LOL...sorry, but I gotta laugh because I've done this and didn't the good results you did. But thankfully I wasn't pulling a travel trailer. We were moving from Massachusetts to North Carolina. We were somewhere on I-84 coming through New York and I was pulling a canoe on a canoe trailer behind my Jeep Wrangler. I was going ever bit of 65-70mph, when I noticed the canoe dropped. I made it across several lanes in a flash and off the side of the road. I forgot to put that dang cotter pin into the big hitch pin. The big pin worked its way out and the draw bar came out of the receiver. It dragged across the pavement, welding the ball threads and nut together. Luckily the safety chains did thier job. I took the rack off the back of my wifes explorer and put it in the canoe along with the cooler that was on it and used that pin. Lesson learned...lol
Brian RVing Illustrated
2010 Keystone Sprinter Select 31BH
2001 Coleman Santa Fe
wbwood: I guess the TT weight kept in place? Really, I was dumbfound! I was putting on my gloves and I noticed my hitch lock in the storage compartment (something like this, I don't remember which brand. My mouth dropped...
I have two checklists glued on my storage compartment door (inside). But the hitch lock is such a basic thing so it's not there. What happened? I broke my routine: we are leaving the trailer for a month near the campgrounds we are going and I always left the lock on my hitch. So I just had to insert it in the Sequoia, remove the lock, push it inside a little bit and lock it again.
However, my wife said what if we forget the key? We have combination locks for the storage compartment but nothing would open that lock. So I removed it from the hitch. And then I forgot it... It's not my wife's fault, of course.
This is going to be in my checklist now, for sure. Brackets pins, ball pin, hitch lock, springs bars, stabilizers up, etc.
This is definitely the first time it happened. Never again!
2011 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 5.7L V8 (next will be a 3/4, someday)
2012 Jayco Flight Swift 267BHS (5963lbs dry, 6650 wet)
Propride hitch (I had a Reese dual cam round bar WDH for 4 months)
chracatoa wrote: wbwood: I guess the TT weight kept in place? Really, I was dumbfound! I was putting on my gloves and I noticed my hitch lock in the storage compartment (something like this, I don't remember which brand. My mouth dropped...
I have to ask, when you saw the hitch pin in the storage compartment did you pause for a second and wonder if you had an extra? I know that's about how my brain processes these kinds of situations.
1996 Suburban 4x4. 350, 4.10 3/4 ton
2005 Jayco Jay Flight 27BH
1986 Coleman Columbia Popup.
I have a locking hitchpin similar to the one referenced above, but it stays on the hitch receiver 24/7, either locking on a hitch or a cover. At least that way, I have less to worry about. I have to unlock it to pull the cover off and install the hitch - hard to forget about the hitch pin in that amount of time, as that key is on a key ring that also has the tongue lock pin (also locking) and any other keys for the camper on it. That key ring always stays in a specific location inside the TV.
Having the tongue lock key on the ring also ensures I don't try to take off with the camper some other way without retrieving that key ring. Backup keys are, well, hidden.
trucker495 wrote: Sounds like the Gods smiled on you! Glad you made it.
X=2, but now your on borrowed time!
This is another one. I made fun of my brother in law when he ripped the tongue jack off his pop-up and several years later I started off with mine down at a campground but for the grace of God I felt it right away and I was on soft ground so no damage. Never again will I make fun of someone for doing something like this because you never know when your the next one to be made fun of. HA HA!
03 Ford F150 XLT
Good-bye old friend --- 01 Coleman Sante Fe Pop-up
Hello new friend --- 09 KZ Coyote 23CR Hybrid
Me ,The Wife,The Boy,Girl 1 ,Girl 2
We are Blessed.
My error. I thought you ment the actual pin in the receiver, as I think others did as well. You are talking about the hole on the actual coupler that sits on the ball on the hitch. If the latch is grabbing the ball then more than likely you won't have anything to worry about. A lock or something on it will keep the latch from lifting up, but I think it would take a lot for that to happen if it's working correctly.
It's not the coupler latch pin. I know we actually don't need that one (as long as it's grabbing the ball).
I would think that without the pin the hitch and everything would fall and the safety chains would grab them. And, of course, it would damage bumper, hitch and who knows what else in the process. That's what I would expect but that didn't happen here for some reason.
ETA: it's the pin that goes here (this is not my car, just an example)
The long and short of it is, you got really, really lucky. You will never do this again and you will never know why you got so lucky. Just thank whatever gods you pray to that everything stayed safe and figure out how to repay them. I one time had a uhaul pop off a hitch when I was pulling off from a light. I was doing 25-30 mph and the uhaul was empty. I had just passed a biker when the trailer started jerking my armada all over the place. I immediately stopped (of course it was a construction zone so no shoulder at all). The safety chains did their job. I had a pretty good dent in the bumper from where the truck was used to help stop the little TT (too small for trailer brakes). I then was afraid to try to lift it back on by myself since I was on a hill (downhill was behind the TV and TT). I had my then 2 yr old DD in the car and no-one else w/ me. I called DH to come help me put it back on. Got it back on and returned without further incident but I will NEVER FORGET that experience and am now so completely anal about triple checking my hitch setup before each trip.... I don't care how many times DH tells me its fine, he got it right. I even look at the ball from underneath to make sure it is latched right. I bet you will become just as anal retentive about your hitch set up now.
This reminds me of a friend who did not torque the nut on bottom of the ball coupler. The nut worked its way loose, and one good bounce popped the ball (still captured in the coupler) out of the hitch bar. He was driving along at 70 MPH and saw his boat swerving across the other lane and into a lake. A stupid mistake with grave potential and a happy ending.
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