Trailer fell off ball!

[gridlok]

:huh:I just trailered my boat home after a day on the water but when I backed into my driveway, the trailer popped off the ball and fell to the road! No damage but it scared the pants off me! I can only think that when I hooked up, I had the locking tongue on TOP of the ball rather than underneath (where it would actually do some good.) Thankfully it stayed put on the drive to and from the marina.

Any comments or advise for failsafe operation?

Gridlok

 

[VTSeaRay]

Do you have the chains on, in a cross pattern to catch it?

On my hitch, there's a hole in the top of where the ball goes, and I make sure it's snug up in there. You can also feel the clamp underneath, and make sure it is under the ball and snug.

Do you have a pin for the hitch handle to lock it in place? If not, I'd recommend getting one.

You are lucky!
-VtSeaRay

 

[Lazy Daze]

Bend down and look to see if it's on the ball properly. Make sure you're using the right size ball.

By the way, is this on an aluminum skiff or a 30' Sundancer? :smt001

 

[avguy]

I use a hitch pin in mine too. If the coupler is not fully seated on the ball the hitch pin holes do not line up & I know I need to pull forward a little to get it properly seated.

 

[midway]

I always leave my truck just slightly forward when I lower the hitch on the ball, that makes the hitch move forward around the ball, that way the ball is tucked in the front so when I lock the hitch all is good.

 

[BoaterBen]

You may want to check to see if you need to tighten the adjusting nut.

"When the lever is flipped to the locked position, the clamp is pulled up against the underside of the hitch ball. Proper adjustment is critical to the safe operation of a trailer, so an adjusting nut is provided on the toggle bolt.The fit should be snug but not binding. Too loose, and there's a danger of the coupler becoming disconnected from the hitch ball. "
-ehow.com

 

[gridlok]

Thanks for all your advice guys. Yeah, I sure was lucky! I was doing about 1MPH in reverse when the trailer wheel hit the little concrete curb on my driveway. That was enough to drop it off the ball. I had the crossed chains and the pin (actually a padlock) through the handle but I really think somehow I didn't have the coupler seated properly on the ball. I honestly never measured the ball and hitch partly because it's kind of a hard shape to measure, and partly because I believed the installers knew what they were doing. Oh, I've been towing my 06 185 Sport with my 05 Honda Pilot since new with 0 problems. I will most definitely look at it more carefully next time!!

Thanks again,
Gridlok:thumbsup:

 

[Lazy Daze]

No need to measure anything. Both the ball and the coupler will have the size stamped on it. Should be 2".

 

[gridlok]

Just checked. There is a barely visible (due to scrathes etc.) 2" on the ball. The coupler has no stamp but there is a tag saying to use 2" ball so I guess that's all in order. There is a strange wear mark that could only be from the "tongue" of the coupler on the underside of the ball at the rear, but there is ALSO a similar mark near the TOP of the ball. To me, this says I have had the ball not properly seated on more than this one occasion.:huh:

Gridlok

 

[chuck1]

Dumb question what size boat do you have???? You really need to update your signature. Who put the tag on your trailer???

 

[Knotty Buoy]

Although American boat trailers are not road legal in the UK it is comon practice for dealers to sell them with the imported boats and they probably constitute about 50% of boat trailers on the road here. Significantly our tow balls are 50mm rather than 2 inch but the consequence of that is simply that they rattle a bit. There doesn't seem to be a problem with them falling off. The real problem is the $700 fine, 6 penalty points on your license and having to pay to have a "low-loader" transport your boat and trailer to the destination if the police are in a bitchy mood.:wow::wow:

 

[Spot]

Buy a new ball... if you can't read it it may be warn quite a bit, a snug fit is the way. Balls are cheap,tailgate damage is not.

 

[IronMan]

.....I've been towing my 06 185 Sport with my 05 Honda Pilot since new with 0 problems.

Dumb question what size boat do you have???? You really need to update your signature.

chuck1 - It was buried in the text of his second post in this thread.

gridlok - You'll find that the responses to your questions are much more useful if you put your boat and trailer information in your signature. And, you won't have to read posts telling you to do it every time you ask a question. :thumbsup:

 

[KRB64]

You either didn't have it seated properly OR it is worn or not adjusted right. Too new to be worn but the latching mechanism is in the rear so when you back, the ball (if properly seated) will push against the mechanism which if worn or not adjusted can move enough to let go of the ball, especially with brakes on.

Notice the distance between the trailer tongue bottom and the draw bar next time that it is seated correctly and then make sure it is that close everytime you hook up.