Trailer tongue failure

A little afterthought concerning trailer tongue failures. I have a
3/4 ton GMC pickup with a factory installed hitch. Last year I towed
my glider 700 miles to do some repairs. When I got to my destination
and went to unhitch the trailer I found the trailer tongue a few
inches from the ground. My 10,000lb hitch had broken two of the four
mounting ears where it bolts to the frame and the other two were very
near breaking. The entire hitch was dangling loosely and I'm sure
very near breaking free entirely. I have witnesses. Since the safety
chains were attatched to the hitch they would have been worthless. I
was very close to serious property damage and possibly much worse.
Hitches are not bulletproof. I do tow a 4000lb travel trailer
occasionally. The hitch shop that replaced the hitch said this was
not an uncommon failure. I would recommend inspecting the hitch
itself, especially the mounts for cracks and security.

A good point to raise before the (northern) season gets going.
Heard of someone loosing a bumper hitch on a brand new pickup. The
dealer claimed that it wasn't their responsibility, as it wasn't a
factory- or dealer- installed ball on the hitch!
Personally had a similar failure, but on the trailer. One of the
front bolts holding the tongue to the trailer failed, the other
loosened. Of course, on a drive from Ely back home along some of the
"loneliest roads". Fortunately the loose front and both rear bolts
held and the trailer had only sagged about an inch or so (25 - 30mm)
when it was discovered. Replaced the bolts and it was back in
business. Yes, the safety chain is attached to this part that could
have fallen off, too!
We probably don't preflight our trailers enough. There's more to
them than checking lights and greasing the bearings. It takes very
little time to check the hitch on the car, too. It helps to have a
mechanic's creeper. (a dolly you lie on to get under the vehicle)
Jim

Thanks for the "heads up" on this!

--
Hartley Falbaum
wrote in message
...
A little afterthought concerning trailer tongue failures. I have a
3/4 ton GMC pickup with a factory installed hitch. Last year I towed
my glider 700 miles to do some repairs. When I got to my destination
and went to unhitch the trailer I found the trailer tongue a few
inches from the ground. My 10,000lb hitch had broken two of the four
mounting ears where it bolts to the frame and the other two were very
near breaking. The entire hitch was dangling loosely and I'm sure
very near breaking free entirely. I have witnesses. Since the safety
chains were attatched to the hitch they would have been worthless. I
was very close to serious property damage and possibly much worse.
Hitches are not bulletproof. I do tow a 4000lb travel trailer
occasionally. The hitch shop that replaced the hitch said this was
not an uncommon failure. I would recommend inspecting the hitch
itself, especially the mounts for cracks and security.

I used to tow my lightweight homebuilt trailer with Honda Accords. I
never weighed the trailer, but both the older four cylinder Accord and
the newer six cylinder Accord pulled that trailer with ease. Now,
"easy towing" was the ONLY good thing about that old trailer.

My new trailer is MUCH heavier, I'm sure. While the six cylinder
Accord towed the heavier trailer easily enough, the hitch didn't like
it at all. The first of two hitches bolted to the Honda at three
points: Two through the Oh Too Thin sheet metal at the bottom of the
trunk and one at the tie-down loop at the center rear. Well, after a
couple thousand miles of towing, I noticed the bottom of the trunk
completely broken up and the spare tire about to fall out! Needless
to say, I had that hitch removed and the trunk floor repaired. I
found another hitch that bolted not through the Oh Too Thin sheet
metal, but to the vestiges of "frame rails" near the rear of the car,
plus one bolt through the tie-down loop as the previous hitch. This
hitch also began to rip out the bottom of the Honda trunk. I really
think this time was induced when, with trailer attached, I exited a
gravel road onto a paved road too quickly, causing the hitch to bottom
out on the ground as I drove through a low spot and punch up through
the thin metal trunk via the central tie-down loop bolt attachment
point.

It was not long after that incident that I weighed the trailer: 2,040
lbs and 180 lbs tongue weight. The Honda was rated for only 1,000 lbs
and 100 lb tongue weight. Lordy, was I overgrossing the poor beast!

The Honda has been sold and replaced by a Subaru Forester (normally
aspirated). It's rated to tow 2,400 lbs with a maximum of 200 lbs (or
240, I have forgotten) tongue weight. The hitch is a factory hitch.
I will definitely keep an eye on this hitch after the problems I had
with the Honda.

I have noted the Subaru's rear end doesn't sag with the trailer
attached as did the Honda's.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

On Mar 15, 10:25 am, JS wrote:
A good point to raise before the (northern) season gets going.
Heard of someone loosing a bumper hitch on a brand new pickup. The
dealer claimed that it wasn't their responsibility, as it wasn't a
factory- or dealer- installed ball on the hitch!
Personally had a similar failure, but on the trailer. One of the
front bolts holding the tongue to the trailer failed, the other
loosened. Of course, on a drive from Ely back home along some of the
"loneliest roads". Fortunately the loose front and both rear bolts
held and the trailer had only sagged about an inch or so (25 - 30mm)
when it was discovered. Replaced the bolts and it was back in
business. Yes, the safety chain is attached to this part that could
have fallen off, too!
We probably don't preflight our trailers enough. There's more to
them than checking lights and greasing the bearings. It takes very
little time to check the hitch on the car, too. It helps to have a
mechanic's creeper. (a dolly you lie on to get under the vehicle)
Jim

ah, northern season has started....

On Mar 15, 8:55 am, wrote:
A little afterthought concerning trailer tongue failures. I have a
3/4 ton GMC pickup with a factory installed hitch. Last year I towed
my glider 700 miles to do some repairs. When I got to my destination
and went to unhitch the trailer I found the trailer tongue a few
inches from the ground. My 10,000lb hitch had broken two of the four
mounting ears where it bolts to the frame and the other two were very
near breaking. The entire hitch was dangling loosely and I'm sure
very near breaking free entirely. I have witnesses. Since the safety
chains were attatched to the hitch they would have been worthless. I
was very close to serious property damage and possibly much worse.
Hitches are not bulletproof. I do tow a 4000lb travel trailer
occasionally. The hitch shop that replaced the hitch said this was
not an uncommon failure. I would recommend inspecting the hitch
itself, especially the mounts for cracks and security.

Heck I once saw the whole step bumper and hitch depart a pickup towing
a 28ft cabin cruiser. The boat and trailer crossed the five or six
lanes of I-5 a couple of times in grand arcs and stopped without
damage. Pretty amazing. Spring would seem a good time to check all
hitch bolts and welds.

Frank Whiteley

"Frank Whiteley" wrote in message
...
On Mar 15, 8:55 am, wrote:
Heck I once saw the whole step bumper and hitch depart a pickup towing
a 28ft cabin cruiser. The boat and trailer crossed the five or six
lanes of I-5 a couple of times in grand arcs and stopped without
damage. Pretty amazing. Spring would seem a good time to check all
hitch bolts and welds.

Frank Whiteley


Sometimes it may be helpful to have a weak tow hitch?

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsPnwi0nb2Q

bumper
"dare to be different . . . circle in sink"
QV and MKII

Jim.. we've been flying the last two weekends in low thermals and connecting
to upper level wave..
Bill

"JS" wrote in message
...
A good point to raise before the (northern) season gets going.
Heard of someone loosing a bumper hitch on a brand new pickup. The
dealer claimed that it wasn't their responsibility, as it wasn't a
factory- or dealer- installed ball on the hitch!
Personally had a similar failure, but on the trailer. One of the
front bolts holding the tongue to the trailer failed, the other
loosened. Of course, on a drive from Ely back home along some of the
"loneliest roads". Fortunately the loose front and both rear bolts
held and the trailer had only sagged about an inch or so (25 - 30mm)
when it was discovered. Replaced the bolts and it was back in
business. Yes, the safety chain is attached to this part that could
have fallen off, too!
We probably don't preflight our trailers enough. There's more to
them than checking lights and greasing the bearings. It takes very
little time to check the hitch on the car, too. It helps to have a
mechanic's creeper. (a dolly you lie on to get under the vehicle)
Jim

wrote:
A little afterthought concerning trailer tongue failures. I have a
3/4 ton GMC pickup with a factory installed hitch. Last year I towed
my glider 700 miles to do some repairs. When I got to my destination
and went to unhitch the trailer I found the trailer tongue a few
inches from the ground. My 10,000lb hitch had broken two of the four
mounting ears where it bolts to the frame and the other two were very
near breaking. The entire hitch was dangling loosely and I'm sure
very near breaking free entirely. I have witnesses. Since the safety
chains were attatched to the hitch they would have been worthless. I
was very close to serious property damage and possibly much worse.
Hitches are not bulletproof. I do tow a 4000lb travel trailer
occasionally. The hitch shop that replaced the hitch said this was
not an uncommon failure. I would recommend inspecting the hitch
itself, especially the mounts for cracks and security.
This is a common problem with the GM hitches.