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You never know when it might happen

joshuajim
Explorer
Explorer
I went to move my equipment trailer. If it's just a short move, I just hook the safety chains to the bucket on the tractor and pull it along with the chains (unloaded of course). When I got it to the location, I noticed that one of the chains was unhooked. Here is what I found.




Now this is a 17 year old trailer and I replaced both hooks, but I'm glad I found out before I really needed the safety chains.
RVing since 1995.
5 REPLIES 5

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
My smallest flatbed is a 10k gvwr bumper pull car hauler. It comes with 6700 lb work load rated 3/8" grade 70 clevis type slip hook with a safety latch.

I use 1/4"...5/16" and 3/8" grade 70 chains of various lengths and grade 70 grab hooks or slip hooks when felling/moving dead trees or moving something heavy around my place or chaining down my 7600 lb blue tractor/7' mower on a trailer.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

Lynnmor
Explorer
Explorer
wnjj wrote:
Those โ€œhooksโ€ are really weak anyway and I wouldnโ€™t trust them for a real breakaway event. My flatbed trailer came with those and I replaced them with real forged hooks.

Even when brand new those bent wire style could pull out straight with enough force.


I tried to bend these shut and gave up, I believe they are made from kryptonite.

wnjj
Explorer II
Explorer II
Those โ€œhooksโ€ are really weak anyway and I wouldnโ€™t trust them for a real breakaway event. My flatbed trailer came with those and I replaced them with real forged hooks.

Even when brand new those bent wire style could pull out straight with enough force.

JBarca
Nomad II
Nomad II
Good pics!

Yes, your right, yearly close inspection of all hitch equipment is a need.

And as QCman stated, the crack in the dark area started a long time ago and it looks like it may have progressed in stages.

I found cracks in the welds of one of my WD hitch heads. It was about 10 years old at the time. Fine hair line cracks down the center of the welds. Several of them. That is the time to find these cracks, they are tiny and in the early stages of failing. You really have to clean the parts and use good lighting, but you can see some of these issues before they create big problems. The key is, you have to at least look.
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10 RA, 21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR, upgraded 2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver. Hitched with a 1,700# Reese HP WD, HP Dual Cam to a 2004 Sunline Solaris T310R travel trailer.

QCMan
Nomad II
Nomad II
That looks like it was broken for a long time before the last little bit let go.
2020 Keystone Cougar 22RBS, Ram 1500, two Jacks and plenty of time to roam!
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. A.E.
Good Sam Life Member