Thank you forum for helping when my trailer hopped off my hitch

[Janet G]

i have just had my trailer sprayed to match my 2009 Ford Flex and the result was Sweet! I picked it up after having the rv shop put the propane tanks on and i let one of the guys help me hitch up my trailer and i watched him put it on the hitch on or so i thought. in my zeal to get home and show the Trillium off i did not do my usual check which was a major mistake. thank god it did not hop off on the highway and cause a major accident. It was also "clunking" when i started and stopped at traffic lights. The hitch in my Flex is a bit more noisy and so i attributed the noise to that--wrong it was because the pin wasn't in the hitch. so i came up to a stop light and was first in line to turn sharply right and needed to stop first. when i did i heard a god awful scraping noise and looked up to see my newly painted trailer nose down and careening for the back of my new car! Could have been a disaster but because of what i learned and read through the Forums i knew if i drove forward i could drag the trailer and the tension on the safety chains would be maintained. 3 nice guys ran over and we got me back on the hitch and that when i realized the pin never went in. Of course i fully accept the responsiblilty was mine to ensure my trailer was hitched properly. i am writing this to thankyou for all the great posts on towing which gave me some good advice that i mananged to apply in a split second. My car and trailer came through jsut fine. I am getting a new hitch as it is the original 1975 and this event bent it a bit. I have had my trailer inspected.
Moral of the story:
-only you should put your trailer on the hitch and don't let anyone or anything interupt your "check" process.
-cross your safety chains so if you trailer hops off they can "catch" your trailer.
-if you hear a funny noise don't ignore get out and recheck your trailer and vehicle
-if your trailer hops off try to drive forward and drag your trailer until it stops
-take it in for inspection and don't cheap out if something needs replacing
great site and great advice

[Chester Taje]

Very nice looking rig and I think all those good folks who contribute to this site would be pleased that someone was helped with the information that they posted here.

[Robin G]

Thank God nothing worse happened. I bet it got your heart a racing in those moments. You are so correct, I never let someone else hook up for me. I am just weird about it, I got to know it's done (not that something couldn't happen even with me hooking up) but!

I have had times where I knew something was not right and did ask others for a second opinion, but in the end I checked and rechecked it. Thanks for sharing your "event" with us. It's a great reminder to always be sure the trailer is secure. Glad you were able to get it home safe and you were ok.



Sweet Paint Job by the way! Can we see more pictures?

[Alistair Camelford]

Janet, Welcome to the "Drop Club"...it is a large and diverse group of trailerers! We joined en route to Scamp Camp in Sebring when an auto glass installer who had just finished replacing a broken rear jalousie pane on the Road Toad, picked up the tongue and dropped it on the trailer...ON TOP of the safety detent!!! My lessons in life now include"
-ya dance with who brung ya
-ya pack yer own 'chute, and...
-you always hitch yer own rig...AND- when yer done hitchin...jack the combo up a bit to make sure they're all joined up!!!
Here's to learning curves that are almost vertical
Glad your Trill survived as well as the Road Toad did...
...a corollary rule..."It is always good to tow in the right- hand lane"
Happy camping...Alistair

[Roger H]

I had a Trillium 4500 jump the hitch several years ago at 65 mph!!! The pigtail pulled out so I had no brakes, and one chain ground through. The trailer hopped pretty badly from side to side, but fortunately didn't roll. I managed to get it stopped without any further damage. The hitch tongue spoon was worn and allowed it to hop off the ball on a rough stretch of road.

Nice looking Trill you've got there... and the Flex and the Trill look GREAT together!!!

Roger