of the day. I get into trouble when I get out of sequence.
Click to expand...

You are exactly correct.....usually my first outing of the season is the worst,,trying to get back into the sequence. On occasion when someone new comes along with me , they generally like to ask a million questions which has a tendency to get me out of my rhythm or sequence. If I go with my family they all know the procedure and everyone does their job without asking and it all goes smooth and quick. Create a plan and practice it....mabey refine it a little but soon it will become second nature. Go as far as to make a list and carry it with you for a while.
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

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When I stop for gas or snakes, along with checking the coupler, I feel the tires and hubs for equal warmth. What I do next depends on how many snakes are around. :eek: :rofl:
 
R

ravaneli

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A lot of good advice. What else? Keep in mind I am a noob, assume I know nothing. I am absolutely paranoid about an accident now. Can somebody give me links to products that secure my boat in case of winch failure? This winch looks super thin and cheaply made to me. I wish the boat had more hooks that can be used for extra security. My boat is atop the trailer and held to it with nothing but two straps on the back and the winch of the front. I find this ridiculous. What if you hit a bump doing 50? Have you seen Illinois roads? By the way, I'm in chicago area, if anybody is willing to take a noob on a fishing trip, I will pay all your gas, just to learn some boat tricks.
 
R

robopath

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May 13, 2013
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ravaneli said:
A lot of good advice. What else? Keep in mind I am a noob, assume I know nothing. I am absolutely paranoid about an accident now. Can somebody give me links to products that secure my boat in case of winch failure? This winch looks super thin and cheaply made to me. I wish the boat had more hooks that can be used for extra security. My boat is atop the trailer and held to it with nothing but two straps on the back and the winch of the front. I find this ridiculous. What if you hit a bump doing 50? Have you seen Illinois roads? By the way, I'm in chicago area, if anybody is willing to take a noob on a fishing trip, I will pay all your gas, just to learn some boat tricks.
Click to expand...

There should be a third ratchet strap that goes down from the boat directly to the trailer as well. That being said, the boat will bounce a little on the road. The straps basically the keep the trailer attached to the boat on the bounces. I live in Evanston and launch about 2 days a week from the Church st ramp (I was out last night). I'd be happy to go through a launch cycle with you and take you out for a spin. PM me if interested.
 
MTboatguy

MTboatguy

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Winch strap in the front and two straps in the back is pretty common, If I think I need, I will also throw a ratchet strap across the back area of the boat. The roads in Illinois can't be any worse than the back country roads I run here in Montana. I use a deep throat padlock as my safety clip on the coupler. But your tie down system sounds about normal for boats.
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

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A safety chain from the bow eye to the trailer frame in case the winch decides to unwind or the strap breaks.
 
JASinIL2006

JASinIL2006

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I have a length of heavy chain looped around the trailer frame (I put it inside an old bike inner tube to cut down on the clanking). The loop around the frame is secured with a shackle. An O-bolt secures the chain to the bow eye. It's quite strong and has only about 1/4" of slack.
 
U

UncleWillie

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Oct 18, 2011
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ravaneli said:
...I am absolutely paranoid about an accident now. Can somebody give me links to products that secure my boat in case of winch failure? This winch looks super thin and cheaply made to me. I wish the boat had more hooks that can be used for extra security. My boat is atop the trailer and held to it with nothing but two straps on the back and the winch of the front. I find this ridiculous. What if you hit a bump doing 50? Have you seen Illinois roads? ...
Click to expand...

You are 90% there. Yes! The winch can be a questionable way to secure the bow. Many people use the winch only, and have never had a problem in decades.
Be sure the winch strap passes UNDER the Bow roller, Never over it. The boat will be in your back seat in a hard stop otherwise.
To be 100% proper, you need a safety chain/strap connecting the bow eye directly to the trailer giving redundancy to the winch.

Side Thought:
NEVER detach the Bow Eye Straps until you are fully prepared for the boat to come off the trailer.
Put in the plug and detach the Stern Straps, but never the Bow Straps, or you risk launching the boat onto the concrete, half way down the ramp. Wait until the trailer is in the water before disconnecting everything. It is an ugly sight you never want to see.

Back on subject:
The straps are not there to hold the 3000# boat down on the trailer as you go bumping down the road.
They are there to lift the 800# Trailer into the air, under the boat, so as they land together, as one object.
The straps only need to be strong enough to lift the trailer, not the boat.
 
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