mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Joined: 04/09/2004
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After upgrading to a 2-1/2" Reese Titan receiver, I'm setting up a proper hitch extension for the box trailer this year.
Looks like all I need to do is add 6" of chain to each safety chain to make things work. What do you think?
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
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No1Hunter
The Dark Side of the Moon
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Joined: 04/29/2004
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The idea of having safety chains, besides being required by law, is to catch the tongue on the trailer where the chains cross to keep the tongue from digging into the pavement. It appears from your photo the trailer tongue may miss the crossed chains. Not a good situation.
1999 Ford F-350 4x4 CC SRW Shortbox, V-10, 4:30 limited slip, Camper/Trailer Tow Package, Rancho RS9000X shocks, Bridgestone Dueler 265/75R16 ("E") A/T Revo
Camper - in the market
2004 Lowe 1860 SC Camo Roughneck w/ Yamaha 4-stroke 90/65HP Jet
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Specularius
Deville, La
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Joined: 08/02/2005
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I agree and would recommend a couple of loops be welded to the end of the extension to pass the chains through.
2011 F-350 DRW 6.7 Scorpion Diesel Reese Ford Hitch
2008 Bristol Bay 3420
2006 Okanagan 117DBL
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Joined: 04/09/2004
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I was thinking that myself, but if you look where the chains cross, there is no way they could ever catch the tongue even at their current length...
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wnjj
Cornelius, Oregon
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Joined: 01/11/2007
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The primary reason for crossing the chains is so the tongue follows the truck, whether or not it's dragging on the road. Catching the tongue isn't a big deal. In fact I'd rather it drag and slow itself down faster than the truck. If your trailer is uncoupled, damage to the tongue or road is the last concern.
If you have parallel (uncrossed) chains, the tongue can move a couple feet to either side even while under tension. Crossed chains keep it centered.
My extension does have loops welded near the end and I use a separate set of chains from the truck to the loops. The trailer chains couple directly into those chains so I don't have to trust the loop welds. This allows me to uncouple the trailer easily without having to crawl under the truck.
Having the loops also means the trailer cannot rearend the truck if it comes uncoupled.
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Specularius
Deville, La
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The absolute worst thing to happen is to have the tongue of the trailer dragging the ground. I almost lost my grandfather from that very thing happening. The coupler came loose and the chains were not crossed. The tongue of the trailer hit a pothole while it was dragging before he could get stopped and buried itself in the pothole flipping the truck and the trailer. He spent a week in the hospital.
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wnjj
Cornelius, Oregon
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Specularius wrote:The absolute worst thing to happen is to have the tongue of the trailer dragging the ground. I almost lost my grandfather from that very thing happening. The coupler came loose and the chains were not crossed. The tongue of the trailer hit a pothole while it was dragging before he could get stopped and buried itself in the pothole flipping the truck and the trailer. He spent a week in the hospital.
I'm sorry that happened and glad to hear he made it. I don't see how stopping a trailer suddenly directly behind your truck can cause anything to flip, though. I'm assuming the issue was that the trailer started heading off course and pulled the tail of the truck around before it caught the pothole.
Regardless, I always cross my chains.
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nwjetboat
Eugene, Or
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Joined: 05/13/2005
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No1Hunter wrote:The idea of having safety chains, besides being required by law, is to catch the tongue on the trailer where the chains cross to keep the tongue from digging into the pavement. It appears from your photo the trailer tongue may miss the crossed chains. Not a good situation.
X2..I would get hoops welded to the extension for the trailer safety chains. I would also consider a set of chains from the extension to the truck frame.
Not a great picture, but here is my set up. I used 2" thick wall angle iron to attach to the frame of the truck, and heavy turnbuckles to attach to the hitch extension.
2003 Dodge 2500 CTD Air Bags, Rancho9000s, Helwig swaybar, Nitto 285/17E
2005 AF990
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Super_Dave
Sacramento, CA
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Joined: 01/19/2007
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I don't buy the "catch the tongue" idea. When the tow vehicle applies the brakes, you are likely to get impaled from the back by the tongue. In my view, the chains are to keep the towed item from passing you up or heading into on coming traffic. My trailer has an additional piece of cable connected to my trailer brakes so that they are automatically activated as soon as the trailer comes loose.
Truck: 2006 Dodge 3500 Dually
Camper: 2007 Eagle Cap 850
Boat: 2003 Jetcraft 2125 - Yamaha 150 HP & 8 HP Kicker
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wnjj
Cornelius, Oregon
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Super_Dave wrote:I don't buy the "catch the tongue" idea. When the tow vehicle applies the brakes, you are likely to get impaled from the back by the tongue. In my view, the chains are to keep the towed item from passing you up or heading into on coming traffic. My trailer has an additional piece of cable connected to my trailer brakes so that they are automatically activated as soon as the trailer comes loose.
Also when you consider that the "basket" of chains is held up on one end by the very thing it supposedly catches. The only way the tongue is staying off the road is if the chains are shorter than than height of where they attach to the truck above the road. Looking at where mirsch's chains (below) are attached to the tongue, it would easily hit the road with the shortest possible chains even connected directly to the truck without using the hitch extension. Shorter and crossed chains merely keep the trailer in control better, not off the road.
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