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

Cross chains... okay. This tidbit should replace one of those un-useful questions on the written test for aspiring glider pilots.

I've added it to my list '1000 and 1 important facts that you should hope to stumble upon before you need them'.

As to premature termination of trailering, there is sure to be a guy out there who puts a 50 mm ball on his truck and then one day rents a U-haul trailer with a worn hitch. Here's hoping that he gets the word about crossing chains.

On Saturday, May 3, 2014 7:03:01 AM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
Cross chains... okay. This tidbit should replace one of those un-useful questions on the written test for aspiring glider pilots.



I've added it to my list '1000 and 1 important facts that you should hope to stumble upon before you need them'.



As to premature termination of trailering, there is sure to be a guy out there who puts a 50 mm ball on his truck and then one day rents a U-haul trailer with a worn hitch. Here's hoping that he gets the word about crossing chains.

Story (true)

A volunteer picked up a new club glider in a distant city. The trailer hitch seemed loose on the ball - but what the heck, the other club members wanted to see their new glider so haste was the order of the day.

When the glider and trailer miraculously arrived intact, it was found the tow truck had a 1 7/8" ball and the trailer had a 2" hitch which was now severely damaged. The trailer tower said he didn't know trailer balls came in different sizes and he thought the banging noises were "normal". The safety chains had made the trip neatly wrapped around the tow bar where they were "out of the way".

My turn.

Coming back from "out west" to Chicago with trailer in tow, I also had a PTT a.k.a. premature termination of towing-the-trailer. I was in mid-town Omaha, in four lanes of rush hour traffic. AND THEN BANG!

It really didn't occur to me until later, as I only had time to react, that the trailer had departed the ball. All I knew was that SOEMTHING WAS WRONG! I heard bang-pause-bang-pause and the truck being pulled side to side.

My mate was in the lead and told me later that in his rear view mirror the trailer was seen repeatedly going to the left and right of my truck - basically it kept trying to change lanes - and cars dodging my trailer to get out of the way.

Luckily I was not in a middle lane or crossing a bridge as something would have been hit. I was in the left lane ("fast" lane for you UK-ers), came off the gas with very light braking and successfully got the trailer off to the side. We quickly got the trailer back on the ball and just as quickly got off the highway.

The cause of this mayhem was found to be a newly installed coupling in which the part the latches under the ball wasn't tight enough. I had hit (I don't remember this) a series of bumps that had dislodged the coupler. Note that this was after driving from Chicago to Utah and half the way back.

The only real damage (aside from excessive adrenalin and mucho pride) was the missing - i.e. torn off at the root - trailer lights wiring. We were back on the road within 60 minutes. Good to have spare parts.

And good that my chains were crossed ... fingers too for the rest of the way home.

- John

On Saturday, May 3, 2014 7:14:14 PM UTC-4, JohnDeRosa wrote:

My mate was in the lead and told me later that in his rear view mirror the trailer was seen repeatedly going to the left and right of my truck - basically it kept trying to change lanes - and cars dodging my trailer to get out of the way.

Gotta tow my trailer next week, so this topic has got me thinking.

I buy that crossed chains are better, but it strikes me that crossed chains are not symmetrical and that the dismounted trailer will probably not track stable and straight (as John recounts).

I wonder if it might work better to join the left and right chains with a perpendicular link under the hitch to achieve symmetry? Picture an H-shape chain arrangement.

I think I will experiment and see how my trailer tows/drags on just the chains (slowly and in a parking lot).

son_of_flubber wrote, On 5/3/2014 8:18 PM:
On Saturday, May 3, 2014 7:14:14 PM UTC-4, JohnDeRosa wrote:

My mate was in the lead and told me later that in his rear view
mirror the trailer was seen repeatedly going to the left and right
of my truck - basically it kept trying to change lanes - and cars
dodging my trailer to get out of the way.

Gotta tow my trailer next week, so this topic has got me thinking.

I buy that crossed chains are better, but it strikes me that crossed
chains are not symmetrical and that the dismounted trailer will
probably not track stable and straight (as John recounts).

I wonder if it might work better to join the left and right chains
with a perpendicular link under the hitch to achieve symmetry?
Picture an H-shape chain arrangement.

I think I will experiment and see how my trailer tows/drags on just
the chains (slowly and in a parking lot).

I doubt that would make any difference. The huge problem is the trailer
is no longer connected to the ball, and it's the ball that constrains
the tongue so following directly behind the tow vehicle. With the tongue
free to move side to side and steer the trailer, the dynamics are very
different. My guess: cross the chains, and shorten them as much as possible.

Even better, also do this: every time you hook up, carefully check the
ball and it's attachment, check the coupler for proper functioning, and
connect the chains and lights. And then double-check.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
...
On Saturday, May 3, 2014 7:14:14 PM UTC-4, JohnDeRosa wrote:

My mate was in the lead and told me later that in his rear view mirror
the trailer was seen repeatedly going to the left and right of my truck -
basically it kept trying to change lanes - and cars dodging my trailer to
get out of the way.

Gotta tow my trailer next week, so this topic has got me thinking.

I buy that crossed chains are better, but it strikes me that crossed
chains are not symmetrical and that the dismounted trailer will probably
not track stable and straight (as John recounts).

I wonder if it might work better to join the left and right chains with a
perpendicular link under the hitch to achieve symmetry? Picture an H-shape
chain arrangement.

I think I will experiment and see how my trailer tows/drags on just the
chains (slowly and in a parking lot).

You will find your right side chains tight as crap when making a left hand
turn.

Don't do it.

Crossing them is the ONLY way to go.
--
Jim in NC


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