At 08:44 1/19/99 -0500, you wrote:
In a message dated 1/19/99 12:53:55 AM Eastern Standard Time, 47airstream-I have heard of them but have never talked to anyone who has had the experience. I did bounce a itility trailer off the ball once, but the safety chains caught it. Forgot to put the latch down.
ewing@pioneernet.net writes:God forbid a "break away" ever happening to you, but if it does just go back to your (hopefully intact) trailer>Do "breakaways" happen often? Has it ever happened to anyone on this
list? Anyone you know?
If you are using spring bars the probability off bouncing off the ball,
even if not latched is slight. The more common thing would be for a fatigued
ball shank to break. If you have to tighten the ball more than one time
after the initial installation I would get nervous. The safety chains should
be as short as possible to still allow turning. Extra slack can be taken
up by twisting the chains before hooking them up. The chains should cross
under the tongue. right chain to left side etc so if the ball breaks THEORETICALY
the tongue will drop onto the crossed chains allowing you to make a slow
cautious stop. The breakaway cable should be long enough to allow all this
to happen without activating the brakes. If you lose the trailer and the
cable pulls out and the tongue or jack hit the
ground it is not likely that it will make a nice safe undamaged stop
from 60 mph. Hopefully it won't hit anyone and may even stay right side
up after leaving the road. If all this works, I for one don't care if the
brake magnets melt before I can get power off them.
A good reason to constantly be checking your hitch and attachment bolts.
I have seen a fair number of trailer accidents over the years and in all cases the trailer and tow vehicle were still hooked together even though they might be laying on their side in the median. Says a lot for hitch quality.
Incidentally, If you pass a trailer with transporter plates be aware that this new unit, with the breakaway cable carefully connected probably does not have a battery in it. Kind of like the mountain climbers Psycological Piton. Its there but won't do anything.
Rick Davis 1602
54 Safari
69 Ambassador
70 Globetrotter
Amateur Radio K8DOC
NSS 14876