check your trailer coupler! (lost trailer on interstate yesterday)

[dcd]

This may be common knowledge to most folks here, but nobody ever told me. Yesterday my 6x10 aluminum trailer (with JD garden tractor) detached from vehicle while traveling down the interstate. I had always assumed that trailer couplers were maintenance-free and that the important part was making sure they are latched properly and secure. Evidently mine was too loose, but I didn't know anything was wrong since it had always been that way since I purchased the trailer new from dealership in 2012.

So I hit a large bridge transition bump on the interstate that caused the coupler to detach from the ball. Luckily the safety chains worked, but barely... just enough time to pull onto the shoulder. When I got out to check, both safety chains were severed! They grounded in two between the trailer and the pavement. It must have just happened or how else would the trailer have followed me to the shoulder.

Considering I escaped with no damages to tow vehicle or cargo or public, I feel like yesterday was my lucky day.

Afterwards I took the trailer to my local trailer repair shop. They noted that my coupler was loose and mentioned a nut that needs to be tightened. I am having them install a higher-end coupler that doesn't have this issue along with new safety chains.

This is trailer loaded and ready before the incident:

 

[NiwradND]

I would have went straight to the casino after that if it happened to me!

 

[spasm3]

Fortunately, you had the trailer loaded correctly. I'm glad nothing bad happened.

I am in the habit of reaching under the coupler with my fingers to make sure the ball is under the coupler and not on top of it.

 

[fantastic]

For my lighter 6x10 ft trailer I always pull up after I latch & watch it slip into the latch. I need to go inspect mine to see if there are any adjustments needed though. There is nothing wrong with you not knowing & your post comes across as trying to learn from a potential safety risk. Sounds like the local station is fixing you up.

 

[Rand]

do you cross your safety chains?

Just curious.

 

[dcd]

For my lighter 6x10 ft trailer I always pull up after I latch & watch it slip into the latch. I need to go inspect mine to see if there are any adjustments needed though. There is nothing wrong with you not knowing & your post comes across as trying to learn from a potential safety risk. Sounds like the local station is fixing you up.

Yes, I normally pull it up to test as well. This time I had disconnected it after loading (as shown in pic) to run some errands, so too much weight to do this test loaded. I'm 90% sure it slipped over the ball fully. The trailer place was aware of the bump I hit and was not surprised given how loose the latch was. Lesson learned! Just wanting to pass along to others that may be in the same boat.

 

[dcd]

do you cross your safety chains?

Just curious.

Yes, they were actually twisted several times to shorten and keep from dragging ground. Ironically it may have been better to not have them crossed since they were broken by grinding between the tounge and pavement.

 

[fantastic]

Yes, I normally pull it up to test as well. This time I had disconnected it after loading (as shown in pic) to run some errands, so too much weight to do this test loaded. I'm 90% sure it slipped over the ball fully. The trailer place was aware of the bump I hit and was not surprised given how loose the latch was. Lesson learned! Just wanting to pass along to others that may be in the same boat.

I always put a locking pin on the coupler hinge. What was your situation?

 

[supton]

Wow! what size chain links? Would not have thought they would grind through so fast.

 

[dcd]

I always put a locking pin on the coupler hinge. What was your situation?

I used one of those D-shaped lock pins. Something like this:

 

[dcd]

Wow! what size chain links? Would not have thought they would grind through so fast.

Not sure exactly. Fairly thick, though. It surprised me also. I never considered that the chains would be wearing through so quickly.

 

[spasm3]

I always put a locking pin on the coupler hinge. What was your situation?

Sounds like he had an adjustable coupler, that was set too loose.

Something like this ?

 

[dcd]

Sounds like he had an adjustable coupler, that was set too loose.

Something like this ?

View attachment 317717

No, this is the type of coupler I had:

There is an adjustment nut underneath it that was loose.

 

[samven]

Yes, you do need to check them, even if you checked them last year, what happens is the little under jaw that the top lever pulls on will get loose if you force the top lever down to hard. We have all dropped the coupler just slightly off but with a little force you can get it to lock. Problem is the lock deforms a bit and over time it gets looser and looser until its like putting a 2" coupler on a 1 7/8" ball. You cant pull it off by hand but a big enough bump with a bit of weight= oops.

 

[4wd]

Yes, you do need to check them, even if you checked them last year, what happens is the little under jaw that the top lever pulls on will get loose if you force the top lever down to hard. We have all dropped the coupler just slightly off but with a little force you can get it to lock. Problem is the lock deforms a bit and over time it gets looser and looser until it’s like putting a 2" coupler on a 1 7/8" ball. You cant pull it off by hand but a big enough bump with a bit of weight= oops. View attachment 317733

I’d imagine more still come off the ball …
I recall from the thread on lube the ball - thinking all these smaller parts need lube the most …

 

[lilspenny]

I’d imagine more still come off the ball …
I recall from the thread on lube the ball - thinking all these smaller parts need lube the most …

I'll be honest.... if that happened to me I'd be wondering what God was trying to tell me. You were so close to having your life totally altered in a bad way, but by the thinnest margin it didn't happen. That's incredible.

 

[4wd]

I'll be honest.... if that happened to me I'd be wondering what God was trying to tell me. You were so close to having your life totally altered in a bad way, but by the thinnest margin it didn't happen. That's incredible.

Yep, makes me want to consider upgrading the chains … the last defense from disaster …

 

[rstsco]

I'm sorry you had the issue with your trailer and thankful nobody was hurt. I appreciate your bringing it to our attention and I will be checking this part of the coupler assembly on my Aluma trailer before its next use.

I love Aluma's super-lightweight aluminum trailers, but have serious concerns about their quality control. I'm sure this applies to any trailer you buy, but please don't assume others did their jobs correctly. Here's my horror-ish story:

I purchased two Aluma trailers in the past few years. My 2020 Ram 1500 was totaled in a major hail storm in 2023 and we'd only driven it 8,500 miles in 3.5 years since new. We're getting older (wife retired yesterday), so we decided to not replace the pickup and get a lightweight trailer to haul stuff using our then 2022 Audi Q5 (rated 4,400lbs towing). I found the Aluma brand and got a 4.5'x10' tilt trailer at a dealer 100 miles north of me. It was a 2k trailer and only weighed 300lbs, so had payload capacity of 1,700lbs. Perfect for picking up lumber from Home Depot or whatever else I needed to haul within reason. Anything larger, I'd pay a delivery fee, which I did with the pickup anyway.

As I was pulling through the trailer shop's yard, I got indications something went wrong with the wiring. It only affected the side markers and I swung back around for them to look at. Two hours later, the trailer place said they fixed it and I headed home, but it failed again on the way. It was still daylight, so no big deal since the brake lights still worked, accept for the frustration of buying a new trailer and having problems. At a 4-way stop sign where I turn into my neighborhood, after the line of cars had been starting and stopping several times waiting our turn, as I reached the stop sign, a jack-up pickup behind me didn't stop and slammed into the trailer. He hit with enough force to bow the trailer up in the center a little. The guy behind him even jumped out to make sure I was okay because "he hit you pretty hard". We exchanged information and I drove the two blocks home. There I found the real fault of the side markers was a wire passing through a hole in the trailer going to one of the side markers had been pinched, the insulation was breached, and intermittently grounding out. During this time, I also noticed the tires had been manufactured more than three years previously. I called Aluma and they shipped three new complete wheel assemblies with tires less than a year old.

This trailer was totaled, so replaced it with another Aluma trailer, but purchased it from a different dealer north of Dallas (200 miles away). I got the same size without tilt and upgraded to their Executive model, which had the fender steps and fancier side markers. I special-ordered it with additional welded tie-downs. When the trailer arrived at the dealer, I made the drive up and carefully checked it out. Again, the tires were manufactured more than three years previously. Even the dealer was surprised, as they never checked date codes on their new trailers' tires, or at least they did a good job of acting like they were surprised. The wheels that came on the trailer were 13" and they had a set of 14" wheels with tires manufactured in the previous twelve months, and swapped the two on the axles and spare so I didn't have to jump through the hoops to get newer tires like the first trailer.

Please check your trailers carefully. I know I'll be doing so again after this.

 

[Rand]

I am pretty sure mine is adjusted just about right but I'm definitely giving it the once over after spring hits.
12F and blowing snow isn't conducive to a backyard inspection of the coupler.

Might go a notch tighter.. as its 7 years old now.

This is one of those things you dont think about often.. such as airing up the spare tire.

 

[Donald]

This may be common knowledge to most folks here, but nobody ever told me. Yesterday my 6x10 aluminum trailer (with JD garden tractor) detached from vehicle while traveling down the interstate. I had always assumed that trailer couplers were maintenance-free and that the important part was making sure they are latched properly and secure. Evidently mine was too loose, but I didn't know anything was wrong since it had always been that way since I purchased the trailer new from dealership in 2012.

So I hit a large bridge transition bump on the interstate that caused the coupler to detach from the ball. Luckily the safety chains worked, but barely... just enough time to pull onto the shoulder. When I got out to check, both safety chains were severed! They grounded in two between the trailer and the pavement. It must have just happened or how else would the trailer have followed me to the shoulder.

Considering I escaped with no damages to tow vehicle or cargo or public, I feel like yesterday was my lucky day.

Afterwards I took the trailer to my local trailer repair shop. They noted that my coupler was loose and mentioned a nut that needs to be tightened. I am having them install a higher-end coupler that doesn't have this issue along with new safety chains.

This is trailer loaded and ready before the incident:

View attachment 317706

Years ago I had a ball mount that was held by a pin that had a clever lock that rotated to lock the pin in place. A guy at U-Haul took the ball mount off to tighten the ball and when he put it back on he did not get the clever rotating lock for the pin right.

I was in the middle of three lane highway when the pin fell out and the trailer was then being dragged by the chain. The trailer was a large double axle U-Haul trailer filled with household items for my daughter. Luckily I was going uphill.

A tow truck stopped behind me to block traffic and prevent someone from hitting the trailer which would have pushed the trailer into my Suburban. (Maybe injuring me if I was between trailer and Suburban). He loaned me a drift pin which we duct taped in place.

I have since gone to pins that lock with a key.

When I returned the trailer to U-Haul and told them what happened they said it could not possibly have happened the way I said.

Never been impressed with U-Haul before or after.