Hitch popped off -- Replacement

[CampyTime]

Dear Donna,

I've always been a super vigilant tower. Do walk arounds and visual/physical checks before and during travel at stops. However, I've never done the type of check you and others have mentioned

Is this correct? Hitch up, close coupler lock. Then, use tongue jack to raise hitch while all is attached. If it starts to raise the butt of your tug, all is good to go?

I hunk scamp 13 tongue jacks are rated for 2000 pounds, so thus should be ok, right? Donna, you know I'm a newbie!

Warmly,
Wendy


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[War Eagle]

Wendy Lee, Not every trailer hitch coupler has an adjustment screw. Amongst our three boat trailers, two utility trailers and one camper (all 2" lever-style couplers), only one of the six couplers has an adjustment screw. And truth be told, I think I trust it less than the others, because if the friction spring around the screw would happen to break, there is nothing to keep the screw from backing itself out due to road vibrations and loosening the claw's pinch around the ball without you knowing it. If a 2" coupler is designed and manufactured correctly to fit around a 2" ball, there really shouldn't need to be any adjustment. The main point is to MAKE SURE the coupler is completely down on the ball before activating the lever to pinch the claw UNDER the widest circumference of the ball. If so, lock it down, and it's a done deal. The problem comes when, for whatever reason, you don't notice that the bottom of the coupler is resting on the edge of the ball, rather than going completely down on it, and when you close the lever, you actually lock the claw ABOVE the widest circumference of the ball. When you do that, you essentially lock the coupler above the ball, and the only thing keeping the coupler on the ball is the weight of the tongue resting on the ball. One little bump, and off it slides. So, next time you hook your camper up, make special note pulling the lever all the way up, making sure the claw moves fully to the rear, drop the coupler completely down on the ball and push the lever all the way down until it locks. Now look up underneath the coupler to make sure the claw has slid into a position UNDER the widest part of the ball. Once you know the coupler is locked onto the ball, look closely at the vertical gap between the bottom of the coupler and the top of the hitch bar. It will probably be only 1/2" to 3/4" or so. From then on, just keep an eye on that gap. If the next time you hook up, the gap is that same 1/2" to 3/4", then things are looking good. BUT, if you hook up, and that gap is strangely larger, say 1" to 1 1/2", then something is wrong and you better take a closer look before pulling off. Long explanation of a fairly simple concept. One final personal piece of advice - don't put your fingers where they might get smashed. Murphy's Law will eventually catch up to you. Just my two cents worth....

[CampyTime]

Dear War Eagle,

That was the most thorough explanation I could have hoped for, and I understood it completely. Thank you so much! I'm going to have my phone near me tomorrow when I leave for another review, but you've reassured me that I've not been a fusspot to be do exacting before I leave each time.

Thank you; I am ever so grateful.

Wendy


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[stevebaz]

Before the camping season starts I take the stinger out of the trailer hitch and take it to the trailer and clamp it into the trailers hitch and lock it down. I check it for looseness once it is coupled. Mine is adjustable with a lock nut below the coupler. Its much easier to check the coupler with just the weight of the stinger. When I bought my Scamp used I had to adjust the coupler to the ball I use on my truck. I have not had to adjust it since in the last 2 years but I haven't towed the Scamp very far. As for Donna's jack test after hitching up could save someone a whole lot of grief and will be added to my pre flight checks.

[honda03842]

We had our hitch come off the ball while driving. The previous owner had modified the hitch causing the jaws to hang up.

After we hook up and lock the ball in place, I then try to jack the hitch off the ball by turning the jack a few turns as a check for a truly locked in place ball.

A little safety test.

[Timon]

The only hitch I like to use is a Collar-Lock style hitch. They won't pop off like some other style hitches.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Timon

The only hitch I like to use is a Collar-Lock style hitch. They won't pop off like some other style hitches.

Not to reopen a pi$$ing contest, but what "style" of hitches are known to pop-off?

The only kind I know of that can pop-off are a) Improperly adjusted hitches, b) Improperly latched & locked hitches, c) excessively worn hitches and d) Mis-matched hitch/ball combinations.

Since this thread started with a claim of that being a problem, no one has made a case for any particular types being prone to popping off.

FWIW: For other than the above reasons, I don't think that there is any real history of any hitch types popping off the ball.

[David Tilston]

13-1105688 Came with a Collar-Lock hitch. My neighbor was impressed.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by honda03842

....
After we hook up and lock the ball in place, I then try to jack the hitch off the ball by turning the jack a few turns as a check for a truly locked in place ball.

A little safety test.

This is the SAME orientation I received from Escape Trailer Industries. Once hooked-up (5er) put the landing gear down and lift! ... the back of the truck should LIFT doesn't take much, but it's a double-check and easy to do.

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Not to reopen a pi$$ing contest, but what "style" of hitches are known to pop-off?

The only kind I know of that can pop-off are a) Improperly adjusted hitches, b) Improperly latched & locked hitches, c) excessively worn hitches and d) Mis-matched hitch/ball combinations.

Since this thread started with a claim of that being a problem, no one has made a case for any particular types being prone to popping off.

FWIW: For other than the above reasons, I don't think that there is any real history of any hitch types popping off the ball.

Bob,
like you say operator error is the most likely cause of disconnects while under way, not the type of coupler.
The coupler on our Scamp had a bunch of play that caused major clunking, so I adjusted the play out with the adjuster bolt. That took the clunk out, but the ball would not come out when the coupler was unlatched. I had to back off the bolt several revolutions to free the ball, and then the clunk was intolerable again. Something was worn, bent, mis-designed, or ?.
I knew I could remove the pawl that grabs the ball and reshape it by welding and grinding, but didn't feel like going that far to fix a junky product.
I replaced it with a Bulldog side clamshell type which so far is very easy to use and has no clunk. Any type would have worked, but I'm like'n the Bulldog.
Russ

[Bob Miller]

There is no issue with selecting the type of hitch one prefers, but, as there is no real history out there, there is no reason to change from one type of hitch to another out of fear of one design being more prone to popping off during use more so than any other.

[CampyTime]

Very well said Bob. I appreciate your forthrightness. Still have a question wondering if either of you would answer as it never happened with my other trailer. This question is in an earlier post if mine on this thread. When I'm ready to pop ball out of hitch, lever is up etcetera, as I raise the coupler off the ball and as it just pops off it makes a clunk sound, like it has to "work" to finally come off the ball. Mind you, I feel no tension or stress in the equipment as I'm raising the coupler/tongue off, but just wondered if this is a normal phenomenon.

Wendy


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[ruscal]

Originally Posted by CampyTime

Very well said Bob. I appreciate your forthrightness. Still have a question wondering if either of you would answer as it never happened with my other trailer. This question is in an earlier post if mine on this thread. When I'm ready to pop ball out of hitch, lever is up etcetera, as I raise the coupler off the ball and as it just pops off it makes a clunk sound, like it has to "work" to finally come off the ball. Mind you, I feel no tension or stress in the equipment as I'm raising the coupler/tongue off, but just wondered if this is a normal phenomenon.

Wendy


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Wendy,
A light clunk would be normal, as the coupler is concaved at the front and will have to pass the ball. If your coupler goes back onto the ball without catching you are probably alright. If the adjuster was too tight you would hang up going back on.
Russ

[CampyTime]

Thank you Russ. That makes good sense. Much obliged!


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[Bob Miller]

On most hitches there is a compression spring that helps hold the latching dog in place. I suspect yours is a little snug and holds the latch against the ball as it comes off. Just be sure you have lots of grease on the ball and also use a ball cover to keep dirt out when not connected.

[Timon]

What I like about the bulldog is there are no adjustment required. It's also easier to release if it's under tension as you just pull the collar back and it swings open. These hitches are quite common on horse trailers.

[Brandiwhne]

I love bulldog hitches. Less chance of user error too


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[War Eagle]

Wendy Lee, It might have been that your other trailer had more of a flat front on the coupler, so the ball and coupler just slid apart smoothly - while the coupler on your new trailer has a pronounced concave shape to the front, so the trailer has to roll forward ever so slightly as the lower part of the coupler gets to the largest circumference of the ball, and then when the coupler finally slides past the bulge of the ball, the trailer pops back again, making a bit of a snap against the top of the ball. Does that make any sense at all?

Interestingly, this relates to the reason I'm not a big fan of using the trailer jack to test if the coupler is correctly connected. One of our trailers has a pronounced form-fitting (to the ball) concave front to the coupler, so much so, that if there is any rollback pressure at all on the trailer, even with the latch wide open, I can still jack the tongue up and actually lift the rear of the tow vehicle 4 to 5" higher than it's normal resting height before the coupler finally slides up over the ball and lets the hitch drop. It's pretty drastic, and some might think the couple and ball are locked together when they're really not. Just a weird situation that makes me very cautions when connecting and disconnecting that particular trailer.

There is so much variation in equipment out there, but once you become more familiar with all the little subtleties of your own, it will all make so much more sense to you. Next thing you know, you'll be sharing your experiences and giving advice to all the rest of us!


One other thing from a previous post - if you still have any concern about the proper distance between the bottom of the coupler and the top of the hitch bar when coupled, rather than endangering your fingers to feel the gap, hardware stores carry dowel rods (very cheap) in varying diameters, so just get one with a diameter that just fills the gap when hitched correctly and then use a 6" piece as a quick little gauge each time you hitch up.

[Cathi]

Originally Posted by honda03842

We had our hitch come off the ball while driving. The previous owner had modified the hitch causing the jaws to hang up.

After we hook up and lock the ball in place, I then try to jack the hitch off the ball by turning the jack a few turns as a check for a truly locked in place ball.

A little safety test.

I don't know what others' couplers and latches look like or how they work but we will not go two blocks without a latch lock on. It is not impossible that it could break and that has happened apparently in some case to somebody but I expect it would be very unlikely.

I do not believe that our latch lock will go in if the latch is not latched all of the way and I don't believe that the latch can be all the way down if the ball is not in the correct position, unless it is very obvious that the coupler is not on. You can get a latch lock for a few dollars.

[CampyTime]

Dear War Eagle,

Are you a teacher or do you write for a living? Your explanations to me are always very clear and thorough. I'm not just blowing wind up your tunnel. Yes I understand what you meant now and this would seem to be the exact case.

Cheers!

Wendy


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