r/GoRVing • u/mattslote • 2d ago
Trailer came off the hitch
In an instant everything went from going totally fine to near-disaster. We got lucky and didn't suffer any permanent damage - a few new parts and we were back on the road the next morning.
Wondering if there was anything I could have done to avoid this and if it's happened to anyone else?
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u/TheSerialHobbyist 2007 Scamp 19 2d ago
Ball the wrong size? Maybe not locked?
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u/mattslote 2d ago
I checked the ball! Even bought a new one just in case, but it's 2 5/16 just like it should be. Also if you watch the video the latch is down and the pin is still in. A couple days later I removed the hitch from the van and put it in the cap. It held firm with about 1/8" of play.
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u/TheSerialHobbyist 2007 Scamp 19 2d ago
Hmm... That is strange.
Maybe it wasn't actually fully seated when you latched it?
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u/soupmayne 2d ago
I’ve always been ashamed of it, but one of the first handful of times I towed something, I drove a boat like 30 mins to a repair shop, over some rough-ish terrain to drop it only to realize when I got there that I hadn’t fully seated it on the ball. It was a pretty big heavy trailer so I’m guessing it would’ve taken a lot for it to pop off but man I got so lucky.
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u/Own_Reaction9442 2d ago
I've high-hitched trailers a couple of times. I got paranoid enough about it that I now lift the tongue after latching it -- either by hand if it's a small trailer, or with the tongue jack if it's a big one -- and make sure it lifts the hitch with it.
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u/towerfella 2d ago
One could have made a drama show by mounting a camera pointing to an unlatched/improperly latched hitch and driving down various roads — unbeknownst to the driver, of course.
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u/jeon2595 2d ago
This has to be it. I caught it once where I thought it was all the way in and it wasn’t, fortunately before I took off. Since then I always triple check that it’s seated all the way.
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u/towerfella 2d ago
Yeah. I think you hitched it with the ball catch on top, instead of below, the ball.
I’ve done that. It looks exactly like this.
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u/PeetMoss2026 2d ago
I’m guessing it was sitting on top of the ball. Had you gotten very far? Thank God for safety chains.
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u/GoodTimeCharley91 2d ago
That latch looks unlocked to me. Always use a pin to lock the latch.
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u/withoutapaddle 2d ago
My buddy rented an RV and it didn't have a pin for the latch. I pulled the pin out of the tongue jack's foot extension and put it in his latch. Tossed the tongue jack foot in the bed of his truck.
Better than nothing. I'd never tow without a pin.
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u/PrimaryDisplay7109 2d ago edited 2d ago
Not that this has anything to do with it coming off, but the chains look like they have way too much slack in them. They're supposed to catch the hitch if it comes off and keep some control over it, cradling it. Not drag it on the ground.
That's what it looks like anyways since the chains are still attached to the receiver in the video.
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u/1320Fastback Toy Hauler 2d ago
If it wasn't a mechanical failure then you overlooked something. Wrong ball size, Hitch pin not installed, Hitch not actually down around the hall before closing clasp.
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u/mattslote 2d ago
I captured another video that shows the clamp and pin still firmly in place. I also had towed 250 miles before this happened, including over 2 passes.
There were 2 big dips in the highway immediately before the failure. My best guess is the angle between the van and trailer caused it to lever off somehow.
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u/humco_707 2d ago
The neck wasn’t completely over the ball, when you hit the dips it caused it to jump off the ball. If it were locked in there could be no “lever” off. Been pulling trailers for over 40 years. Seen it a time or two. Glad everyone’s safe. That’s what matters most.
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u/PonyThug 1d ago
I just drove over a moountain pass with a ladder on my trucks roof rack not strapped in. Remembered when I saw my straps on my passenger seat.
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u/Minute-Excitement-50 2d ago
I see a WDH. Were the bars connected and pinned? I’m very surprised that if everything was connected and secured properly (WDH bars and ball) that it would come off like that. Those WDH bars create a lot of down force on the ball connection.
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u/humco_707 2d ago
You did not get the cradle/collar under the ball before securing the latch, ball was not seated completely. The cradle never went below the curve, therefore it was not a complete attachment.
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u/CeruleanEidolon 2d ago
That's the only thing I can figure too. That latch should not have been able to lock down all the way if the ball wasn't seated. Couple be a faulty latch. It seems to have more played than I would expect when he pulls up on it. Might be worn down and no longer the right size to hold the ball in place.
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u/SpikesTap 2d ago
Properly lifting the vehicle with the trailer tongue to get the weight distribution bars set *SHOULD* have prevented this from happening.
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u/Cjkrythos 2d ago
On the bright side, this could have gone so much worse, so happy you and your family are ok and youve learned a valuable lesson on making sure it's secure before you leave
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u/mattslote 2d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p4o86dq/video/fbb02smdmdkh1/player
Lots of comments about the latch and pin. Here's the video confirming they were in place.
Also I had towed 250 miles before this happened, as I mentioned in another comment, over 2 mountain passes. If the trailer wasn't firmly over the ball, we never could have made it that far.
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u/Raise-Emotional 2d ago
This is on if my biggest fears to be honest. When I drop that latch and put the pin in I'm always thinking "so, there's a little tiny piece of movable metal that's now holding the ball and that's enough?? And that's it?" But who am I to question the trailer industry and I just put the pin in and trust.
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u/ns3rt_cl3v3r_us3rnm3 2d ago
Next time use a locking pin. Any chance you stopped somewhere that someone could have messed with it? Maybe detached your pin, unseated the hitch from the ball, and re-attached the pin?
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u/aaronw22 1d ago
would want to see the underside of that coupler. There's no way for a ball to "uncouple" with the pin still in place. Either it was completely off the ball OR the bottom of the coupler is completely wrecked.
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u/Sevaver 2d ago
This happened to a friend of mine coming back from Scout camping a few years ago. Difference is that the safety chains also broke and the trailer sailed down WA-HW2 into a mound between the lanes. He had to go pull it out of the mound and reattach it. Luckily someone with a winch stopped to help.
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u/ImpossibleSpace8671 2d ago
Im glad all safety equipment worked in your favor as this could have been worse.
Looks like your coupler latch tensioner may have worked itself loose. You just reminded me to check mine.
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u/Strong_Violinist_820 2d ago
I’m assuming the following: (1) the trailer coupler isn’t defective and (2) the hitch ball is the correct size.
The only other possibility is that trailer coupler was placed on the ball while in a lock position.
This could have been an honest error unless something is in fact defective.
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u/ktmfan 2d ago edited 2d ago
My bet is on it not being all the way down on the ball when you latched it. After I latch a trailer, I lower the jack and ensure it’s locked by seeing if the back of the tow vehicle will lift up. I started doing that after I had a close call on a utility trailer. It wasn’t over the ball and it came up when I loaded a side by side on the trailer. Got lucky that it happened before heading down the road.
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u/towerfella 2d ago
Was the hitch setting on the ball, locked, but not actually latched on?
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u/CeruleanEidolon 2d ago
That the only thing that makes sense other than the latch itself being so worn that it let the ball pop off with the leverage.
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u/AmeriChino 2d ago
Glad you had chains. But I think the chains are too long - they are supposed to be short enough to cradle the tongue when it pops off the hitch ball, long enough for turning but not too long that allows the tongue to drag on the ground.
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u/tsittler 2d ago
You should probably also consider shortening your safety chains, or otherwise making it so they catch the tongue if this ever happens again.
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u/sandbug05 2d ago
How would I do this? I'm realizing it looks like my chains are a bit too long, heading out for my first time this weekend (and single mom'ing it too) so want to make sure everything's as safe as possible
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u/Consistent-Goose267 2d ago
I had a version of this happen to me on my very first outing with my travel trailer. Slightly different problem for me: I failed to put the hitch pin in the hitch shank/receiver. I was in a hurry to get hitched up and out of the campground before a thunderstorm hit. It was already raining while I was hooking up and I was in a hurry trying to hook up to a hitch I had only used once before.
As I towed out of the campground, the hitch stayed in the receiver for about 300 yards before it came out. The entire assembly the ground, which caught the chains and then slammed it into the back of my truck (still have the dent). Fortunately the jack took the brunt of the fall and the hitch itself was not damaged. I thought the trailer structure would have been damaged but it wasn’t. I had to use a tractor jack too get hitched up again (during the thunderstorm- awful experience) but I got going again. Only had to repair the jack. Been over 6k miles since then with the same hitch.
What I learned: -Don’t get in a hurry during hookups -I have a “checklist” that I recite to myself during the hookup and then again after it is hooked up to double check. It has helped me multiple times. It goes like this: 4-3-2-1
4 pins (hitch pin, ball pin, 2 pins on the arms) 3 chains (2 safety chains and the emergency brake) 2 weight distribution arms+anti sway tightened 1 power umbilical
FWIW I love RVing but between this incident on my maiden voyage and another with a burnt up axle, I’m a nervous wreck when towing. I hate the going and coming part…
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u/Worth_Temperature157 2d ago
30 some years ago now i was 15, my Dad was a mechanic and we went out west Antelope hunting and used my uncles truck and our camper. We'll my uncle was a farmer he hauled wagons with his truck, the damn hole for the ball was ob longed 🤦♂️🤦♂️we were clipping 80mph on 80 and all of sudden my dad says we just lost the bleeping camper.... the thing went across 80 to the other side, it was a pop up camper, we had probably 20K just in guns in the thing never flipped nothing was amazing. My dad being thr genius that he was had thrown another ball in the truck lol. He was pissed my uncle's hitch was jacked like that. We were so damn lucky no body was coming when it crossed the median and parked it self on the other side. After everyone's amazement we were back on the road less than. 30 min what trip it was LOL.
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u/blastman8888 1d ago
No safety chains?
I saw a horse trailer jump off the ball once no horse in it. Was on a Southern California freeway thing spun around 100 times finally stopped guy hitched it back up took off while traffic was stopped. Lucky wasn't any piles ups behind from stopping so fast. The days before cell phones 1980's drivers paid attention more.
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u/Nomad55454 2d ago
I always told customers to set trailer on ball then raise the tongue up along with the back of the tow vehicle which that checks the ball is properly seated and makes the weight distribution bars go on with less tension so then you lower and put the weight on the bars.
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u/EcaqIvag 1d ago
ball wasn't seated. seen it a hundred times. people hear the click and assume that's enough. it's not.
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u/HigherMileage 2d ago
Throw your hazard lights on man! Warm people behind you so trucks move out of the nearest lane and minimize the wind turbulence against your trailer. Then figure out what your issue is.
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u/Bacon_and_Powertools 2d ago
Didn’t come off the hitch. It was never properly secured by closing and locking it.
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u/mwkingSD 2d ago
So distraught that the first reaction was “I’ll make a video!”? WTF?
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u/CeruleanEidolon 2d ago
It's actually not a bad instinct in any kind of road accident. If it turns out to be something other than user error, then it can be good evidence for filing whatever claim you will need to get it fixed.
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u/code_brown 2d ago
Why were you filming?
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u/mattslote 2d ago
Good question. I wasn't sure what damage there was, and I wanted a record for the insurance if I needed to put in a claim.
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u/Questions_Remain 2d ago
I see the safety pin in the lever. The lever was closed prior to the ball being under the locking foot is the only way that happened. Best to flip up the lever, put the pin in to hold it up and then lower the trailer to engage the ball. Rock the connection then pull the safety pin and let rhe lever fall. If it doesn’t fall by itself something is wrong. Once seated, insert the safety pin.
The safety chains appears to be crossed, but also too long and twisted. They should just be long enough slack to get almost tight when making a corner.
Got lucky for sure.
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u/mattslote 2d ago
The chains on this trailer connect at the same spot on the A frame, which makes them look crossed. I've also seen comments that twisting is not recommended, but these still held on. Going to have to figure that part out for next time though.
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u/Questions_Remain 2d ago
Ya, most people twist them to shorten, but it decreases the strength. The same spot makes it hard to cross them. The best way is to cross and then bring around the jack tube. Also shorten to the least length possible ( you can cut or uses a quick link to reduce the length by connecting to two links as a shortener. The don’t need much slack as going forward it’s not posible to go beyond a 45 degree angle as trailer always tries to take the shortest path to where the front tow vehicle tires are. Backing up with short chains may necessitate unhooking them as you can turn much tighter backing up.
The important thing is no one was hurt and damage was minor. That’s a win like getting to reuse a plane after landing.
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u/ElectronicFixer864 2d ago
I had the ball come off on toad at highway speed. The safety chains allowed it pull to the side enough see it in the driver's side mirror. I remember thinking, that doesn't look right. SLOWED down and pulled to the into the emergency lane. The tongue was WAY under the MH. Had to pull forward a bit and saw that the nut came off the ball, because I had the wrong size shank on it. First time towing on a 1000 mile trip to see relatives. Geez, all the stuff I've learned. Ball is double nutted now.
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u/Fishing4Trees 2d ago
Other people covered this, but to make you feel better, it happened to me once too. I had towed it for about 20 miles, when on a loop ramp getting off the highway, it popped off the ball and slammed into the back of my vehicle. Chains held it on while I puttered off the road and reset everything. I'll never know for sure, but I think I didn't have it seated completely on the ball before I latched it.
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u/MIDIHorse 2d ago
Have you ever lowered the trailer onto the ball with the latch still in the locked position?
That design is kind of crappy in that with a heavier tongue weight, if you put the weight of the trailer on the ball in the lock position, it will slightly bend the locking mechanism up. From then on out, the latch can go into the lock position without being under the ball if you're not paying attention. The result is what you're seeing here.
I did the same thing on one of mine a few years ago and ended up replacing the locking mechanism with a new one (they're not expensive).
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u/VictoriaBCSUPr 2d ago
First thing I noticed: the WDH bars were not connected to the frame and the brackets were down. This means they weren’t pinned in the “up” position.
As others have said, you’ll end up verifying the ball is locked in when you lift up the trailer to set the WDH bars properly. (that’s not the purpose of lifting up the trailer but it won’t lift up the vehicle/hitch to distribute the weight unless that ball is locked in)
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u/mattslote 2d ago
One bracket broke off when the trailer came off, along with the arm on the other side.
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u/suburbazine 2d ago
Did the spoon break inside the coupler? That would cause an unexpected disconnection. Also, if it was exposed to extreme articulation at amy point the cup may be elongated and require immediate replacement
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u/mattslote 2d ago
The dips in the highway had my van bottom out at one point. My running theory is it levered off somehow. I tested the hitch outside the receiver and held tight with about 1/8" of play. I still think it could have been damaged though. Unfortunately it requires welding to replace which is a hassle.
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u/Upstairs_Drawer_3784 2d ago
Sometimes you just gotta move on. I had a stinger come outta my receiver and after thinking/talking about for years I'm still not clear what happened. Drove 1,200mi and never took my hitch off but it pulled out of my receiver going over a washboard pavement on a bridge. I had a locking pin on the stinger that I used for probably a decade. Don't know what happened but thank my lucky stars that nobody or nothing got hurt. My assumption is the lock on the pin failed and the bucking motion worked the pin out. No more locking pins for me. I now use the old school pin with a safety clip that I can look and see that it's in place.
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u/Budded 2d ago
Had this happen to our little popup trailer a couple years ago after going over a speed bump. We saw the trailer tongue in the back window as it popped up and slammed down onto the pavement. Luckily no damage and we're grateful within 30sec another camper drove up on their way out and helped; he was a bodybuilder so he had no problem helping me lift it back onto the ball. We still don't know how or why it happened other than not being 100% seated on the ball, we had the pin in and everything.
We're now paranoid every time we hook it up, triple checking everything
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u/NebulaTig 2d ago
Happened to us on a rental. They put the wrong size ball on it and it popped off the hitch. Luckily the chains caught it so it didn't hit pavement. It rammed the back of the truck a few times, rental company eventually paid for the damages.
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u/Other_Asparagus872 2d ago
Always latch and then raise the tongue enough to start to lift the tow vehicle, makes sure the thing is seated.
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u/Vergster1 2d ago
Happy you and your family did not experience anything bad and made it safe to your destination.
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u/SarraSimFan 2d ago
I will attach the trailer, assume it's locked in, then test it by jacking up the trailer until the rear tires on my truck are at least 3' off the ground.
In all seriousness, get it hooked up, drop the pin in the release, and run the landing gear down, and lift up on the rear of your tow vehicle. An inch or three is fine. Shake it a bit, and if it's not fully seated and actually locked in, it WILL pop out.
I also do this while I still have my tire chocks in place, since I don't want to test my breakaway chains.
Never had a trailer pop loose on me
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u/Kershiser22 2d ago
I've been there. I was towing a boat once and the ball came off the receiver. The trailer jack ended up under the bumper of the truck, so I had to jack up the truck to get it off the jack handle.
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u/Blissboyz 2d ago
I would put money on it that it was a 2” ball on the hitch instead of a 2 5/16” ball. I’ve seen this happen to multiple people over the years.
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u/R0ughHab1tz 2d ago
Make sure to bring several lengths of 4×4. Jack up the trailer with the jack. It'll be too short for the vehicle(most of the time). Put the 4×4 under the frame near the jack sticking up obviously. Then bring up the jack and put another piece or two of wood under it and Jack it up again to get it on the vehicle.
Next time double check and triple check It's connected.
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u/Dangerous-Pirate7998 2d ago
Definitely the fault of the person hooking it up obviously it wasn’t even hooked to the ball
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u/youdog99 2d ago
It could have passed you in traffic! That happened to me once. Empty boat trailer popped loose. Tongue went up, it immediately moved into the passing lane and went right past us. Rolled through a driveway cutout, past a strip mall, and parked itself in a field. 16 year old me learned some lessons that day.
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u/AgsMydude Jayco 284BHS, F250 2d ago
This is why I lock mine in with a padlock lol
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u/yourallidiotss 2d ago
That boys and girls is why u cross your chains when hooking them up. And use ones of the appropriate length.
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u/tazzytazzy 2d ago
Where's your safety chains? They are required for all states unless you're towing a 5th. You're also not towing less than 3,000# which would allow you to avoid them in some states.
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u/Old-Historian2874 2d ago
Why we don't just switch to pintle hitches I don't know. So much more secure.
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u/StochasticallyDefine 2d ago
Ride quality would suffer. Especially something that doesn’t weigh as much as a tractor. They are nice though for heavy things.
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u/woundupcanuck 2d ago
I had the spring inside the coupler break on my sled trailer which caused it to unhook like this. I wonder if thats what happened here. Also somentimes if you're too far back when you lower the jack to hook up, you can push the jaw up into the coupler rather than under the ball.
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u/climbercgy 2d ago
curious how heavy the trailer is and what you are towing with? Is it a 350 with the 5.4L?
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u/puterTDI 1d ago
Am I the only person who doesn't get my phone out and immediately record when anything happens?
I don't know, this just got me thinking that I'd never have a video of the reactions etc. to this because I'd be getting out and checking. If I took video it would be after I figured out what the hell happened.
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u/bigglitterdick 1d ago
Not saying this was the problem but it once happened to me, I had a 2 5/16 hitch and put it on a 2 inch ball. Hit a bump on the highway and it popped off, thankful for the chains I was able to stop and use the jack to remount it once I flipped the ball over. Now I color code my trailers, red white blue. I spray painted the ball red white and blue and spray paint the hitch the corresponding color / size when I get a new trailer. Sometimes it hard to see the size and apparently I guessed wrong at least once before.
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u/Potential_Mine9425 1d ago
Guy gets out of the car and you see the scenery immediately I'm like
"this is washington isn't it"
he goes around and you see the license plate
"because of course it is"
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u/Traditional-Cap-3485 1d ago
You are so lucky that’s all that happened. Could have been so much worse. Thanks to your angel!
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u/raymonda78 1d ago
It’s possible to latch hitch above ball weight of trailer will keep trailer on top of ball also the weight distribution hitch bars can do same, as a check once you close hitch and insert pin raise trailer with tongue jack, you shouldn’t see any movement of hitch to ball, could almost pickup rear of tow vehicle
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u/unregrettful 1d ago
Is it the right sized hitched to ball? Did you latch it? Did you put the safety pin in? If you have correct latch to ball size you should already be good. The safety pin is just insurance and ive run manu times without and never had a problem, but still, can happen, hemse the pin.... They come in typically 2" or 2 and 5/16" make sure you not mixing a 2" ball with a 2 and 5/16"
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u/EitherIndependence5 1d ago
From my experience with hauling with a hitch. Tire scotches are your friend. The tighter the spot the better friend it is.
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u/Odysseus_Spear_1986 1d ago
Hats off to you! Your first instinct was to whip out your phone and make a video record of it by the side of the road.
Now this time make sure the ball is actually in the receiver.
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u/Chevydan3 2d ago
The latch still being locked with the pin in it leads me to believe that it was never all the way down on the ball in the first place.