SAFETY ALERT Check your Hitch

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by John in Michigan

"Then I read a post somewhere pointing out that you simply put the ball mount into the hitch receiver sideways and hop onto the wrench to apply a little gravity-enhanced force.........

And to add the math when you want to be accurate, you follow the units.
i.e. torque is in foot-pounds. The 'foot' is the distance of your lever arm - the distance from the centerline of the treaded nut to the spot you're applying the force. The 'pounds' is how much gravity-enhanced force is pushing down.

Torque = force x lever arm.



E.G. in my case, at 170 lbs., if I stand on my big breaker bar right at 18 inches (1½ ft.) out from the nut (the centerline of the socket on the threaded nut), I exert a torque of 1½ ft. x 170 lbs. = 255 ft.-pounds. Just about right for a 1" dia. nut.


Let's suppose you have more gravity induced force; let's say you weigh 225 lb.
Then 250 ft.lbs / 225 lbs. = 1.111 ft., so stand out on the bar about 13-3/8".

[Civilguy]

It's the only torque wrench that can be quickly and precisely calibrated with a chocolate chip cookie or two.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

It's the only torque wrench that can be quickly and precisely calibrated with a chocolate chip cookie or two.

[Chuckp]

Non related question, I thought the border with Canada was closed unless you self quarantine for 14 days?

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Chuckp

Non related question, I thought the border with Canada was closed unless you self quarantine for 14 days?

My understanding is it's closed to U.S. citizens, period. Only exception is drive-throughs to Alaska, no sightseeing allowed. And they are checking and fining violators.

Returning Canadians (including those with dual citizenship) can enter but must quarantine.

[John in Michigan]

My understanding (living in a border area) is that there are various other exceptions to the closed border, including those related to essential work and trade.

[Glenn Baglo]

Trucks carrying commercial goods are routinely crossing the border. It's non-essential travel that the border is closed to.

[Governor Bud]

I was able to cross and camp due to due citizenship. I was not allowed to come into contact with anyone nor go to gas stations or grocery store. I left next morning and did quarantine as the quarantine officer requested.

[GlenP]

Hey Bud, I have a 78 Trillium 4500 and if yours is like mine, at some point that pivoting side-mount jack might be too unstable for your liking. For a modest cost I replaced the hitch receiver with a 2” inch unit as well as a centered 3-hole horizontal mount for a sturdier Jack. This heavier receiver gives a much more secure mount IMO and the jack is easy to replace, which I had to do already because the idiots gave me a curb-dragging 5 ton jack, because they had that one in stock LOL

[Governor Bud]

Thanks Glen, could you post a pic. Your setup sounds much more stable, thanks

[stevebaz]

In a pinch a few wraps of metal plumbers tape will fill the gap until you get a new ball with the right shank diameter. Dont be cheep its your house your pulling.

[jhornsby]

I didn't see it mentioned, but the use of a Convert-A-Ball has made my life easier.
(going from 1 7/8" to 2") Got the idea from a utility company using different trailers. Of course, get the correct shank as stated.

https://www.convert-a-ball.com

[GlenP]

Originally Posted by Governor Bud

Thanks Glen, could you post a pic. Your setup sounds much more stable, thanks

Hey Bud, my trailer is stored 60 miles away and I just found out that while I have taken a fair number of trailer pics, it seems that the hitch area gets left out a lot But I have found two photos that together sorta show the modification and I cropped them a bit. The first one shows me, an electrician caught in a humiliating position by the plumber while repairing my poorly maintained trailer connectors ONE HOUR into our cross country trip If you zoom into the shadowy hitch area you can see it almost OK. The other with my wife shows the welded joint of the new hitch receiver just beside the old hitch mount.

This heavier hitch feels so much more secure. I never liked the original style and had the hitch pop off once at slow speed. My bad, I guess. Also it doesn’t wobble as much.

Edit: resolution got reduced during upload, so hard to see. Added closeups. It is hard to see the heavier style receiver, but it has this half-sphere cap that lifts up and back to open.

[JamesML]

G'day: Had a similar problem many years ago on a SW trip with our Boler 13".
I had bought and installed a stainless steel ball, with a stainless steel lock washer, properly sized, installed and torqued. Courtesy of the expansion joints in the concrete on the Interstate through Green Bay, the nut on the ball shank worked loose--fortunately I found it in my walk-around. A Trip to a local Auto-store netted help in the form of a counter-person having an appropriate torque wrench and some sage advice: Use Loctite permanant as well as proper torquing. This also after replacing the SST lock washer, which had lost its spring, thus its locking ability. Locktite solution has worked consistently since--as well as avoiding driving on Green Bay Interstate and the like, where possible, and getting off one as soon as practical and using alternative routing.

One comment regarding an earlier suggestion to use a cotter pin--very difficult if not impossible to get a zero tolerance fit--thus if the nut loosens, the safety factor of the cotter pin is short term at best. Thus the need for regular pre-trip inspection every time. That's why pilots do a walk-about before each flight. Personally I favour the Loctite type approach or welding.

[Fred762]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

ME, I always drill a hole through the hitch threads below the Nut and insert a cotter key. This will prevent the nut from coming off. I also always use a padlock to secure the hitch latch when connected because in years past people have complained the the safety pin had been removed by people unknown. Be safe out there.

Had a hitch pin lock come apart last summer..the pin probably wd have come out on the road, if I had not done my 'grab and shake" on that lock..it just rusted inside after about 8 months. BTW I have heard that some mutts will remove that hitch pin cotter pin at gas stops when both occupants head for the restroom..best to check every time!!!
https://www.google.com/search?q=imag...vw9ghvHZOeUWtM

[Markz]

I had a similar thing happen to us. After driving home from a trip with the camper, I noticed that our hitch pin lock had fallen off the pin during the ride.
Luckily the lock lug caught the edge of the 2" receiver and did not slide out on the road.

I decided then that the hitch area was going to get some upgrades and attention all the way around.

I just replaced our hitch with a modern unit that can be locked. Our original Boler hitch had no provision for key locking it to the ball. I also purchased better quality locking hitch pins.

[WaltP]

That looks like a Bulldog hitch or very similar. One of the first mods I did on the Escape was to replace the cheapo hitch with a Bulldog.
The only manufacturer I know that installs a Bulldog is Oliver.

Walt

[Raspy]

For a very secure connection and extreme ease of connecting, look at the McHitch auto couplers.

You simply back into them, they are somewhat self aligning, and the mechanism latches automatically.

No lifting the tongue and then setting it down on the ball, no precise alignment, just back into it. And zero play when connected. They articulate way beyond what any ball system can do, and they work with a WDH.

They can be mounted above or below the tongue to best match the height of the tongue to the receiver.

[CharlesinGA]

Torquing of my hitch ball to 450 lb/ft. Blue Ox Sway Pro with 1000 lb bars on my 21 ft Bigfoot.

Charles

[Governor Bud]

My solution to owning a Toyota 4 Runner (v6) without 'umpah' to tow my Bigfoot 21 100 miles south to Gunstock, NH was to rent from Enterprise Truck rental, the Ford 250 6.7 with an intergral brake controller. (Note that uhaul does NOT have brake controllers on their trucks)

The 3" receiver on the Ford needed a reducing collar which I used with the hitch setup that came with the bigfoot as the previous owner had supplied sway bar and equalizing hitch (which I did not use.) The hitch setup and ball needed MASSIVE TORQUE on the two bolts which at end of trip had loosened a bit.

My question for you all experienced in this, is this a safe setup? See photos, as my concern is the two bolts holding the hitch setup together.

BTW, Towing the bigfoot behind the 250 shows for sure that there is no substitute for horsepower and stability of a heavy pickup. Was an easy tow down the 93 and rt 11 with no sway or issues.