Trailer Hitch Issues

[Bodhi]

<p>Quite possibly a stupid question:<br><br>If you had the opportunity to buy a trailer but it has a 2" hitch and you can only locate a 1 7/8" ball... would you get it and haul it home?<br><br>I am not asking if it is the RIGHT THING to do... of course I know that the right thing is to get the 2" ball.&nbsp; But that is not an option at the moment and the trailer is for sale, cheap right now!<br><br><br>Bodhi</p>

 

[Lostinspace]

Just go to Wally world and get the 2" ball. They just screw on. And be sure and use safety chains.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<STRONG>Not an expert but I think Lost is right, definately get chains too. They aren't expensive. Hope you get it home. Cargo or travel trailer?</STRONG>

 

[crazybill]

Bodhi, it all depends on the quality of the hitch and ball involved. I have had some I could get apart easily and some that were ok. Not the safest thing to do but, like you said sometimes you are faced with the problem. <br>&nbsp;I usually hitch up and test the setup by jumping on the back of the trailer or get a feel of it with the tongue jack if it has one. <br>&nbsp;Of course I never tow without a safety chain. <br>-Bill-

 

[lampliter]

No. Never haul a 2" hitch on a 1and7/8 ball.---Never.

 

[Bodhi]

Thank you all for your concerns and your input...<br><br>As it turned out, after two Trailer Specialty Stores two WalMarts and a HomeDepot... I FOUND IT!<br>Academy had my ball hitch.&nbsp; It seems that no one wants anyone to use ball hitches any more, especially bigger ones with a 3/4" shank.&nbsp; You are now to have a receiver... blah blah blah...&nbsp; Just another way to get some corporation's hand in my pocket!&nbsp; But, that is another story.<br><br>Breathe...<br><br>The drive out to find a ball, drop off some presents and then locate and buy the trailer should have taken about 3 hours.&nbsp; Yeah, right!&nbsp; I was searching for the hitch from 8am to almost noon.&nbsp; Then there was an accident on Hwy 290 and I sat for over 45 mins before giving up and grabbing fast food and sitting in a parking lot looking at a wonderfully wild area, in an effort to re-group and de-stress.<br><br>By 1:30pm I had called the trailer guy and postponed until 3:30.&nbsp; He was sitting in the traffic jam I just escaped from so he was all for that.&nbsp; Off to visit my god-daughter and her family.&nbsp; <br><br>Larry turned out to be a real sweet guy.&nbsp; We chatted for a while and he broke out his tools to get that hitch on good and tight.&nbsp; I was on my way home by 4<img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">m and maybe I would miss the worst of the traffic.&nbsp; <br><br>Not this time!&nbsp; The 45 min drive took just over 3 hours and 20 mins!&nbsp; I drove or one might say, I parked, moving&nbsp;feet per minute much more often than miles per hour on five major Hwys and Interstates.&nbsp;<br><br>Here's the punchline!&nbsp; I might could have tied the trailer to my truck with a good rope and pulled it home as slow as I was moving!&nbsp; Hahahahahaha...

 

[lampliter]

If you're towing something with a lot of weight and surface area; sway bars make life a lot safer and easier; not just for you but for the people on the other side of the road.<br>Sway is a really dangerous situation.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Sway bars can be expensive, even used. Save up so you can get some like Lamplighter suggested.

 

[josephusminimus]

Sounds as though you did all right and everything came out blessed.&nbsp; Glad you didn't have to put that 1/8 inch difference in diameter to the test, though that probably would have come out all right, too.&nbsp; You being in Texas puts into into geography where that sort of thing goes on all the time, usually without raising any eyebrows.&nbsp; The caveaters and DON't cryers would have to faint and revive themselves if they knew what goes on on the pavements of Texas as a matter of routine.<BR><BR>A traffic jam and slow traffic's a good place to try out an unfamiliar trailer.

 

[Ravensoracle]

The question I ask when someone asks about doing something stupid. YES STUPID.... What would you do to the guy that did it that ended up causing an accident that killed your wife, kid, grandkid, or if you have none of those your mother? Ever seen a trailer rolling down the road at 60mph with nothing controlling it? I'm 30 and have twice. <br><br>No I was not in the tow vehicle or associated with the driver either time. &nbsp;

 

[josephusminimus]

Ravensoracle:&nbsp; Hopefully you aren't suggesting that, because the lady asked, she's less intelligent than you and therefore STUPID, assuming that's your definition of the word.&nbsp; The fact she asked might well be a statement she ain't as stupid as all that.<BR><BR>As for your experiences and what you've observed, you didn't mention whether the vehicles involved had safety chains, whether the events were the result of the 1/8 inch diameter differences in size of hitch balls and hitches.&nbsp; In fact, you merely mentioned seeing the results of trailers coming loose from the vehicles pulling them, presumably for any of dozens of possible reasons that might, or mightn't have involved the subject under discussion.<BR><BR>How her question might relate to the question you ask yourself and your evaluation of the intelligence involved in her asking it probably doesn't add anything to the decision a person might make contemplating the matter, unless the person has reason to believe you're possessed of a higher level of intelligence than the one they're trying to get through life depending on.

 

[cyndi]

Glad it worked out for you, Bodhi,and you made it home safe and sound! &nbsp;Looking forward to your build!

 

[Ravensoracle]

Since she prefaced with the words "...Stupid question." I gave her my answer to when people ask stupid questions. Yes, there are stupid questions, not neccesarily asked by stupid people. I've worked with, and trained people, from many backgrounds to work with dangerous things. Some of those things being weapons, high voltage (meaning significantly more than you would see in 99% of homes), radiation (both RF and ionizing), heavy equipment and many other things that have a&nbsp;possibility&nbsp;of going horribly wrong all to often if you aren't careful. <br><br>I put operating a vehicle as something that can easily go horribly wrong if you aren't careful. I'll provide facts if you want them but I think that can be agreed upon.<br><br>I in no way was trying to say the OP was stupid. But if they prefaced it with the words "stupid question" then it shows the OP had enough common sense to know better. I should have&nbsp;separated&nbsp;the question about the seeing the trailers as that was a&nbsp;separate&nbsp;thought train to me. Sorry my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be and I've never been an eloquent speaker. Sorry to offend.<br><br>But I will give details on the two trailers I saw. First was around '99 or so. A industrial dump trailer being pulled by semi-sized dump truck had an equipment malfunction. It was completely and utterly a failure of the hitch. It actually sheared through because of weaknesses in the metal. It was a freak accident and no one was at fault, not even the manufacturer. It is still fresh in my mind because watching several tons of metal and dirt plowing through the woods of the side of a road at high speed is definitely a site to see. The forces involved made safety chains&nbsp;irrelevant.&nbsp;I googled it but couldn't find any news story or pics.&nbsp;<br><br>The second time I was standing on my parents back porch. They live next to a highway. (In this instance I have proof but won't share it cause the pics also include my family members or the news article gives away their location. Sorry internet not gonna happen.) This instance the guy did use a 1 7/8" ball on a two inch hitch (Edit:Hitch not receiver). The trailer came loose, broke the&nbsp;inadequate&nbsp;safety chains (why have proper chains if you don't have a proper ball anyway?) It then traveled at highway speeds into oncoming traffic lane, where luckily there was no oncoming traffic. Then plowed into the guard rail. The trailer demolished the guard rail went into the creek next to the road. No big deal right, the trailer only weighed the same as a small economy car. <br><br><br>I'm not trying to be mean or put someone down. I am trying to make a point when it comes to safety when dealing with things that can cost someone their lives. I think my question stands.<br><br><br>What would you do to the man or woman that cost the life of someone important to you because of pure laziness and stupidity? <br><br>The knee jerk reaction that many of the people I ask that question to rarely involves a lawful response. &nbsp;<br><br>

 

[crazybill]

Well, I guess I should clarify my answer a bit. Sure didn't mean to ruffle so many feathers. <br>&nbsp;I live in a very rural setting, as I understood was Bodhi's sittuation. The word "get" doesn't work so well here. I have to drive over an hour one way just to "get" gas, let alone any sort of auto parts. So I am sometimes faced with a 'make do' sort of situation. So I answered her question in that context and I envisioned driving a small trailer home from a neighbor's yard sale, on my country road, 25-30 mph a mile or so with a good safety chain and positive tongue weight. If there is not a good stout safety chain already on the trailer, then no go. Others envision 50 to 70 mph all day with baling wire and a prayer. <br>&nbsp; I too take highway safety seriously and respect others answers in that vein. I should have been more detailed in my answer. <br>-Bill-

 

[josephusminimus]

Crazy Bill: Your answer struck me as reasonable, prudent, and thoughtful.&nbsp; You assumed mature and responsible judgement on the part of the person asking the question, which also seems reasonable.<BR><BR>The highways are full of people driving along doing things contrary to conventional wisdoms, absolute verbotens.&nbsp; Most evidently are cautious enough and thoughtful enough to prevent it becoming a disaster.&nbsp; Obviously some aren't.<BR><BR>I think I prefer a world where people stop and think through the problems they encounter and how they can work around them in safe, prudent ways, as opposed to one where they're frightened to step outside rules of thumb to overcome difficulties they encounter.&nbsp; Even though sometimes they turn out to be mistaken.<BR><BR>The "I'll never fly a retractable-gear airplane because I once saw a pilot belly one in" approach to evaluating safety and responsible behavior works for some, I suppose.&nbsp;

 

[Ravensoracle]

<br><br>I think I prefer a world where people stop and think through the problems they encounter and how they can work around them in safe, prudent ways, as opposed to one where they're frightened to step outside rules of thumb to overcome difficulties they encounter.&nbsp; Even though sometimes they turn out to be mistaken.<br><br>The "I'll never fly a retractable-gear airplane because I once saw a pilot belly one in" approach to evaluating safety and responsible behavior works for some, I suppose.&nbsp;

<br><br>I agree with the first paragraph (Edit:that I quoted) you posted. I've often had to Rig/Macgyver, whatever you want to call it, a solution to get the job done. Safe and prudent are the key words I want to point out.<br><br>I am guessing that last line was aimed at me because I mentioned two personal experiences. That is not what I said. I gave those to prove a point that loose trailers are dangerous. <br><br>Using a hitch that doesn't fit can be dangerous. I am basing my statement on proven scientific and engineering principles. It's the same thing I would say if someone wanted to use the wrong caliber in a gun.<br><br>They(meaning the gun/bullet or the hitch/ball) were not designed to handle those stresses/loads and have a high chance of failure.&nbsp;<br><br>In other words, You do it, you're liable. You will go to jail or worse if it causes injury to someone else. Which it has a greater&nbsp;possibility&nbsp;of doing if you aren't safe and prudent. And even if you are safe and prudent, you are still responsible for not using the proper equipment.

 

[josephusminimus]

Bodhi's problem and question are resolved, so I'll concede whatever point it is you're trying to make.&nbsp; I don't have enough of an investment in the issue to try figuring it out.&nbsp; I'll even confess I'm a stupid feller by your definition because I've pulled more trailers with 2 inch hitches on 1 7/8 inch balls occasionally in my life when the situation demanded.&nbsp; And will again, should the need arise.<BR><BR>So, most likely, will a lot of other people who read this forum if the need to do it ever rears its ugly head.<BR><BR>But I'll never fly a retractable gear airplane if I can help it.

 

[Bodhi]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"></span></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Never thought there would be this much controversy over my ball hitch! LOL... that leaves a lot of doors open.<br> <br> Anyway, I did spend all day getting it right and being prudent. Did I have a "safety chain"? No. I don't like them because they seem useless and, more often than not, more harmful than beneficial. <br> <br> There are other factors here to consider, the most telling, being... my fabulous trailer is only 7' long and weights so little I can run it around my yard just by picking up the tongue/hitch and pushing or pulling. In fact, it is so lightweight that (living in the 'hood as I do) it is currently chained to a tree. Oh! Chained with the chain that will probably become it's "safety chain".<br> <br> Now, for a question about safety chains. Why would you have a safety chain with a foot of slack in it? What is the physics behind what actually makes it SAFE? I would think that if you are really going for SAFETY you would chain it in a way that would prevent it from disengaging its hitch from your ball. Snug. I would argue (with zero actual knowledge of this) that a ratchetings heavy duty strap would give you more safety than a slack safety chain.<br> <br> *****time lapse*****<br> <br> This just in. I have now watched videos on how to install and secure your safety chain and why you would want to. I have also seen exactly what I was talking about. In all three videos, the trailer came loose from the tow vehicle. In two of the three videos, the chains broke. <br> <br> My conclusion: I will use a safety chain because it will make Ravensoracle happy and he will feel more secure for himself and his family. Perhaps, it will become my life’s mission to invent an actual safety device that actually makes towing a trailer safer. <br> <br> Jack, <br> <br> When you say, "But I'll never fly a retractable gear airplane if I can help it." are you referring to most commercial aircraft in use today?<br> <br> Just Curious.<br> <br> Peace, Love and Better Trailer Safety to All.... and to all... Merry Christmas!<br> Bodhi</span></span></p>

 

[Ravensoracle]

Truthfully I could care less. I really wish that inflections could be transmitted across text. I am not freaking as you seem to be thinking I am. I just wanted you to think about your actions and how it might affect others. Yes I used worse case scenerio's and can come across as blunt.<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp;Oh well

 

[josephusminimus]

Morning Bodhi:&nbsp; Happy greetings to you this morning.<BR><BR>I've never flown anything larger than a single-engine Cessna, or Piper, fixed gear, that I can recall.&nbsp; But I did fly an Aeronica Chief once with an 8 foot rip in the belly fabric covered with duct tape and part of the right wing similarly fabriced.&nbsp; - result of chasing cows and a less-than dependable engine stalling unexpectedly.&nbsp; No safety chain issues.<BR><BR>But I suppose if all the other pilots and ex-pilots on earth died suddenly and there was a commercial airliner someone insisted I try to get off the ground, I'd have to give it a shot.&nbsp; I'm too old not to.<BR><BR>Otherwise I don't fly commercial aircraft.&nbsp; I don't trust their safety.<BR><BR>As for the safety straps, you might try Gorilla tape.&nbsp; It's amazing stuff.&nbsp; Never know but what it might work.&nbsp; Worth a try, I reckons.