Trailer Chains - To Cross of Not to Cross - That is the Question

This was over 30 years ago. I was towing a trailer behind a school
bus. The bus had been in an accident and the catch for the trailer
hitch was not catching. This was one of those hitches that you put on
the ball and then screw down from the top to tighten to the ball. At
one point I looked up in the mirror to see the trailer flipping over
in the air. The trailer had come off the hitch, the hitch had dug
into the asphalt and the road and had flipped up and did a front back
360. It landed in the ditch. It landed uprigt.This being Minnesota
in the Winter the ditch was full of snow. It appeared OK so we went
to the nearby farmer and borrowed a set of chains to pull it out of
the ditch. The trailer was fine. We reattached to the bus and
continued on our way, stopping every 5 miles to make sure the hitch
was still attached firmly. I do not know if the chains were crossed
or if the chains were just to long and did not cradle the hitch when
it came off. I do recall the chains were broken.

On Fri, 2 May 2014 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT), JohnDeRosa
wrote:

I have been told that crossing your trailer safety chains is the right thing to do. Something about if the coupler comes off the ball, the trailer will be limited in its wayward travel. Sounds like something for Mythbusters to figure out. Yes or no, what say you?

And while you are at it, anyone have a great crazy "trailer came off the ball" story to share? You first.

- John


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