Stamey

The safety chains on my trailer, and others I have seen, look too wimpy to do the job if they are ever needed. Mine are 5/16 chain on a 12K GVW, tandem, 20 foot flatbed.

Has anyone ever needed those safety chains? If so, what happened, and did the safety chains work like they were supposed to?

Thanks,
Chris

js

I've never used them but my parents were towing thier 21 ft. trailer and the ball failed on thier hitch. The trailer ended up on it's side but it was behind the pickup and not imbedded in the cars that were comming the other way. These chains are supposed to be rated for your trailer weight at the factury and if replaced changed out with the same chain or better. I changed mine and went to a heavier chain.

apache

Years ago we were hauling a trailer full of traffic delineators setting up for a car show. it was real early and luckily no one was out yet. As we cruised down the road into a corner I saw out of the corner of my eye a trailer pass us with nothing pulling it. Yes it was ours. It slamed into a wall doing some damage. Dont take them for granted. It seems they are always to small or will come unhooked if needed. Also the break away system is critical.

ten8fiftyone

Twice..... The first time I was grateful when the chains snapped! I was towing an equipment trailer, which weighed about 3k, with my 3/4 ton truck. The only thing on the trailer was a hot tub I was delivering. I was doing about 50 when the ball broke away. The trailer started whipping my truck around like a rag doll. I was fighting to keep the truck from going sideways and flipping. After what seemed like an hour of this frenzy (actually about 10 seconds) the chains snapped and the trailer shot off the road and into a tree on the side of the highway. If the chains had not snapped, I am certain the whipping trailer would have flipped my truck. The second time (yes lighting does strike twice sometimes!!) I was hauling a borrowed empty car hauler up a 11k foot Colorado pass. I had borrowed the hitch as well and foolishly did not check it out. Once again, the ball broke loose and the trailer went free. I was only doing about 30 at the time and there were no ill effects. The chains saved the trailer from taking off backwards down the pass and I was able to quickly and safely stop. As you might guess, I am EXTREMELY cautious and border-line neurotic when I tow now

Stamey

Sounds like there's a black cloud over your receiver.

Thanks for the stories.

Chris

matthopp

What about a GN setup?

1320

I thought about this a lot....the chains on my open flat trailer looked wimpy....and I thought about "what if"......I decided that for me....I would rather keep the trailer attached to my truck for as long as possible....if it takes me and the truck out so be it, I don t want to hurt or kill someone else that doesn t have a chance. Mostly this stems from me having a daughter...... If I had a car on the trailer and it got loose....it could really hurt a bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time.....If it totals my truck, damages it etc......and I can atleast slow down the carnage before it were ever to hit something thats as good as I can do, so I want it to stay withthe truck.

BTW, after looking at chains.....they are all probably way under rated. I have two extra (4 total) and they are rather large with a decent rating.

TXRAM2

The only thing the chains will stop is DPS from writing a ticket. But they are kept in good shape and hooked up every time.

Crimedog

ALWAYS keep your chains in good order, and make sure they are hooked up. My brother and his buddy were pulling a light fishing boat with his S10, the trailer ripped the ball through the bumper and the chains came loose. The tongue slammed right into the grill of an oncoming dodge truck. went right through the radiator, and parts of the motor. He still quivers about that day, if it would have been a little car, someone could be dead. DONT take any chances.

waynem

Actually I was looking at my Gooseneck chains again, and I was thinking about reducing the length on them, just give them enough play so the gooseneck turns OK. That way if it does come loose it won't be flying around the back of the pickup into the sides of the bed. Right now the chains are long enough it could do that.
Although if I do that then the breakaway switch would not go off. It probably would be better to leave the longer chains on, not upgrade the chain size. That way the chains would temporarily hold the trailer, while the breakaway switch was activated, then if they did break, the trailer would at least be stopping.
Any body have any thoughts on this ????


Also It should be a law that besides the breakaway switch and battery are mandated, so is a charger to charge the battery !!!
Didn't know the battery didn't re-charge until we happened to re-wire the electrical to larger wiring. Might want to check your trailer !!!!!

rich

Run a hot wire to your battery from the trailer plug and it will keep the battery charged thru the trailer plug. I have had to us the chains twice and always keep them hooked up. both times i was loaded with about 16k.

jdeereboy

I would NEVER pull a trailer without chains! My father and I were pulling a plow and it came off the hitch. Fortunately my father chained it to the truck hitch. The plow hitch came undone and the plow tried to swing towards oncoming traffic. If it could have, I am certain that that person coming towards us would have been killed. If the chains cause the trailer to flip me over if the the trailer came undone, so be it. I would rather be the one hurt or killed instead of an innocent person one the road.

I live here in NC where most trailers going down the road do not have lights, chains, reflectors, the proper ball hitch, chains, or even a plate. It is a crying shame what is allowed to roll down the road.

Stamey

waynem,
Look at it this way, your regular brakes should work if it comes loose from the GN, or any other hitch, as long as the safety chains aren't longer than the trailer harness. My understanding is the break-away setup is for situations where the hitch breaks AND the safety chains break, the brakes get applied immediately, independent of the truck, so that the trailer stops as soon as possible.

If your hitch comes loose, I'm sure you're gonna know it, and begin decellerating immediately, with your normal brakes, perhaps even with a little extra brakes applied to the trailer to keep it from going through the cab. With heavy enough, and short enough safety chains you may be able to bring the whole rig to a halt without much damage to anything.
Now picture it if the hitch came loose, but the safety chains don't, and your break-away gets activated. The trailer slams on brakes, and if the saftey chains WERE holding, the trailer is now ripped away from the truck, with brakes applied, but who knows what direction it's going.

I suggest you shorten the safety chains if possible, but leave some length for the break-away because you don't want that applying unless the trailer really breaks away from the truck. My break-away switch cable is much longer than the safety chains, for that reason.

Chris

TXRAM2

Stamey
I think you are right on with your line of thought. Couldn't agree more.
wk