Cobra Trailer Emergency Brake Experience

I have towed large and heavy trailer combinations all over the UK since the

age of 17 (40 years now) and not once have I had a brake issue or for that

matter a tyre issue. We don't use chains and to be honest I not sure I
would want them as the swing of a trailer having "broken away" would
likely cause the towing vehicle to have its own accident. That I would
rather
avoid. Out of interest how many of you have had a trailer break away from
the tow vehicle and what was the cause?

At 12:51 12 March 2019, Stephen Struthers wrote:
. Out of interest how many of you have had a trailer break away from
the tow vehicle and what was the cause?

I have. 1979, towing with a motor home. Excessive vibration wore the front

side of the ball flat. then the hitch just slid up and off.

On 3/12/2019 6:51 AM, Stephen Struthers wrote:
I have towed large and heavy trailer combinations all over the UK since
the age of 17 (40 years now) and not once have I had a brake issue or for that
matter a tyre issue. We don't use chains and to be honest I not sure I
would want them as the swing of a trailer having "broken away" would likely
cause the towing vehicle to have its own accident. That I would rather
avoid. Out of interest how many of you have had a trailer break away from
the tow vehicle and what was the cause?

"Ditto"...except: 1) I'm up to 51 years after beginning at age 18, 2) in the
USofA, and 3) I use chains 'religiously.'

Having done the bulk of my towing with a relatively lightweight vehicle (2600
lbs), I've long 'intellectually worried' what might happen in the wake of a
trailer becoming disconnected from the towball, but - to date - haven't
crossed the chasm from imagination to reality...and hope I never do,
regardless of the weight of the tow vehicle!

The closest call of which I'm aware was the time my wife requested I
reposition her side-by-side two-donkey-/axle-trailer after she'd unloaded at a
parade marshaling site. Despite reaching the driver's seat by approaching the
combo from the rear, I failed to even glance at the tow connection...which
she'd disconnected for some never-quite-understood-by-me reason. Upon feeling
an unexpected minor thump while letting out the clutch, I listened to 'that
little voice in my skull,' hopped out to inspect the connection, and learned
chains were about to become my friend. (I *did* lose a 'safety bolt' one time
while towing, but the latch continued to function...and, yes, the bolt
disappeared because I failed to properly snug the 'self-locking' nut I was
using at the threaded end.)

I suspect - but likely will never know for certain - that the vast majority of
'trailer came loose!' events are like the vast majority of aviation
events/accidents, in that (IMO) most are directly attributable to 'pilot
error' of some flavor or other.

Paranoia can be your friend, although - as always - YMMV.

Bob W.

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On Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at 9:00:06 AM UTC-4, Stephen Struthers wrote:
I have towed large and heavy trailer combinations all over the UK since the

age of 17 (40 years now) and not once have I had a brake issue or for that

matter a tyre issue. We don't use chains and to be honest I not sure I
would want them as the swing of a trailer having "broken away" would
likely cause the towing vehicle to have its own accident. That I would
rather
avoid. Out of interest how many of you have had a trailer break away from
the tow vehicle and what was the cause?

There have been quite a number of tongue failures of Cobra trailers with round tongues, towed almost exclusively by motor homes. Safety chains have kept almost all of them captive to the vehicle which meaningfully reduces the probability of a trailer killing someone else.
One friend noticed his trailer was gone at a fuel stop and drove back 40 miles or so to find it happily stopped in a grass median with no tongue. He was lucky.
The available update to square tongue is a worthwhile improvement if towing with a big vehicle.
UH

Agreed.

The only "issue" I have heard regarding chains as a safety device..... going down a long hill, trailer was not properly attached to car, trailer came off ball, car slowed, trailer tongue went under car and punched a hole in the car gas tank.
This was likely early 80's.

Yes, sorta heavy and long wheelbase tow vehicle lessens the issue of a glider trailer behind it. Part of why I bought a wagon in 98 for normal driving and glider towing.
Granted, a ASK-21 in an enclosed trailer means you really need a big tow vehicle (or lessen your speed).....my wagon was OK until an "oh poop" of an aggressive driver on a long downhill at speed cut across 3 lanes of traffic in front of me.....yikes.....

50 years towing for me, with everything from a Jeep CJ-7 (don't ask) to a van camper. I had the tongue of a Komet trailer break where it had previously been bent and straightened. The trailer was retained by the safety chains and also the brake rod. The wild swings behind the vehicle were apparently fairly dramatic to my sister following the rig but very controllable. I suspect the motion was exaggerated by the brake rod being yanked on and off repeatedly.

The tongue of the same trailer broke at the front attach point and the trailer settled onto the often-abused brake rod. The rear attach point stayed intact so it trundled along nicely. In our wide-bodied van camper, I didn't even know I had a problem until a guy pulled up next to us and waved back at the trailer, where smoke was pouring off the bearings/drums from the brakes being full on.

I concur with those who think our European trailers aren't really designed for the U.S. My Cobra tows fine up to any speed you want to drive. To be sure, it's 27 years old now but the brake system requires more maintenance than I would like and keeps developing new failure modes. The support for the spare tire failed a few years ago (fatigue at a weld) so I relocated the spare to the floor under the fuselage nose from its original position poised over the nose. I've recounted other problems in earlier threads.

There are just some cultural differences. When my Cobra was new, I noticed that when I flipped down the tailgate to act as a support, there was no protection for the painted metal edge of the tailgate where it touched the ground. I had to add rubber bumpers, which now come standard. But it's almost like the factory assumed that all of us would always assemble our gliders on grass airports and never on pavement (common here).

Chip Bearden
JB

I had a trailer with a club Libelle jump off the ball on a very rough railway crossing, examination revealed that it was a combination of a worn imperial ball and a metric tow hitch.
The safety chains saved the day, and stability was not an issue.
On another none gliding trailer, the coupling on the trailer my brother failed to put the chains on, and the trailer came off and crossed to the opposite side of the road, where another vehicle just missed.
I’m far happier to chain the trailer and risk myself, than to not and risk others.

Not really the same issue, but I recall the retrieve of a 1-26 when the
car towed the loaded trailer through a ditch and the trailer became hung
up at both ends with the wheels suspended in the air. What a hoot!

On 3/12/2019 11:04 PM, Charlie Quebec wrote:
I had a trailer with a club Libelle jump off the ball on a very rough railway crossing, examination revealed that it was a combination of a worn imperial ball and a metric tow hitch.
The safety chains saved the day, and stability was not an issue.
On another none gliding trailer, the coupling on the trailer my brother failed to put the chains on, and the trailer came off and crossed to the opposite side of the road, where another vehicle just missed.
I’m far happier to chain the trailer and risk myself, than to not and risk others.

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Dan, 5J