check your hitch ball

[slotracer]

just towed a boat from the middle of I-5 in stockton. the guys nut on the tow ball came off. lucky for him his chains held and kept it hooked to the truck. 21ft. eliminator could have been a big piece of fibreglass. just down the road was a sanger ski boat that the whole axle & wheels decided to come out from under it. good lesson check everything and just not the boat. most people never check the trailer at all :skull:

[SUI-CY-COLE]

ouch!...busy weekend.

[slotracer]

went back to take some pictures of the trailer and the chp had a flatbed tow truck dragging the boat up on to the bed. all the under water gear is now junk. :220v:

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Remember the big, giant lockwasher on the nut side, and touch a wrench to it a couple times a year.
A pipe wrench works teriffic as a keeper wrench on the ball side + 14" cresent on the nutside.

[Goober]

i check mine everytime. I dont think it will ever come off. I think i herd the tires chip last time i checked it.

[DelawareDave]

This is a much overlooked area. I heard tell of someone who bought a brand new boat, and almost lost it on the way home, because the ball came loose. The boat only suffered some minor glass damage, thankfully.
I personally tighten up the ball with a wrench and a 4' cheater pipe. Then I take the drawbar back out and drill the shank of the ball for a cotter pin, below the nut. If it comes loose, it will only back off so far.

[RitcheyRch]

I check mine all the time as well. Can never be too safe.

[a catered life]

ouch!...busy weekend.
rev is this a new screen name

[Quality Time]

If you don't need to change the ball, tighten and put a tack weld on it. Never coming off and the thiefs can't undo the ball and steal the rig. I see locks on the trailer and the hitch, but you can still take off the ball and away you go.

[RitcheyRch]

Good idea about the tack weld.
QUOTE=Quality Time]If you don't need to change the ball, tighten and put a tack weld on it. Never coming off and the thiefs can't undo the ball and steal the rig. I see locks on the trailer and the hitch, but you can still take off the ball and away you go.[/QUOTE]

[Her454]

i check mine everytime. I dont think it will ever come off.
LOL I check mine EVERY time I get in the truck - someone removed my pin from my tow hitch a few years ago and the whole damn thing came out while I was going home and I lost the boat - slammed into the back of the truck a few times but the safety chains held it and I slowed down easy when I realized what happened and there was minimal damage......... scared the bejeeeezuz out of me tho and I always check it now.
Someone had to have done it at the parking lot ramp that day. :yuk: Now I have a locking one..................

[abraman1326]

Damn, some really good advise. Thanks. I'll be sure to check mine when I get home...
BRA

[RitcheyRch]

I always worried about someone stealing the receiver so put a locking pin on years ago. Better safe than sorry.
LOL I check mine EVERY time I get in the truck - someone removed my pin from my tow hitch a few years ago and the whole damn thing came out while I was going home and I lost the boat - slammed into the back of the truck a few times but the safety chains held it and I slowed down easy when I realized what happened and there was minimal damage......... scared the bejeeeezuz out of me tho and I always check it now.
Someone had to have done it at the parking lot ramp that day. :yuk: Now I have a locking one..................

[H2oracer]

If you don't need to change the ball, tighten and put a tack weld on it. Never coming off and the thiefs can't undo the ball and steal the rig. I see locks on the trailer and the hitch, but you can still take off the ball and away you go.
Tacking is not a good idea on any coupler balls or bolts. Putting a dissimilar metal on it may weaken the metal causing it to crack. The best method I have found is to use a self locking nut ( not the nylock type ) and drill a 3/16 hole in the threaded shaft that protrudes past the nut and install a cotter pin. If it comes loose you wont loose the nut or the trailer.

[2Driver]

If you don't need to change the ball, tighten and put a tack weld on it. Never coming off and the thiefs can't undo the ball and steal the rig. I see locks on the trailer and the hitch, but you can still take off the ball and away you go.
Exactly, all mine have a small tack weld. Not too much that you heat treat the shank of the ball. Funny we all use hitch and pin locks but all a thief has to do is bypass the locks and unscrew your ball and he has your rig.
Only down side is you can't flip the reciver if you need to change it from a drop to a riser without taking off the weld on the nut, but that does'nt happen too much anyway

[framer1]

LOL I check mine EVERY time I get in the truck - someone removed my pin from my tow hitch a few years ago and the whole damn thing came out while I was going home and I lost the boat - slammed into the back of the truck a few times but the safety chains held it and I slowed down easy when I realized what happened and there was minimal damage......... scared the bejeeeezuz out of me tho and I always check it now.
Someone had to have done it at the parking lot ramp that day. :yuk: Now I have a locking one..................
Same thing happen to me at Naci, scared the $hit out of me. Bought locking one the next day. What kind of person would take your pin out of your hitch knowing someone could get killed :mad:

[Her454]

Same thing happen to me at Naci, scared the $hit out of me. Bought locking one the next day. What kind of person would take your pin out of your hitch knowing someone could get killed :mad:
An ASSHOLE. :mad:

[Duck]

Been there done that. Mine came off during a thunderstorm/downpour and punched a hole in the gas tank. Fixed it and continued on to Parker. :p

[spectratoad]

Check your locking pin too. Last year my brother had his break at the lock. Thankfully it was after he was off the freeway on the off ramp and when he pulled from the stop sign it came off. Happened after the four hour tow from Reno to Shasta. Don't know how it broke but the piece we found showed a clean break. :confused:

[acatitude]

hey Todd, if Tyeson bought my howard it would be a clean sweep