Author Topic: My Camper fell off its hitch pin (Read 17644 times)

Garry · « **on:** February 05, 2012, 10:30:30 PM »

All my own fault of course, I forgot to push the little latch across on the DO35

I was off road and only doing 20Kmh but still wrecked the mechanism and bent a few of the bolts holing it to the CC. A scissor jack a wheel brace and a hammer had it all back on my car. I took it real easy after that

Funny thing is I always double check every door, stabilizer, lights and of course the hitch lock. Not sure why I missed it this time

Its a possibility that as it never just glides over the pin and I end up kicking it to get it to go over before stowing the jockey wheel away

Has anyone painted a danger color around the latch for easy unlocked or locked positions?

Anyway

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

And on a side note I literally blew up my water tank before we left on that trip much to the disgust of my lovely wife

Garry

mystq · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2012, 10:58:22 PM »

Quote from: Garry on February 05, 2012, 10:30:30 PM

Is there any other hitch's of good quality out there that is idiot proof?
Garry

I would stick with the DO35, it's the best!!

RWS · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2012, 11:10:37 PM »

Sounds like you had an eventful trip there Garry...my old man gave me this tip...I'm not sure if you have one or two safety chains, but if you cross the chains over when hitching up, this acts as a cradle in the event the hitch ever pops off...in theory this keeps it off the ground...haven't had the misfortune of testing this theory out yet and hopefully I never will.

Garry · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2012, 11:40:59 PM »

Hi RWS

I only have one chain at the moment but as I have "loaded" that one skull dragging my camper along a very bumpy road I will be welding on a new pair just in case

The wife got more of a fright than I did, for me it was an instant Oh S... I forgot the latch

Garry

TOPNDR · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2012, 01:15:32 AM »

Idiot proof hasn't been invented yet.

And when it is invented, someone will invent a better idiot!

ps, I cross my chains but it didn't stop my camper (DO35) hitch from destroying itself on the ground. :'(

GGV8Cruza · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:10:36 AM »

Quote from: Garry on February 05, 2012, 10:30:30 PM

Has anyone painted a danger color around the latch for easy unlocked or locked positions?

Garry

The D035 that I fitted up last year came with two dots of green paint which aligned when it was in the locked position. Maybe you could get out the paint pen.

GG

GeoffA · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:49:05 AM »

Oops..........

HEM19X · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:11:20 AM »

The wife & I always do a "360 degrees" visual of the 4by & CT after hitching up...check lights etc plus that all connections are Ok.

p.s. don't have your chain ~~too long otherwise the result could be the same.~~

Moto Mech · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:24:04 AM »

Luv my Treg.................

krisandkev · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:18:11 AM »

It is so easy to get complacent when travelling. We also practise the double check, but still occasionally forget something. ( I am sure my wife would like to accidently leave me behind sometimes.

)
I now place a pin in my hitch (I think ours is the AT35) after a fellow traveller said there should always be one. I suppose it is a safety issue in case the hitch does not lock. Kevin

BigJules · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:46:22 AM »

I have done the same thing, though I was lucky that the camper didn't axtually come off the pin. I felt a giggle and had the sense (better late than never) to strop and check.

Some red paint is a good idea. I wrote to VC a while back and suggested a different change, that they change the "TOP" sticker and put something like "TURNOVER" on the lower side of the hitch, as once it's flipped you can't see the "TOP" sticker.

Twin chains, crossed and hitched a length that allowd unrestricted turning but not allowing the hitch to hit the road is a good idea.

Jenko67 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:52:09 AM »

i am paranoid about this happening.. I check everything on the camper trailer and the car and then the wife follows me around double checking... about the only time I will listen to the wife.......

crackacoldie · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:57:31 AM »

Quote from: BigJules on February 06, 2012, 08:46:22 AM

Twin chains, crossed and hitched a length that allowd unrestricted turning but not allowing the hitch to hit the road is a good idea.

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

BigJules · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:16:18 AM »

Quote from: crackacoldie on February 06, 2012, 08:57:31 AM

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

How so? No hijack, I think you've added to the debate.

crackacoldie · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:19:44 AM »

Have removed the post as it contained incorrect information

Cracka

Garry · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2012, 11:17:32 AM »

To cross the chains or not I will still be replacing the one I have and adding a second.

I too am worried about it cradling as my Aux tank would be in the firing line and if it ruptured and a spark off the rubbing bolts from the road if it made it there could ruin the rest of the day

Anyway, it seems to have happened a few times which is a concern. I wonder if VC plan an automatic lock in the future?

I might just stick with the DO35 again but add a visual element somehow to draw attention to it and maybe a big warning sticker on the draw bar might help me too - Anyone vendors on here make such a thing?

Garry

Silvo · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2012, 11:38:00 AM »

Quote from: Garry on February 06, 2012, 11:17:32 AM

To cross the chains or not I will still be replacing the one I have and adding a second.

I too am worried about it cradling as my Aux tank would be in the firing line and if it ruptured and a spark off the rubbing bolts from the road if it made it there could ruin the rest of the day

Anyway, it seems to have happened a few times which is a concern. I wonder if VC plan an automatic lock in the future?

I might just stick with the DO35 again but add a visual element somehow to draw attention to it and maybe a big warning sticker on the draw bar might help me too - Anyone vendors on here make such a thing?

Garry

The DO35 has those green dots now as mentioned by GG. i am also thinking of getting a split pin just to put through the hole where you could normally padlock the hitch also as my secondary trigger that i have secured the hitch properly.

spargo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2012, 12:49:05 PM »

Quote from: Silvo on February 06, 2012, 11:38:00 AM

The DO35 has those green dots now as mentioned by GG. i am also thinking of getting a split pin just to put through the hole where you could normally padlock the hitch also as my secondary trigger that i have secured the hitch properly.

Ours (end-2010 issue) has the green dots too. Golden rule before driving off, both driver and passenger must cite the aligned "Green, good to go!" dots on the hitch.

One trip where it was just me and the 2 year old, I took her out of the car to show her to confirm. She wasn't very impressed, but at least we still double-checked..

The secondary split pin or similar is a good idea through the locking hole. At least it could be pulled off quickly in an incident, as opposed to a padlock.

GGV8Cruza · « **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2012, 12:56:37 PM »

I put a pin in the front

GG

spargo · « **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2012, 01:02:40 PM »

Quote from: GGPatrol on February 06, 2012, 12:56:37 PM

I put a pin in the front

GG

I'm thinking one of these Lynch pins:

Matto · « **Reply #20 on:** February 06, 2012, 01:12:43 PM »

Hi Garry,

I've got one of Norm's OzHitches, and love it : http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=5631.0 . Not sure if it would be much more idiot proof than the DO though. You need to insert the main pin and lock it, then secure the pin with a lynch-pin. If you left the lynch-pin off, then there's a chance that the main pin could work it's way loose, much the same way that yours came loose.

It's a real beggar of a thing that you've had to go through - it'll certainly make me double-check the hitch is secure every time from now on.

Good luck.
Matto

deepop · « **Reply #21 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:01:01 PM »

Just a bit further to this as well.

I know it's now going a bit off topic (sorry) but when you set up for a bit of a stay take your hitch off your car and put it inside (or in the trailer) so you don't lose it or damage it.

At Muloorina station I know of a Jeep that lost his hitch on the trek out to Lake Eyre. Luckily someone else heading up that way later just managed to spot it , picked it up then came in to the campground to ask if anyone had lost it. How would you tow your camper without the car side of the hitch?

And remember to bring a spare hitch receiver pin too.

jetcrew · « **Reply #22 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:09:39 PM »

Quote from: deepop on February 06, 2012, 07:01:01 PM

Just a bit further to this as well.

I know it's now going a bit off topic (sorry) but when you set up for a bit of a stay take your hitch off your car and put it inside (or in the trailer) so you don't lose it or damage it.

At Muloorina station I know of a Jeep that lost his hitch on the trek out to Lake Eyre. Luckily someone else heading up that way later just managed to spot it , picked it up then came in to the campground to ask if anyone had lost it. How would you tow your camper without the car side of the hitch?

And remember to bring a spare hitch receiver pin too.

Very sound advice there. I take it out and put it in the roller drawers and fit the the solid recovery thingy in the towbar.

Jetcrew

Jacmark30 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:15:39 PM »

Quote from: spargo on February 06, 2012, 01:02:40 PM

I'm thinking one of these Lynch pins:

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

Pete_R · « **Reply #24 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:17:45 PM »

Garry, I have almost done the same thing as you but something made me get out of the car & have another look. Now, I've got a routine as the first thing I do as soon as I lower the trailer onto the car is to lock the mechanism. I also do a 2nd check as the last thing I do before getting into the car to head off.
Mind you, after the ideas about the extra pin, think I might do that as well

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Author Topic: My Camper fell off its hitch pin (Read 17644 times)

crackacoldie

crackacoldie