# This is why you check your hitch.



## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

Just happened next to my shop. Dude went over railroad tracks, trailer jumped. ... he's got a mess.


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## Roofcheck (Dec 27, 2011)

I always check my hitch. Always. Even the timr I went from pulling a Genie with 2" ball to my trailer with a 2-5/16" ball. Got almost out fo my customers driveway. M bare assing.


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## illbuildit.dd (Jan 7, 2015)

I was dumping old concrete on a guys land who worked for a window company and the receiver broke off the truck on the interstate with a load of new windows. Said it was tack welded on when they bought the truck and didn't know it


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Happened to me a few weeks ago. Never thought it would, it was so cold out I was rushing. Never again. 

Thank god the chains were correct! Just a little dent in the bumper.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I've dome it as well. I'll usually think I have undercarriage problems. Then I realize it is the hitch knocking. Haven't had it jump off yet.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

dayexco said:


> Just happened next to my shop. Dude went over railroad tracks, trailer jumped. ... he's got a mess.


Did he have his chains crossed? I had one jump off one time, but my chains were X'D under the tongue, so it didn't go all the way to the ground. I just lowered the jack & hooked back up.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Inspect your receiver also. I had to replace the one on my Ex due to rust. Torque tube had a hole in it.

Tom


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## Jonbuild (Nov 18, 2013)

I pulled a friend out of a ditch once, he didn't have a hitch, I had a 2" ball in the bed of my truck but no pin, so I grab pin out of my receiver, 

Next day I hook up to my trailer, went 20 mi. Includes pulling out my drive is an up hill prob 5% got to job remembered I forgot to put the pin, that was pulling 10000# trailer!!

And yes I did pull the receiver out since, sledge hammer and blaster!! censored!!!


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

I have forgotten to change the 2 " ball for my dump trailer to the 2 5/16 for my work trailer before. heard it clunking when stopping or starting knew right away the problem.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Looks like it buckled the corner.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

I was hauling a rented forklift with a rustbucket 1996 chevrolet 2500 and the hitch broke off except for a thin metal hinge that saved me from a much bigger disaster.


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

Thanks for the reminder. Pulling should always be taken seriously. Many things could happen that could result in hurting or killing someone else, even with small stuff.


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## elementbldrs (Sep 26, 2010)

I had two separate message boards come off in one night. Both my fault for trusting someone hooking me up.


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## Youngin' (Sep 16, 2012)

Even when there is someone hooking up the hitch the driver always checks. Not that we don't trust each other but it's good practice.


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## S.U.M (Apr 17, 2013)

Happened me few years ago, switched dump trailers and forget to check the hitch, went the job removed a huge chimney 1000 brick plus, drove 45mins on the highway to the landfill lifted the trailer and it lifted right off ,
the chains stopped it tipping over falling into Lake Ontario. Came down hard on the back door of the truck,
Very lucky on that drive, didn't care about the truck just couldn't believe I made it and didn't kill anyone


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## JPConst1005 (Feb 11, 2014)

I check both tow rigs when we are towing. I've been lucky enough to not have a trailer come undone, but I did drive from Atlanta to Savannah one time and the locking mechanism was open the whole way!  Surprised I didn't lose it on the 300 mile trip. Since then, I double check everything. Especially since my name is on the side of the trucks.


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

I had a 24' enclosed trailer packed full of stuff come undone on me one time. I made the mistake of letting someone else hook up everything and he didn't use the right ball and didn't cross the chains. Trailer came off the ball and tweaked the jack enough I couldn't jack it back up. Fortunately it happened right in front of a machine shop and they brought a forklift out to help us. Ever since then I don't let anyone hook up a trailer for me


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

Jonbuild said:


> I pulled a friend out of a ditch once, he didn't have a hitch, I had a 2" ball in the bed of my truck but no pin, so I grab pin out of my receiver,
> 
> Next day I hook up to my trailer, went 20 mi. Includes pulling out my drive is an up hill prob 5% got to job remembered I forgot to put the pin, that was pulling 10000# trailer!!
> 
> And yes I did pull the receiver out since, sledge hammer and blaster!! censored!!!


There was a horrible incident on a freeway down here where someone had forgotten to put the pin in the hitch and it came out, bounced off the pavement and through the window of a car right into the face of the driver, killing the driver.


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