freak accident?

kartman · Posted: Dec 04, 2009 6:45 am Post subject: freak accident?

so i was pullin my boat around town to different upholstery shops ALL DAY. it was towing just fine, i even had to slam on the brakes a couple of times from people cutting me off. then i picked up the wife from work, and go to cross the street by her work. (i wasnt even moving that fast, 30 maybe) as soon as i got across the streat, the trailer came off the ball, trailer started dragging on the ground, when the chains were tight, it came back at the truck, and the nose of the boat busted out my back lift gate on my mountaineer. i new i couldnt just hit the brakes or it would slam into the truck again, so i had to coast to a stop, in rush hour traffic. i had a guy stop to help me, and we inspected the coupler and the ball, and every thing looked fine. so we hooked it back up, and made it back home without further incident.

the ball and coupler are both 2". i double and triple checked when it came off. The ball is about 3 years old, and the coupler i would guess was new in 2000, when the trailer was made.

my question is, was this just a freak accident? or should i be replacing the ball and coupler with new ones?? or even up grade to 2 5/16" ones. the boat is a 99 bayliner 2050, about 3200lbs. even less since the engine is out right now.

pet575 · Posted: Dec 04, 2009 7:30 am Post subject:

Are you absolutely sure that the coupler was locked/pinned correctly to prevent it from coming off in the first place? I've arrived at the boat ramp before (1/2 mile from where I keep my boat) and found that I've forgotten this step on at least one occasion. Pretty scary to think of what might've happened, let alone having it actually happen like it did to you. Thank god you weren't going that fast.

kartman · Posted: Dec 04, 2009 8:55 am Post subject:

ya, the coupler was locked down. i had to unlock it to put it back on the ball so i could make it back home.

dirtysparks · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 2428

On my old boat, sometimes the coupler wouldn't seat fully on the ball. You even could lock the coupler but since it wasn't completely over the ball it wouldn't grab hold. I eventually just stuck my head under there and made sure the claw on the coupler was underneath and ball. Sometimes I'd have to wiggle the hell out of the tongue or jump on it to get it fully seated. A little grease helps too.

core-rider · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 531 City: Huntsville, AL

The "claw" that clamps onto the receiver ball can be adjusted by loosening or tightening a nut. If you look on the bottom of the hitch you will see the nut right under the "claw". Latch the hitch to the ball and make sure it isn't loose. If it is not snug, tighten the nut until that is just a small amount of play. It can't be tight or the trailer will not swivel well during turns and different elevation changes. Should take care of your problem.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Sounds like a freak accident. I've had mine not seat properly before when you think it is. I'd just do a double check when you lock it down. core's idea of checking to make sure things are tight is probably a good one too.

maggiemax · Newbie Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 6 City: New Tampa

With over 3000#, your trailer should have brakes. It should also have an emergency cord that activates the brakes when the trailer moves away from the tow vehicle (prevents the trailer from rear ending the tow vehicle in these situations). What happened to your brakes/emergency cord?

LoudonTN · Posted: Dec 08, 2009 5:33 am Post subject:

That is SO strange man, especially with a boat that is so lightweight? Was it bumpy when it came off? You should post pics of your trailer tongue and tow-ball.

Commodore · Ladies Man Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11636

BrentC5Z · Posted: Dec 08, 2009 6:24 am Post subject:

kartman · Posted: Dec 08, 2009 7:30 am Post subject:

found the problem. the coupler has a crack right up the front. you cant see it unless their is pressure upward on it. i found this by jacking up the trailer while it was attached to the truck. it just spread apart, and popped off. i will be replacing the coupler, and adding brakes to the trailer this winter if i dont just buy a bigger duel axle trailer with brakes.

Commodore · Ladies Man Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 11636

Man, that sucks. Good thing you found it right this time. So many people would have just put it back on and said "huh, bad luck". Good job.

Any chance you can take a picture of the coupler? I'd like to see where it craked, and how.

*mental note* Check coupler for cracks this spring.

kartman · Posted: Dec 09, 2009 5:52 am Post subject:

i would, but i already tossed it. it didnt stay on for more than a an hour or so when i found it. when you looked at it, you couldnt see it. you had to jack it up and put preasure on it, then it would start to spread out and you could see it.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Interesting find. Like haugy said, maybe it's a good thing to check for.

dbismyname · Posted: Dec 11, 2009 8:02 am Post subject:

The crack very well could have happened when the coupler slammed down onto the pavement when it popped off. The pop off could have just been the coupler not seated all the way down on the ball. It would take one hell of a bump to put so much upward pressure on the trailer tongue to make that metal spread out and come off the ball.

Learned the same lesson with my mowin trailer. If you don't get all the way down on the ball before you clamp it's coming off.

bftskir · Outlaw Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 118

be sure you latch your hitch

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

I kinda doubt latching the hitch made a difference in that case. Wink

Hollywood · Posted: Dec 15, 2009 7:16 am Post subject:

tonality · Soul Rider Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 435 City: DFW

He couldn't have, if the motor was out of the boat. Would have been way light, right?

DJew Jake · Posted: Jan 24, 2010 10:46 pm Post subject:

tonality, No should be way heavy, since the motor on the boat sits behind the trailers axels?

Board2die · Outlaw Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 244 City: Sacramento

This happened to me once with my old boat. I had the trailer on the hitch ball, but didn't have it properly latched on. The trailer came off, but the boat stayed on the trailer. I always triple check now to make sure that I always have it secured properly.