My Camper fell off its hitch pin

[rockman]

I will have to remember not to cross my chains on my tandem tag trailer ( 5 tonne ) when I load my 12 tonne excavator on to it ... also best remember to let DOT know that they have things wrong .

Some states have banned the crossing of safety chains (please do not shoot the messenger here), based on side loading of the links causing a weak point

Having had a caravan hitch break the coupling plate weld, the crossed chains and shortened length did nothing to craddle the drawbar and the end of the draw bar face dived into the bitumen.  Using hindsight, that is exactly where I would want the drawbar if thise ever happened again, as I knew where it was as I brought the rig to a stop.  With it being on the ground and not suspended, I knew that it would not appear through the tailgate. 

Sorry to hijack your thread, I will start a new one with some photos when I can find where they are.

  Cracka

[crackacoldie]

Pay to check with your local authorities, Silvo found that some of the Info I gained from a private accident investigation company was not correct.  In NSW the regulations actually state that they must be crossed, where 2 or more chains are fitted.

  Cracka

[Garry]

Well if nothing else I have raised some awareness on the dangers of not double checking the latch and with any luck prevented this happening again to a few of the readers, but I know it will happen again, we only human!

I will definitely get one of those pins as if its in my hand I will have to do something with it and the most logical place to put it would be..................

And the wife has agreed to do the check with me, another good suggestion that is only common sense yet seemed to evade me

On my other mishap I managed to get hold of Complete campsite and will soon be the proud owner of a new water tank which I will take extra care of this time around 

Garry

[JustJim]

To answer your question Garry..

Quote..
“Is there any other hitch's of good quality out there that is idiot proof?”

Yes there is - but it isn’t cheap..

It’s the ‘Hitch-Ezy’..
http://www.hitch-ezy.com

As someone else said..
“Idiot proof hasn't been invented yet”

So true - one should never underestimate the ingenuity of idiots, but this hitch comes about as close as you’ll get to beating the fools -  and forgetfulness..

The Hitch-Ezy has a strong self-aligning action when you’re hooking up..
A huge 55 mm post..
Two automatic locking systems (No forgetting to flick a lever)..
No possible finger traps..
No pins or clips to lose.
Fully sealed and water proof when hooked up.

And a quite large price tag..

Jim

[Northy]

Pay to check with your local authorities, Silvo found that some of the Info I gained from a private accident investigation company was not correct.  In NSW the regulations actually state that they must be crossed, where 2 or more chains are fitted.

  Cracka

Just to clarify for WA the law was changed a few years back to not require crossed chains.  Can cross if you wish but don't have to and only have to have one chain not two anyway (at least for smaller trailers etc not sure about things over 2T).

[Cruisemaster]

Just to let you all know that we have solved this problem, the new DO35 v2 has a special safety cap which only fits on when the coupling is properly locked. It doubles as a an extra dust seal. You only have to look at the coupling and if the cover is in place you are good to go. See some videos here.

http://vehiclecomponents.com.au/products/hitchmaster/hitchmaster-do35

Cheers

Chris

[JCOJ]

Idiot proof hasn't been invented yet.

Yes it has - As above - they beat me to it.

[Frostd]

Garry, We did the same thing, headingout of Cooktown, towards Lake Field National Park (Cape York) last year with with SteveandViv.  Travelling along a dirt road, hit a wallow and the hitch came off.  I was looking in the side mirrow at the time, yelling to the wife, ahhh $h1te, we've lost the camper.  One of the chains held, the D shakle broke on the other chain.  My daughter found the D shakle about 100 metres back up the road.  A jack and a bit of muscle had us back on the track.

On reflection, I recalled, being pulled away from the trailer, when I was hitching it, not closing the lock.  The wife was suppose to do a 360o check, but didnt.  I was suppose to do another check, but failed.  I believe it all happened in the excitement. It wont happen again.

A photograph of the CT on the ground.

[GGV8Cruza]

Just to let you all know that we have solved this problem, the new DO35 v2 has a special safety cap which only fits on when the coupling is properly locked. It doubles as a an extra dust seal. You only have to look at the coupling and if the cover is in place you are good to go. See some videos here.

http://vehiclecomponents.com.au/products/hitchmaster/hitchmaster-do35

Cheers

Chris

Hopefully you have sent one to Tambo for the new trailer, V1 was good, the new one should be even better

GG

[Pipeliner]

We lost ours on the dirt road out of Kunderang - same as everyone else, hadn't checked it properly before leaving.  Seems a pity that the unit is unrepairable - damage the latching mechanism and you are up for a complete replacement.

Told my wife that in future it would be her job to check it was latched properly - she has since interpreted that as asking me if I've done it, usually just when I've done up my seat belt ready to drive off!

The DO35 is still the best hitch I've seen.

[outbackogre]

I'd go with a "r" pin, the linchpin we had holding the trigg hitch pin in came off driving up through the hills on the Oxley highway, I did the normal walk around when we stopped for a nature call and the main pin only had about an inch to go before it was out, bent over stainless peg did the job till we got home.

Mark

I agree with Mark - avoid the lynch pin.  I had one on the tregg coupling on a Cub camper.  It fell off somewhere between Tibooburra and Innaminka.  Fortunately I had a spare R clip and was able to drill the hole out to suit.

[GeeTee]

Pins? Paint? Safety stickers? Sliding couplings? Bells and whistles?

None of you are talking about a nice simple and tough Hyland hitch, huh...

Uses standard tow ball and there's nothing to break, drop into mud, get jammed, wear out or fail 

[Redback]

The McHitch is getting a good rep.
From here
http://mchitch.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=35

Baz.

[Burnsy]

Seems a lot of people have lost these hitches usually through not checking all the bells and whistles.  I would be interested to know how many have lost the simple tregg hitch through the same and given there are a lot more tregg style hitches around that should make the numbers higher.  Less bells and whistles less to forget/go wrong in my opinion.

[pathfinder02]

Hey you guys are scaring me, I have had a DO35 on our CC for the last 4 years and have never had a problem, I think it is a great hitch. I will be triple checking it from now on.
  Paul & Jo.

[Pipeliner]

Hey you guys are scaring me, I have had a DO35 on our CC for the last 4 years and have never had a problem, I think it is a great hitch. I will be triple checking it from now on.
  Paul & Jo.

It is a great hitch - but unfortunately some of us have discovered to our cost that if you forget to slide the latch across it will bounce the trailer off the tow vehicle on rough terrain.  It is not automatic and foolproof - but then, nothing is except possibly a standard ball hitch, and we all know why we don't use those off-road.

[GeeTee]

The Hyland - my favourite, for a bunch of reasons and what I use - self-latches. You can reverse your tow car into it! In that regard, it is easier and safer than even a standard box-trailer hitch. Well worth a look for a new trailer or replacement when you've dropped too many pins or grown up to the fact that dust and mud stuffs things up

[JustJim]

Have a look at the 'Hitch-Ezy' coupling..
It self locks when it slides on.

http://www.hitch-ezy.com

Jim

[BigJules]

I did this two weeks ago with my tractor transporter. F$@K!

I had hooked the trailer up, secured the chains, plugs in the lights and the breakaway switch, attached the charging lead for the breakaway battery, but not snapped the 50mm ball coupling down properly. When I was reversing a tractor up onto it I drove the hitch into the rear bar and then up to the tailgate. Thankfully the chains stopped it from traveling higher and further but the lower tailgate is stuffed and will have to be replaced.

I am a serial offender 

[outbackogre]

The Hyland - my favourite, for a bunch of reasons and what I use - self-latches. You can reverse your tow car into it! In that regard, it is easier and safer than even a standard box-trailer hitch. Well worth a look for a new trailer or replacement when you've dropped too many pins or grown up to the fact that dust and mud stuffs things up

I agree the Hyland is easy but the one on my Goldstream is noisy, as if my 50mm ball is only 45mm.  Also, the Hyland stills suffers from dust ingress.  The only hitch I've seen that seems to avoid any dust issues is the McHitch (with a fully enclosed uni joint).

[GeeTee]

Outbackogre, suggestion, try changing your towball; it seems there are some different 'shoulder' heights on different brands' 50mm balls that affect the way the Hyland fits on the tongue/flat area of the towbar. That could be your "5mm"
 

[kiwipete]

We have a Tregg and are a simple solid set-up, basically unbreakable....  We did forget to put the lynch pin in once and travelled about 600kms trailer was still on when we stopped....  I carry extra Lynch pins just for that reason however as long as gravity is around that pin isn't going to pop out in a hurry anyway...

Coupling them up isn't that much harder than anything else as you just back your tow point to next to the Tregg and push the trailer across into it then pin it... 

[Jason B]

Seems a lot of people have lost these hitches usually through not checking all the bells and whistles.  I would be interested to know how many have lost the simple tregg hitch through the same and given there are a lot more tregg style hitches around that should make the numbers higher.  Less bells and whistles less to forget/go wrong in my opinion.

Agree, I hear a lot of stories about the Tregg being a PITA to hook up etc. But I have not herd to many issues with them otherwise. Simple and pretty fool proof in my opinion. I have never had an issue hooking it up either. Get the height correct and just push the trailer sideways or use the pin to leaver into position.

The others look too complex with too many steps for my liking.

Regards


Jas

[Pipeliner]

I had a Tregg on my first camper which was relatively light and easy to move sideways, but the AT35 on the Odyssey was always a struggle as moving the heavy trailer sideways on an uneven grass surface was very hard work, so the DO35 was a huge inprovement.

[Jason B]

I had a Tregg on my first camper which was relatively light and easy to move sideways, but the AT35 on the Odyssey was always a struggle as moving the heavy trailer sideways on an uneven grass surface was very hard work, so the DO35 was a huge inprovement.

I don't doubt what you are saying but you never forgot to put the pin in the tregg did you? You nearly lost your trailer using the DO35. My KK is no light weight (especially draw bar weight) and I have never had much trouble hooking it up, its pretty easy if the missus guides me on.

I do believe in the KISS principle.


Regards


Jas