Carabiner clips used for trailer safety chains

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dlundblad

dlundblad

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Anyone ever notice these things being used on trailer safety chains? They are basically a clip found on exercise equipment to quickly swap handles, attachments etc. Rock climbers use something like this too.

During my commutes, I see personal vehicles as well as light duty hired guys using them. Sometimes they are just hanging from the hitch, but other times they are actually in use. I am certain they have warning labels which say "NOT FOR LIFTING."

In the event of an emergency and when the chains are in use, that trailer will be gone IMO.
 
Are they carabiners for sure? Or are they using D-rings? These have a similar shape but instead of using a swinging gate like a 'biner, they use a theaded fastener.
 
Originally Posted By: buck91
Are they carabiners for sure? Or are they using D-rings? These have a similar shape but instead of using a swinging gate like a 'biner, they use a theaded fastener.


Carbiners for sure.

I've used D rings before.

Carbiners are somewhat pear shaped and D rings are well.. shaped like the letter D.
 
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
I used to use a pair of high strength steel carabiners for my safety chains.


I am sure they did a great job holding the chain up.
laugh.gif


Who knows how they behave if actually used though.
 
There's no mystery here--as long as the carabiners have the same load rating as the appropriate chain you're using, there's no problem.

I'm sure a lot of people do use cheap aluminum carabiners though, and that would certainly be a bad deal.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: AlaskaMike


I'm sure a lot of people do use cheap aluminum carabiners though, and that would certainly be a bad deal.


There are way more of these out there than real ones. Go look at harbor freight.
 
I've seen more than a few trailers which use open hooks for the chains. Looks like they don't even loop back to the chain, just loop the open end through the openings on the receiver. Those strike me as a bit sketchy.

I think I have carabiners on both trailers now; same guage (thickness or diameter) as the chain, and with the locking mechanism so it's stronger than just an open loop.
 
I use Clevis hooks on my trailer. They're cheap too. Just put them through the hole and hook to themselves

34o3inb.jpg
 
Proper Carabiner Clips are load-rated and might be adequate for that use, but there are a lot of "look like" clips that are not to be trusted lifting a pound of butter over your potatoes. So, be sure you know what you are buying.

Places that sell actual climbing gear (eg Recreational Equipment Coop) are where you pretty much need to buy since they do restrict their stock to proper gear; everyone else sells what amounts to fashion accessories that are not safe holding anything.

Most proper carabiners are made of aluminum, but the method of manufacture matters a great deal (just like buying aluminum wheels ... there's a reason why some are $500 a copy and some are $89 each).

Personally I use the steel variety. My trailer safety chain doesn't have to look cool, it just has to work. When I was 15, I was nearly killed by a towed car that broke from it's hitch and came broadside right across our path on the highway, before going in to the opposite ditch and rolling, almost taking the tow vehicle with it. We were lucky, it had swung back across to the left side of the highway before we hit it, but as for how fast it happened, the driver hadn't even had time to hit the brake of our car before it swung out of our path. 60's vehicles, no seat belts ... I don't want to think what would have happened. As it turned out, my buddy whom I was visiting at the time, was killed in Montana in a head-on, travelling to a hockey tournament, a few years later.
 
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
I don't recall the rating exactly, but each one was rated for more load than the loaded trailer. They came from a military surplus store.


Dang. Yeah that would definitely be good enough.

I must confess I havent seen them for anything over 500 lbs.
 
So if you have 2 safety chains with carabiner clips rated at 500 pounds each and a 1000 pound trailer, you should be good right?

Not in my way of thinking. The point in which trailer safety chains get used is when the hitch somehow gets disconnected. It will fall off going down the road and I would think there would be a pretty strong initial "tug" until the chains got tension. I wouldn't want something like those used on my trailer.
 
Depends if the rings are rated for that "tug" or not. I'm guessing there is some overhead for that, at least in good rings.
 
climbing 'beaners are usually used with rope that stretches under tension and is "soft" to the touch. A tow chain will not soften under tension and will not stretch. 'Beaners catch a 160lb human being in a fall on stretchy rope, or via nylon webbing which ties to a stretchy rope. (and I say 160 lbs because I don't know many heavy climbers). I wouldn't use them for towing. In additional, a rope will spread out the force as it forms to the contour of the beaner; a chain will not deform and will put all pressure on a single point, which will be harder on the aluminum alloy. Climber beaner will absolutely be the weakest link on a tow chain; it's not how it's designed or rated. When I towed frequently, I used the steel 'C' rings with the threaded fastener joining it together, found with the bulk chain fastners. Besides that I use the normal steel looks with locking spring.

There are steel D-rings out there which are rated to carry more. I'm not sure I've ever seen them used for towing.

Note - 'beaners have a different sideways rating than they do length-wise. It will be stamped on it if it's a quality item. Also, the rating is only good for when it's latched closed; it may even give the unlatched rating as well. It needs the closure for full strength.

-m
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: DriveHard
You can get Carabiners off of McMaster that are rated for 3,000 pounds. They are only 7/16" thick material and 3.25" on the inside, and made of aluminum. Now I don't know what you saw, or how big the trailer was...but there are carabiners that are capable of the job you are describing.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#carabiners/=14fsz8t
Yikes, those are like $50 each. I buy the Clevis hooks for like $3 each.
 
I'll be happy when people at least start to CROSS their safety chains. Safety chains won't do any good, carabiner-equipped or otherwise, if they won't even catch a falling trailer tongue.
 
Originally Posted By: DriveHard
You can get Carabiners off of McMaster that are rated for 3,000 pounds. They are only 7/16" thick material and 3.25" on the inside, and made of aluminum. Now I don't know what you saw, or how big the trailer was...but there are carabiners that are capable of the job you are describing.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#carabiners/=14fsz8t


I didn't realize they went that high, but 3000 lbs isnt enough for a large trailer. If the trailer weights 6000 lbs, those would not be enough. 6000 lbs isnt that much for a light duty OTR trailer. (The hired guys you see with small car haulers, campers etc.)
 
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