(bart w) wrote in message . com...
On the subject of the safety chains, I've noticed that the metal tab
attached to the front underside of the trailer that anchors one end of
the chain doesn't appear to be that strong. It looks to me like if
the trailer came off the ball, the chain would yank that tab right off
the trailer...

Bart, you may have an older trailer... Mine's 3 years old and has two
large
bolts attached to the body of the trailer on either side of the tongue
and underneath. You may want to take a look at a newer trailer for
ideas on how to make a strong setup.

Another poster mentions that the two chains should be crossed for best
stability of the trailer in case of disconnect. I can't do that as
there's a large skid under the tingue to protect the brake handle
mechanism. A crossed chain passes almost underneath this and I'm
afraid it could catch as the slack is taken up in a turn. My chains
will actually drag in the ground during braling as the tongue
collapses. With the tonngue extended, the length is about as short as
I am comfortable with. I will take another look at my setup this
weekend and see if crossing the chains is an option, as it does make
sense.

I use a very sturdy chain and check it often. Looks like after about
5-6,000 miles, I'm getting a bit of wear and may replace the chains.
Other than that, it works great.

-Tom