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Open Roads Forum  >  Travel Trailers  >  General Q&A

 > Do you lock or unlock the hitch while pulling your TT?

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Gdetrailer

PA

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Joined: 01/05/2007

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Posted: 08/08/22 03:56pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

valhalla360 wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

Only if you have so little tension on them as to not be transfering any weight.


Never actually watched a WDH in motion have you. Those bars flex quite a bit in normal operation....yes even when they are already under a good bit of tension.


Let me get this straight.. there is no "need" for the hitch latch at all?

Perhaps under "normal" conditions, it is possible.

However, one must look past "normal" conditions and consider the possibilities of what can and most likely will happen when you encounter "not normal" conditions.

Put your money where the keyboard is and try a dry run minus your trailer ball, only using the WD hitch..

Bet your WD will never stand a chance of holding the hitch in place without the ball. The weakest points of WD is the mounting points of the bars on the trailer tongue, they are made of light gauge materials. They were never intended to hold the hitch on the ball.

Now, consider what can happen if you were to have to slam on the brakes when someone cuts you off in traffic..

That WD has no chance in holding the hitch on the ball considering the weight of your trailer..

That is what this is about, it isn't "fear" based, it is a fact that objects in motion tend to stay in motion. All of the energy stored in that weight of the trailer must go somewhere.. The somewhere is your hitch and hitch ball and if the hitch is not latched, the tongue will easily be pushed up and over the ball and your puny WD bars and mounting points will not stop that from happening.

Huntindog

Phoenix AZ

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Posted: 08/08/22 04:47pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Well just for that I am never going to use a coupler pin.. Lookout as you never know when you will encounter one of us.

I am not the least bit concerned about it.

That is because I actually tried with my 4.5 ton jack to lift the coupler off the ball. It simply can't be done

Just because it has a hole, doesn't mean something needs to go in it. Manufacturers have no idea if WD will be used in conjunction with the coupler... So they all get the hole



Huntindog
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Huntindog

Phoenix AZ

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Posted: 08/08/22 05:49pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Gdetrailer wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

Only if you have so little tension on them as to not be transfering any weight.


Never actually watched a WDH in motion have you. Those bars flex quite a bit in normal operation....yes even when they are already under a good bit of tension.


Let me get this straight.. there is no "need" for the hitch latch at all?

Perhaps under "normal" conditions, it is possible.

However, one must look past "normal" conditions and consider the possibilities of what can and most likely will happen when you encounter "not normal" conditions.

Put your money where the keyboard is and try a dry run minus your trailer ball, only using the WD hitch..

Bet your WD will never stand a chance of holding the hitch in place without the ball. Now you are just making stuff up.
When did I say anything about the ball not being needed?[emoticon]
The weakest points of WD is the mounting points of the bars on the trailer tongue, they are made of light gauge materials. They were never intended to hold the hitch on the ball.

Now, consider what can happen if you were to have to slam on the brakes when someone cuts you off in traffic..

That WD has no chance in holding the hitch on the ball considering the weight of your trailer..

That is what this is about, it isn't "fear" based, it is a fact that objects in motion tend to stay in motion. All of the energy stored in that weight of the trailer must go somewhere.. The somewhere is your hitch and hitch ball and if the hitch is not latched, the tongue will easily be pushed up and over the ball and your puny WD bars and mounting points will not stop that from happening.


lane hog

Tucson, AZ & NW Chicago Burbs, IL

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Posted: 08/08/22 06:17pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Dear God, what have I stumbled into?...

Yes, I usually use a D-pin when towing. The D portion of the pin gives me a place to run my 7-wire cord and my trailer's hardwired camera feed.

I've also towed without one. Never worried about 8,000 lbs of trailer popping off the ball... but I also make sure my chains are secure and I test my breakaway every once in a while (intentionally & unintentionally).



  • 2019 Grand Design 29TBS (had a Winnebago and 3x Jayco owner)
  • 2016 F-150 3.5L MaxTow (had Ram 2500 CTD, Dodge Durango)
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Boon Docker

Mountain Foothills of Southern Alberta

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Posted: 08/08/22 07:08pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

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