Trailer Safety

duff daddy

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I dont care if you hurt your tow rig or trailer, but dont hurt my family when you become lazy or careless towing. Please watch.

[video=youtube;FY9kKTrP19w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9kKTrP19w&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]
 

joekd

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Think part of the issue is there is no training or testing for small trailers, any idiot can buy one, hook it up as best as they can figure out and drive away
 

FivepointSlow

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I would hope it's common sense but it's not. First day on the job at work my crew leader hooked up the trailer and I walked back to the trailer to toss my lunch in and noticed the trailer was simply plugged in and plopped on the hitch.,. No pin... No safety chains... Our route involved is going on the highway for about a half hour... A 30' trailer carrying 3 mowers, weed whackers, leaf blowers, edgers, gas, all of that stuff, and the only thing holding it to the truck was the hitch sitting on the ball.
Called my boss out on it and he said it'd be fine. Went straight to my super visor and told him before we left and he tore my crew leader a new one. He got suspended for it. Amazing how stupid and lazy people are.


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330CubeGt

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A lot of folks like to use a clevis or similar to secure the actual chain link to the hook up spots.I ran mine 1100 miles to texas and checked it ever 240miles I stoped for fuel.Its not somthing you want to be lazy about or take for granted.
 

joekd

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A lot of folks like to use a clevis or similar to secure the actual chain link to the hook up spots.

My 8x10 came with standard open s-hooks, first thing I did was throw those cheap chains away. Replaced them with heavier chains and locking hooks. Your safety items should not be cheap quality.
 

KillNThrill24

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I first started towing about 2 years ago at which point I was a part of a bbq team that traveled the country doing cookoffs.. And the sad part is I took more time checking and inspecting faulty equipment and replacing snapped e-brake cables as well as the power sources, than any other person had done in years. It was absolutely astounding how they managed to get across country without killing someone. Their chains were a mangled mess and looked like they had been dragged on the ground for hundreds of miles if not more....

I'm VERY avid about making sure my trailer is secured before going anywhere. And much like Frank, I check it every time I stop for fuel up. It's as simple as making sure the ball is latched properly, crossing your chains, making sure THEY are attached properly, and plugging in your wire harness and checking to make sure brakes and lights all work and function as they should. Seeing this video just absolutely affirms all of my suspicions about what happens when people are too lazy to handle the most basic of procedures to get their trailer on the road, and to do so safely.

I'm sorry I don't have much in terms of sympathy for those who just buy a trailer and go. I do agree that they should have been trained by the trailer salesman on how to properly hook up their trailer before leaving... But I also believe it's common sense..... Granite crossing the chains most people don't understand the laws of physics and how that applies to the crossed chains but even if they hook the chains up, the probability of causing an accident is greatly reduced because the trailer can still only go so far, tho far less predictable in terms of damage path but still... And for those who don't know how to LATCH the ball? Good God they should never have bought the trailer in the first damn place!

Trailer safety training should be mandatory when renting from u-haul or purchasing a trailer of your own. And you should be required to present some form of documentation in the event of an officer pulling you over due to chains being unhooked. And you should also have to present that when purchasing a trailer in the future to prove that you know what the hell you are doing, at least for the most part...

Good topic Duffy. It's sad how plain stupid and careless people can be when it comes to something so simple..
 

Orange 94

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Think part of the issue is there is no training or testing for small trailers, any idiot can buy one, hook it up as best as they can figure out and drive away
I agree.
They give idiots licenses everyday. Those people can hook up to a trailer whenever. Scary.


In the summer I drove a small tractor and once in awhile had to tow a trailer. My boss thought it was silly when i locked it and put a chain on. Well I'm not going very fast, but I am still on public roads and it can still do damage.
 

joekd

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Call it overkill but I even double check that the ball is locked when I pull my trailer from my back yard to the driveway using my lawn tractor
 

RichV

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Yea, you should be required to have some sort of safety class when you tow anything. Don't give a shit if it's one jet ski or a enclosed car hauler.

One other thing to add, for the guys that do tow. What makes others think you can stop just as fast. Like coming to a stop at a light and some assclown decides to cut infront of you because there is a gap.
 

KillNThrill24

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[MENTION=17007]RichV[/MENTION] if I had a dollar for everytime that happened man... I'd like to ask people that same exact question!
 
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duff daddy

duff daddy

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[MENTION=10830]MustangChris[/MENTION] im working on a few things, ill do a "blog" write up and how to of trailer safety.
 

Caboose302

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I'm a little picky about my trailers. I'm responsible for 6 8000lb trailers for work and one 23,000lb trailer that cost $250,000 which I just had to drive from Lexington to Dayton towing it with a F-750, through Cincinnati, during rush hour, through contruction. I pulled over at almost every rest stop and rechecked it because I don't want to pay for that trailer the rest of my military career.
 

DeepList

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through Cincinnati, during rush hour, through contruction

That stretch of I-75 is a B!TCH. I don't think they're EVER going to get that damn construction done... same with I-75 just north of 35 in Dayton. I shutter every time I go through there with a big load of equipment on my truck.
 
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duff daddy

duff daddy

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[video=youtube;Yrb0GfGS3kU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrb0GfGS3kU[/video]
 
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duff daddy

duff daddy

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[MENTION=10830]MustangChris[/MENTION] [MENTION=16906]KillNThrill24[/MENTION]
 

Caboose302

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Using this
1604456_10203227295702506_1701565186_n.jpg

to tow this
24ng_05.jpg

is not much fun...
 

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