My trailer bounced off the hitch

[schmir]

I had just left my place on Sunday and was going maybe 30mph max and hit a bump and my trailer bounces off the trailer hitch. The tounge was down when I left and still down after trailer popped out. The safety chains held on as it fished tailed back and forth a few times. Even moved my truck around. Had the boat ratchet strapped in four spots in the front and back. All were jarred loose but the boat remained on the trailer. The winch stand/stopper that the boat rests on was bent over to a 45 degree angle. I have hit worse bumps at higher speeds. What gives? One person told me the hitch can wear out and someone else told me they are adjustable. Can I get in there and tighten it up or should I just replace? I can't imagine what would have happened if I was at interstate speeds.

[mike]

wow, thats pretty crazy! Did you have a lock on the hitch latch?

[HandymanHerb]

Did you have the right sized ball, a 2 inch will fit on a 1 7/8 and will come off with a heavy load I know I did it with a yard concrete on a trailer.

I had all three hitches on my step vann and screwed up and put it on the wrong one but didn't get far and got to put it on the right one after it hit me a few times, thank God it was going side to side and all I had to do is drive forward till I could get it on the right hitch.

If not that put it on and try to jack it off, replace if it comes off the receiver is bad.

[schmir]

No lock on the hitch latch but it was down and stayed down. Same 2 inch ball that I have had on there for the past 3 years. My wife was freeking out as the truck was getting bounced around. I was fairly confident that the safety chains would hold. My 3 kids, 8, 5 and 2 thought it was really cool. There were 2 herds of cows right next to the road and I guess they didn't like the commotion. They all stood there and moo'ed at me while I tried to get it back on the hitch. They got a real good laugh and moo'ed back.

[HandymanHerb]

Check the receiver then for sure as they do ware out if not out of adjustment, some have a nut on the bottom to tighten receiver.

Oh and you can sit it on the hitch and it not drop down all the way with a flip latch, but check it out and let us know what it was.

[mike]

I think its always a good idea to put a pin or lock on the latch, it very well could have been bounced up and then been jarred back down when the trailer came off... I had a cousin do this same exact thing with a travel trailer in Canada, ground down the post about four inches...

[badmoonrising]

In MD, it's illegal not to have a pin or lock on a trailer as of last year. The law was passed after a trailer came unhitched on the bay bridge and caused a serious accident resulting in a death.

[bruuuuce]

It is possible for the hitch to lock and it not be over the ball. It looks like it is but isn't once examined closer, I have done it a couple of times, myself but luckily caught it before driving off. I always do it when I am in a hurry, it seems like.

[schmir]

Maybe that's it. I told my wife I know I latched it down because it even sounded funny when it clicked shut. Maybe it looked locked but not on ball? It looked right but who know. I think I'll start putting the lock on it. If it sounds funny again I'll start over too. It will be a few days but I'd like to see if there is an adjustment to tighten it up some too.

[bruuuuce]

Get some white spray on lythim grease and coat your hitch ball with it. Then I use WD40 on the trailer hitch, I spray the latch and then from the under side I spray all that.

It it feels or sounds funny always take the time to raise it back up, work the latch back and forth and start over. Keep your fingers out of it, but bend down and look up in the coupler you should see the ball coupler over the ball and under it on the shank. If it is above it, it isn't latched.



If you do end up needing to tighten the ball coupler you can see the nut in the above picture that does that. Get it too tight and it won't move on the hitch like it needs too.



Locking the hitch.......

I had a trailer come loose from my truck once, it was a car hauler and I just dropped off a 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe and on the way back the hitch pin (kind with the carter key) vibrated out and the hitch came out of the receiver only thing that saved it was one safety chain, it broke the other one. We were going up hill when it came out and I was glad that it was empty and didn't have that car on it.

Ever since I always lock both the tailer and the hitch

[FloterBoter]

as in bruuce's pic, the hitches that have a 90 degree clamp lever need to be adjusted to tighten the ball clamp against the ball. i bet more than half the people out there are driving around with hitches that aren't adjusted right. if they ever come loose enough, the trailer can pop off the ball with the clamp closed and pinned.

my trailer has the hitch where you turn the big hand nut to tighten onto the ball. in some ways i hate it, because it takes a while. i always loosen it 40 quarter-turns. then when i put it back on, i count when tightening to see that i get about 40. once or twice in 10 years it felt tight at about 20, but it was cockeyed inside and not clamping right.

after hitching i always grab the trailer tongue and pull up and push down HARD about 5 times to make damn sure the hitch is on good. i can usually get another quarter turn on the hand nut when doing that.

and no, i don't want to hear about herb's handy nuts.....................

[mikeherb]

Did the trailer impact your vehicle when it came loose? I am wondering if it flipped up to release the trailer, then was reset back to closed when the tongue went under your vehicle.

I had a hitch come loose off my tractor one time when pulling my boat up from my building. I had the chains on thank the Lord and hit held, but it was caused my the latch not being fully closed.

I use a simple bolt with a nut that has a vinyl insert in it so I can hand tighten it and not have it come loose. That is just going to the dock a few times a year. When I pull it any distance I have a Master lock I use to pin the hitch latch. I don't move my boat 10ft without a pin ever since I had it come off that one time.

[dockholiday]

I always use a pin in the latch. I always feel under the coupler to make sure it is engaged. I have even put a jack under the tongue with trailers I am not familiar with, if it lifts up the ass end of your suv, you are probably okay.
doc

[Thummper3]

How much torque on the adjusting nut or how tight without being to tight.

[schmir]

Well, I ran out last night and tightend the nut a couple turns. I'm leaning towards the fact that the latch was down but did not engage the ball. Just looked like it was latched. I'll certainly be more careful about latching that in the future and I'll start putting the lock on as well. Thanks for the advice guys! BTW, you can turn the nut with your fingers. I'm assuming it needs some play in there so it can move it up and down to get it to latch or lock the ball in place.