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09-12-2007, 02:54 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
Posts: 5,002
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According to SAE standard J684, the breaking strength of the coupling must be at least 1.5 times the trailer (not hitch) weight in the fore-aft axis... that means the requirement for the coupler latching mechanism is as high as it is for the front of the socket (although I assume in practice the front of the socket will be stronger). That pin does look like a potential weak link, if everything is aligned so well that the ball mount doesn't jam in the receiver.
Similarly, the strength requirement for vertical force is the same (0.5 times the trailer weight, I think) for up and down... although the normal situation is a lot of force down on to the hitch, that latch needs to handle the coupler being pulled up with a force equal to half the trailer weight.
I think any vertical force is easy for the ball compared to the coupler, and even the horizontal forces (fore/aft and side-to-side) are easier for the ball to handle than many of the other components... if the ball's nut is not loose!
The VESA V-5 minimum requirements are a little different from the SAE standard test levels, but the same general ideas apply.
__________________
1979 Boler B1700RGH, pulled by 2004 Toyota Sienna LE 2WD
Information is good. Lack of information is not so good, but misinformation is much worse. Check facts, and apply common sense liberally.
STATUS: No longer active in forum.
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09-13-2007, 05:22 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 Bigfoot 17 ft ('Beastie')
Posts: 564
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I found a product called Permetex Thread Locker which I used on my new coupler ball with a longer shank and wrench flats. In other words the ball can be held easily while applying 200-250 ft-pounds to the nut. I made an extension for my breaker bar using pipe. A friend at the local body shop welded my sway control plate to my drawbar. Hopefully this will solve the problem of a loosening coupler ball.
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09-13-2007, 09:59 PM
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#23
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Member
Trailer: 1976 Beachcomber 15 ft and 1977 Airstream Tradewind 25 ft
Posts: 32
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Also, make sure the shaft on the trailer ball is the correct diameter for the hole in the receiver. Some threaded shafts are a much smaller diameter than the receiving hole in many receivers - especially a light duty ball vs. a heavy duty hitch. The smaller diameter allows the ball to move front, back and laterally up to 1/4 inch. Bad news as it will loosen every time...
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09-14-2007, 05:33 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
Posts: 5,002
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Quote:
...Some threaded shafts are a much smaller diameter than the receiving hole in many receivers - especially a light duty ball vs. a heavy duty hitch. ...
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While balls are available in different shaft diameters, and the best solution is to use the right one, reducing bushings are readily available to make a smaller shaft fit a larger hole... good to know if you accidentally find yourself with one of these combinations.
__________________
1979 Boler B1700RGH, pulled by 2004 Toyota Sienna LE 2WD
Information is good. Lack of information is not so good, but misinformation is much worse. Check facts, and apply common sense liberally.
STATUS: No longer active in forum.
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09-15-2007, 08:44 AM
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#25
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Senior Member
Trailer: Y2K6 Bigfoot 25 ft (25B25RQ) & Y2K3 Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
Posts: 5,040
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It has been my experience in over 30 years of investigating traffic accidents that in a rear-end accident involving a vehicle with a trailer hitch (without a trailer attached) that the receiver hitch generally bends the frame, but acts as a frame member and doesn't deform.
A trailer hitch that is hit on a unibody will push the unibody out of shape; tend to tear one or more attachment points out of the unibody; and generally the damage is sufficient to "total" a unibody car unless it's brand-new and high-value to begin with.
The few accidents I've seen with a trailer attached have all ended in one-side roll-overs, either for the trailer or entire rig together, but the hitch didn't fail. I've only seen one separation in an attached-trailer accident, and that was on sheet ice, and ended with the truck rolling and the trailer staying upright. The weak link in the hitch setup (perhaps by design) appeared to be the spoon assembly in the trailer hitch that locks the hitch assembly into the socket. With enough twisting force, the spoon will deform and allow the hitch ball to come out. Depending on the weight of the trailer, if the break-away switch activates (if so equipped), the safety chains almost always snap. Trailers equipped with an activated break-away switch will likely end up on their side in a ditch once detached from the tow vehicle.
Roger
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09-15-2007, 09:46 AM
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#26
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1981 13 ft Scamp / Nissan Titan
Posts: 1,852
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Always had U-haul attach the ball and never had this issue. So that system they use with the nylon washer that Brian was describing earlier must work pretty well. After reading this post, I think if I ever need a ball attached I'll just run over and keep having them do it.
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09-15-2007, 12:27 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1973 Compact Jr and 1980 Bigfoot 17 ft
Posts: 1,339
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We were involved in a rear end accident while towing about 8 years ago. We had a 16' Casita that was rented from the U.S. Navy and were towing with a 1995 Nissan Maxima. Construction at an interstate exit caused us to stop in the exit lane. A plumbing company's 3/4 ton pickup, towing a trenching machine, hit us from behind at a considerable speed. We were knocked forward into the car stopped in front of us. The impact forced the Casita's tongue through the car's trunk almost to the back seat. We were okay but shaken and showered with glass from the rear car window shattering. The ball did not fail and was still attached to the hitch draw bar. The hitch and mounting points deformed upward enough to allow the tongue spoon to come loose from the ball. The other guy's insurance paid $12,000 to fix our car which we drove for another 100,000 miles with no problems. The Casita was in good shape considering how hard it was hit. We retrieved our 13" TV from the front closet that was undamaged and we still use. The Navy removed all the usable parts from the Casita and scrapped the shell.
Tom Trostel
__________________
1980 Bigfoot 17' & former owner of 1973 Compact Jr
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09-15-2007, 05:19 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 3,072
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Quote:
Depending on the weight of the trailer, if the break-away switch activates (if so equipped), the safety chains almost always snap. Trailers equipped with an activated break-away switch will likely end up on their side in a ditch once detached from the tow vehicle.
Roger
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Safety chains don't seem to have very high breaking limits compared to the rest of the rated towing equipment.
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09-15-2007, 07:54 PM
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#29
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Member
Trailer: 16 ft Scamp
Posts: 73
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Quote:
A trailer hitch that is hit on a unibody will push the unibody out of shape; tend to tear one or more attachment points out of the unibody; and generally the damage is sufficient to "total" a unibody car unless it's brand-new and high-value to begin with.
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Whoa, how freaky is this! I was rear ended this morning- with hitch ball and sans hitch.
It looks like very minor damage, but now I'm re-thinking it. The truck that hit me had an impression of my hitch ball on the mud guard under it's bumper. I guess I better not drive my car it until I get the frame checked.
Wow...thanks guys!
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09-16-2007, 10:10 AM
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#30
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
Posts: 5,002
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The results of using the hitch as a bumper - the lack of energy absorption, the damage to the other vehicle, the delivery of crash forces into the wrong parts of the vehicle's structure - are all good reasons to pull that ball mount out when not towing. I do, and leave it in the trailer. I would pull it out even without those reasons, just to avoid hitting my shins on it when reaching into the back of the van.
__________________
1979 Boler B1700RGH, pulled by 2004 Toyota Sienna LE 2WD
Information is good. Lack of information is not so good, but misinformation is much worse. Check facts, and apply common sense liberally.
STATUS: No longer active in forum.
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09-16-2007, 10:16 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
Posts: 5,002
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Great information, Roger!
The real experience is valuable.
Quote:
... if the break-away switch activates (if so equipped), the safety chains almost always snap...
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Are the cause and effect clearly the right way around here? This suggests that activation of the break-away switch leads to the safety chains breaking, but it could also be that when the safety chains break, it is only then that there is enough separation to activate the breakaway switch.
The sequence of events should depend on the lengths of the chains, the length of the breakaway switch cable, and how everything moves.
Any way it turns out, keeping the hitch ball secure seems likely to have a better outcome than depending on the safety chains!
__________________
1979 Boler B1700RGH, pulled by 2004 Toyota Sienna LE 2WD
Information is good. Lack of information is not so good, but misinformation is much worse. Check facts, and apply common sense liberally.
STATUS: No longer active in forum.
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09-16-2007, 10:52 AM
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#32
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Member
Trailer: 2007 Scamp 13 ft / 2005 Jeep Wrangler 6 cyl
Posts: 78
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Quote:
Just returned from a great 7662 km trip to Fairbanks. When getting close to Dawson City and going over some frost heaves heard a clunk in the back. Lots of stuff in the back of the truck so didn't think too much about it. Little further down the road it became a [b]Clunk Clunk which got my full attention. Found the ball had come loose, the lock washer was doing nothing and the nut was now "finger tight loose". It all happened quickly.
A reputable shop had put the ball on and I had greased the ball but I obviously had the clamp too tight. Was a bit of a shock as I've spent most of my life with wrenches in my hand. Temporary repairs were made and now carry a good sized pipe wrench.
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Two ways(in my opinion) to make sure this doesn't happen........use a Ball that's factory welded on, or weld the nut yourself after it is tightened....I know, then you lose flexiblilty, but it's your full time setup for your egg, and the things are not that costly.
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09-16-2007, 08:18 PM
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#33
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Senior Member
Trailer: 74 13 ft Boler and 79 17 ft Boler
Posts: 568
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Howdy, don`t think that removing the stinger part of the hitch would have much bearing on the damage to your vehicle if it got rear ended....the hitch would still take the impact ......and if the rear end collision was hard enough there would be plenty of damage to the rear ending vehicle anyway.....now, not bumping your shins on it....that`s a totally different story.....usually after a few skinned shins you`ll avoid having that happen,LOL ....Benny
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09-16-2007, 08:39 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Trailer: Y2K6 Bigfoot 25 ft (25B25RQ) & Y2K3 Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
Posts: 5,040
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Quote:
Are the cause and effect clearly the right way around here? This suggests that activation of the break-away switch leads to the safety chains breaking, but it could also be that when the safety chains break, it is only then that there is enough separation to activate the breakaway switch.
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When I had a trailer jump the hitch a couple of years ago because of a worn spoon, the chains held the tongue just like they were supposed to, and I was able to stop without too much of an incident. Had the the trailer had a breakaway switch (it didn't), the trailer would have broken away, and there would have been an accident. As it was, I stopped, replaced the tongue on the hitch and drove to an RV dealership for repairs.
Roger
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09-16-2007, 08:42 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Trailer: Y2K6 Bigfoot 25 ft (25B25RQ) & Y2K3 Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
Posts: 5,040
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Quote:
Howdy, don`t think that removing the stinger part of the hitch would have much bearing on the damage to your vehicle if it got rear ended....the hitch would still take the impact ......and if the rear end collision was hard enough there would be plenty of damage to the rear ending vehicle anyway.....now, not bumping your shins on it....that`s a totally different story.....usually after a few skinned shins you`ll avoid having that happen,LOL ....Benny
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Benny, the amount of damage really depends on the varying heights of the vehicle, the strength of the impact, and what part of yours takes the first impact. In an impact that deforms the rear of the vehicle anyway, it doesn't make much difference. Where it really makes a difference is in parking lot fender benders where the damage would otherwise have been slight, but because the draw bar was sticking out of the hitch, it takes the brunt of the impact, and then transfers that impact to the frame in whatever vector it is driven.
Roger
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09-16-2007, 11:53 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler (B1700RGH) 1979
Posts: 5,002
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Quote:
Howdy, don`t think that removing the stinger part of the hitch would have much bearing on the damage to your vehicle if it got rear ended....the hitch would still take the impact ....
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It depends on the bumper and hitch. In my case, if the bumpers line up (or we're having a rearward crash against a wall), I think the bumper would take the brunt of the hit and its foam would absorb a lot of energy before the hitch frame was reached. Other receivers may stick out more.
Quote:
...and if the rear end collision was hard enough there would be plenty of damage to the rear ending vehicle anyway...
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True, but why have the ball platform making what could have been damage-free minor bumps into bumper-cover-destroying insurance claims?
Quote:
...now, not bumping your shins on it....that`s a totally different story.....usually after a few skinned shins you`ll avoid having that happen
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You would think so, but if the ball platform is only in during towing trips, it will not be automatic to avoid it. If it is in all of the time, that means 50 weeks per year of dodging around something which is only used in the other two weeks, which makes no sense to me, especially just to save a few seconds of effort.
__________________
1979 Boler B1700RGH, pulled by 2004 Toyota Sienna LE 2WD
Information is good. Lack of information is not so good, but misinformation is much worse. Check facts, and apply common sense liberally.
STATUS: No longer active in forum.
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09-17-2007, 07:19 PM
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#37
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 3,072
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Quote:
Had the the trailer had a breakaway switch (it didn't), the trailer would have broken away, and there would have been an accident.
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I've always adjusted my break-away switch cable so it was long enough that the safety chains had to be gone before it would activate, but not so long that it would catch anything or dangle.
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09-20-2007, 02:15 PM
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#38
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Member
Trailer: Surfside TM14 1978
Posts: 49
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Loctite blue. Great stuff. It prevents nuts and bolts from loosening, yet if you need to disassemble it later you can with force.
Adam
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10-03-2007, 11:31 AM
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#39
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Senior Member
Trailer: Love Bug / Chevy Astro
Posts: 225
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A few years ago, my wife was stopped for a school bus and got rearended by a kid trying to reach his cell phone on the floor of his Mother's NEW Chrysler (window sticker still in place.). The kid was doing about 60 mph and my wife was stopped. The reciever hitch totally changed the way that the car crumbled. The trunk area was relativley undamaged but the rear axle moved forward about 8". The entire passenger compartment was buckled, three of the doors were crunched shut. The unibody twisted so much that even the front fenders were slightly distorted. Thank God that the bus driver saw that the kid was not paying attention and screamed for the exiting passenger to get back off of the road.
A long time ago, I built my own hitches but I am glad that I didn't build this one. The hitch stinger was NOT in the reciever but it would not have mattered at all in this crash.
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