"Bela" wrote in message
om...
(A. Spindelberger) wrote in message
. com...
"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
news:8YmJc.82850$%_6.8300@attbi_s01...
This is a fork of the Cobra trailer brake thread.

I encountered an unnerving situation a couple of weeks ago. I was
backing
my Komet trailer into a new parking position near my house. This
required
moving the trailer less than 15 feet slightly uphill. For such a
short
move, I didn't think the .25" safety pin that keeps the hitch handle
down
and locked was needed. I just attached the hitch to the ball and
started
backing.

The lever popped up and the hitch jumped off the ball. The trailer
rolled
forward into the back of my SUV doing damage to the rear bumper cover.
The
hitch was tight on the ball and there is no detectable malfunction of
the
hitch.

The damage is annoying but the real eye opener is that if the trailer
surged
forward against the hitch as the towing vehicle braked, the same
disconnect
would likely happen again if the safety pin were missing.

Bill, I do not understand what you mean. Can you send a picture?
Thanks, A. Spindelberger



THE SAFETY PINS ARE REALLY NEEDED. Lesson learned.

Bill Daniels

Bill,
I am not sure why you tied the Komet trailer problem to a Cobra
posting, but I did go out to look, my 3 year old Cobra does not have a
safety pin on the handle, however there is a hole in the handle and
one could rig up a safety cable. I wonder if Alfred would recommend
it.
Bela

Bela, I realize that it's not directly related which is why I started a new
thread.

The hole is where I have always put a 1/4" pin, bolt or padlock that
prevents the hitch release from operating - at least until this incident.
Every trailer hitch I have seen has a similar hole for a retaining device.
A padlock is a very good idea since it serves two purposes.

I got an e-mail that suggested that I was using a 2 inch ball with a hitch
designed for a 50mm ball. The hitch is clearly stamped "use 2" ball" which
is what I was using.

Bill Daniels