Flamingtaco

If you have chains setup properly, they will cradle the tongue just a few inches below the receiver tube. Unfortunately, few actually bother to check their chain length by turning the truck 90º to the trailer, then sizing the chain length to just reach.

Some trailer mfg's exacerbate this by installing chain mounting points well back on the a-frame. If your chains have to be 3' long, your tongue is going to be on the ground, maybe even sliding all around as their is slack in the chain.

If you've got a bolt-on jack, you're gonna have to rotate it, or the wheel or skid may hit the ground.

Hitch pins... the clips that hold them in fatigue with time and must be replaced. Due to the shape of the clip, they will rotate the pin so the heavy side of the clip is facing down, which means gravity is now pulling in the direction that will pull the clip out of the pin. Grip clips and locking hitch pins do not suffer from retention loss.

i2oadi2unnei2

That's some scary **** right there!

rd.king

Don't forget to check that your chains and emergency brake tether are compatible.
If your safety chains at full extension (as in a breakaway situation) are shorter the the Estop tether
your trailer E brake won't activate.

Eff0neFitty

Never knew abuot that 90-degree thing. How is that actually done? That's not with the trailer attached, is it? At 90-degrees seems awfully steep. And great point about the emergency stop cord.

Flamingtaco

Good gosh, no. You don't want the trailer brakes coming on at 100% while on the chains, the shock when the chains reach their length can break loose the rear end of the TV, or even break the chain attachment points off the trailer. The breakaway is the last line of defense for when a trailer becomes completely detached from a TV.

This is why proper chain length and crossing them is critical (and law in most states). When done properly, the chains will limit the trailer movement with respect to the TV to about a foot. Applying brakes lightly will keep the trailer off the rear of the TV, and you can very slowly come to a controlled stop, avoiding damage to the TV and trailer.

Obviously some combo's can't do 90º turns. Whatever is the max turn you can comfortably make with the combo you have, put it there, then set it for a few additional links to account for the truck and trailer being off axis.

Ricktwuhk

Of course trailers without brakes have no emergency stop cord.

Flamingtaco

And every time I stop by Lowe's, there's two or three small trailers with no chain attached.

rd.king

That's how I was taught to do it.
I'd rather have the trailer drag the TV to a stop.
than to hit the brakes and find out the plug went out with the hitch
and that the trailers pushing you into oncoming traffic.

MikeD134

I've got mine set so the trailer 7 pin plug and break away remain plugged in even if it's being pulled just by the chains. If the chains also break free the 7 pin plug will no doubt get yanked free and a moment later the break-away gets pulled.

Flamingtaco

If you've lost the 7-pin, you've lost the structural crossbar the receiver tube is welded to, which means it's all gone, receiver tube, chain loops, 7-pin. A half second later the breakaway gets yanked out. If this occurs, either you've been hit, have overloaded the hitch, or have never inspected your hitch for rust/cracks. All are negligence issues.

Chains are for tongue/ball/drawbar failure. When these fail and the chains are set properly, the trailer will drop onto the chains and move about 6 inches closer to the truck. A breakaway cable, even set tight, will not pull out under this condition, by design. The trailer will rarely strike the vehicle.

Ever yanked out a stuck vehicle? If not, watch videos and note how the ends of the vehicles that are tied in get pulled to the side if the strap is at an angle. Even a tongue properly cradled by the chains will yank the rear somewhat. I was in an extended E350 when this occurred with a 3500lb 16ft trailer and the driver could feel it bumping the rear left and right. A heavy trailer with too much chain can re-align the heading of a TV, or break the chain loops welded to the trailer.