So, has anyone else dropped thier trailer?

[Gina D.]

while lifting the trailer off the ball of the car, all seemed well. All chocked up, trailer up on orange blocks solidly, the normal routine when putting the rig in the driveway.

Pulled the car forward a smidge to un lock it from the coupler.. I have to back at a slight uphill slope to get it in, and this pushes the ball against the clamp, so sometimes it sticks.
Lift lever, get ball loose and coupler released, pull forward a couple feet to get the car out of the way (Which turned out to be a good thing)

Trailer is leveled side to side, but due to the slope, I have to jack the front end up even more to level it front to back.

As the trailer front end is going up, it slowly started to slip backwards, and sideways,despite the chocks. I have a sidewinder, and appearantly, the pin wasn't fully engaged, and the wheel on it moved slowly toward the coupler, while the trailer slowly slipped sideways!

It didn't really SMASH to the ground, it slowly came to rest on the wheel of the sidewinder. Good thing, as the coupler never touched the ground. The coach bounced a bit. The sideways roll made is slip off the orange blocks

Several 4x6s and the nieghbors floor jack got it back up to a precarious position, enough for me to get jack stand under it.

An inspection shows no frame damage, but boy, it was like a slow motion horror film!

Besides the frame, what else should I be looking for?

[Per Walthinsen]

Happened to me, but on level ground. Made me think twice before I conclude the pin has seated properly. You might check the wheel and the housing around it for damage, but I'd guess there is none.

This is probably a point in favor of the kind of jack that mounts in the center hole behind the coupler, since I don't believe it could collapse like that.

Makes me consider what it would take to retrofit the Dexter parking brake option to prevent this kind of rolling on sloping ground.

[Gina D.]

A center jack flashed into my mind as I was watching the whole event. Unfortunately, my tailgate swings out, and the dog kennel is back there.

I could always put them in before hitching up, but my concern is more of getting them out in an emergency.

I was actually able to sort of balance the trailer before it came to rest. I couldn't cushion it, but I slowed it into a crawl and it came to rest rather than "hitting".

Maybe a second sidewinder on the other side with a flat pad instead of a wheel would help if it slips. At least I wouldn't be standing there with nose in the ground.

[Matt O'Bryan]

Don't feel too bad Gina, I've dropped a 53' trailer before

It happens to everybody eventually


Matt

[Anne H]

Time to testify!!!

Yes - I forget now the exact sequence of events - but I remember the crunch - fortunately, with the center jack, it landed on the partially down jack and just scratched the bottom of the jack post a bit. Even dumber , I had neglected to chaulk the wheels and the trailer started to back itself down my driveway - scraping the jack along the concrete. Fortunately, it just traveled a couple inches.

Trailers do not stay new for very long.

[Lizbeth]

Bet that made your heart go pitter patter! I'm sure your trailer is fine. As I've said before...those side mount jacks are scary.

So if you do a center jack the tailgate doesn't have room to swing down? It swings both ways right? Would it open enough sideways to get the pups out in an emergency?

[Duane Fowler]

Hi Gina
Scary topic, glad it was not any worse. Is there any way to make your parking area more secure? I take it you are limited for space. I am looking forward to seeing it and you at the gather up here in July.
Duane
Dunes City Oregon

[Gina D.]

Lizbeth, no, the tailgate only goes from right to left. It's not ambidextrous, or flippy.

Daune, I could, but it would cost a fortune to pave it, and with the freezing and thawing we get up here, it's best just to leave it.

I will just be WAY more aware next time, and get another set of chocks so both wheels can be chocked in both directions.

Maybe have my clever welder come up with a way to do a center jack that folds backwards so I can get the door open.

For now, since the wheel is pretty useless, there is no way I could push the thing even on perfectly level paved ground, I will replace the wheel with a pad/foot. That should make at least the rolling bit more stable.