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Secure the tow bar in your receiver

LIKE2BUILD
Explorer
Explorer
Here's your daily safety reminder.

This poor fella is lucky to be alive after taking a direct hit to the head from a loose hitch shank and ball. Looks like the vehicle in front of him lost a shank on the road and it flew right into this guys' windshield.

I'll have to say to I've lost a shank before. I had borrowed the hitch pin out of the shank I'd left in my truck's receiver. I had intended to put it away but got distracted and left it in the receiver. The next time I drove the truck I forgot about it and later realized it was gone the next time I went to hitch up to a trailer. :E That shank has to be in a ditch somewhere but good luck finding it. I'm just glad it didn't bounce and cause issues like the one in the linked article.

KJ
'14 Ram 2500|Crew Cab Long Bed|4X4|Cummins
Curt Q20 with Ram 5th Wheel Prep
2000 Crownline 205BR
1997 Ranger Comanche 461VS
'01 Polaris Virage TX PWC
'94 Polaris SLT750 PWC
3 Wonderful Sons (21, 15, & 13)
1 forgiving wife!!!
3 REPLIES 3

BarabooBob
Explorer III
Explorer III
My daughter did not properly insert her hitch into the receiver and had the whole thing hit the road about a mile from home on the highway. Luckily, the chains held and the trailer did minimal damage to the back of her SUV. I spray painted the insert with a bright red stripe painted on it so that she KNOWS that the insert is in the receiver properly. It also helps to make the insert more visible so nobody knocks their knees.
Bob & Dawn Married 34 years
2017 Viking 17RD
2011 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost 420 lb/ft
Retired

moebedick
Explorer
Explorer
I discovered,quite by chance, that hitch balls can also come loose when least expected. I was hitching my Seaway 18’ Sportsman CC to my truck when I just happened to notice what I thought was a movement in my ball. Upon closer,heart stopping inspection, I discovered that I could unbolt the ball bare handed. I removed that ball and replaced it with a new ball with a nylon lined lock bolt secured with a heavy cotter pin. I now check my hitch AND ball before every use. This is the first incident of this kind I’ve ever encountered in over fifty (closer to 60 than I care to admit) years of towing boats,campers and cargo trailers. While receiving a visit from a trailer hitch could prove painful, I would have to assume that 3-4000 pounds of boat,motor and trailer popping through a windshield would be devastating.

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Have heard about all the 2-2.5 adapters that folks lose, but never found one until last week on the side of the road. Musta got run over by a semi, as it was partially smashed.

Another daily reminder, not that I've done this.....lol
Don't get distracted and forget to tighten your oil drain plug either!
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold