adventure in trailering - first time event

Steve in VA · Aug 7, 2013

So, I agree to haul a 6' finish mower for a friend and it's on my way. All of my trailers are overkill for this so I borrowed his brother's 5 x 8 on a trip by. I didn't have an 1 7/8" ball with me so that and the hitch got borrowed too. Jump forward a week and the mower is loaded, the tires kicked, everything shaken, and the dog and I are on the road. Its early Sunday so down the interstate we run at the posted 70. Pass over a bridge and the Dodge starts to lurch a bit. I look in the mirror and the trailer is going berserk. I figure I've lost a tire or some suspension part. Get it pulled over and the ball is gone. The hitch is still there but no ball. It's not in the trailer hitch either. Fortunately the safety chains were enough to hold and short enough that the tongue didn't drag the road. That was exciting.

Russ from MN · Aug 7, 2013

The last ball mount I bought had the ball welded on, probably not a bad idea. Did you put some grease on the ball before you hooked it up? If it is dry it's like having a 10 foot wrench unscrewing the ball! I used to use the type of ball with internal threads and a bolt, but I put a 1/4" pin in the flange to prevent them from turning. Then I didn't have to use a channel locks to hold the ball.

Nancy Howell · Aug 7, 2013

Glad you"re ok.

Most of my towing is with a g/n, but last w/e I did use my small, bumper pull horse trailer.

Think I"ll have James check the ball this w/e when I get to the farm.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 7, 2013

A ball shouldn't come loose if it's tightened properly. Putting grease on the ball will wear out the coupler on the trailer.

Mike Kork · Aug 7, 2013

(quoted from post at 14:32:40 08/07/13) Putting grease on the ball will wear out the coupler on the trailer.

Wow that is a new one for me, I always grease my balls and after 30 years the coupler is a little loose but nowhere near worn out. Care to explain your self.

Russ from MN · Aug 7, 2013

How will grease wear out a coupler? Grease prevents wear and corrosion! You wouldn't think of hooking up a semi-trailer without having grease on the fifth wheel!

SweetFeet · Aug 7, 2013

Glad you are ok.

When we are hauling a tractor, that is my worst fear... even with safety chains and break-away brake system, I am thinking it would be scary to have your trailer get loose.

GeneMO · Aug 7, 2013

I put the receiver hitch in the vice, and tighten the ball down with a 24" Cresant wrench.

It ain't gonna come loose.

Gene

fixerupper · Aug 7, 2013

I had a U Haul trailer come loose when the hitch on the back of my car broke. It went whipping around on the safety chains and then the safety chains let to. The trailer ended up in a shallow ditch. The car I was meeting at the time stopped and the driver got out and told me with a shaky voice he thought the trailer was headed for him. He helped me pull it out by hand and I went to a farm place to make a call. This was 42 years ago and long before cell phones. After renting a clamp on hitch from the U Haul at the next town I was back on the road again. Jim

JerryS · Aug 7, 2013

I was recently hauling some stuff on my heavy 16-foot trailer when I heard strange bumping noises. Got out and looked, saw that the slide-in pin that holds the hitch in the receiver had fallen out. The chains wouldn't allow the hitch to come all the way out of the receiver, but it would slide and bump. The pin was one of those cheapies with a toggle end. I now have a better pin that won't come out.

Ozlander · Aug 7, 2013

(quoted from post at 06:32:40 08/07/13) A ball shouldn't come loose if it's tightened properly. Putting grease on the ball will wear out the coupler on the trailer.

Yeah, and let all of the oil out of your engine. All that oil does is wear out the engine.

D beatty · Aug 7, 2013

Put grease on the ball of my trailer with no problems but do clean it and the coupler with solvent and regrease it periodically.

retired farmer · Aug 7, 2013

I'll bet they get a little slippery in your shorts then.

waltdavies · Aug 7, 2013

putting grease on the ball and not covering it with one of those snap over caps can cause dirt and sand to get into the grease and cause wear. that"s why you don"t grease cat tracts. I had one of the little red white and blue caps on my motor home hitch and my little pony would pull it off every time I put it on. we went around for and hour one day i put it on he took it off.
I have found that using the 3/4 in. pin on my farm trailers works great and you don"t need chains.
Walt

D beatty · Aug 7, 2013

Russ I drove semi for 38 years and several times the fifth wheel got a little dry on grease. If the fifth wheel gets dry and you have a heavy load on you will have trouble turning corners.
Had one in the winter on snow and ice that would not turn at all (Luckily enough I had room to get stopped).

jm. · Aug 7, 2013

SDtick You have to explain that one to me. How does a light coat of grease cause the hitch to wear out. I am 70+ years old and owned a lot of ball type hitches and use every thing from wd40 to grease and haven,t had one WEAR out yet. Have had welds break and folks drive over the hitch and bend the hitch lock tab but again just can not think of wearing out.

wilson ind · Aug 7, 2013

best to not let your wife see that COUPLER LOOSE thing!!!!

J. Everett · Aug 7, 2013

You guys must not live on a dusty gravel road...I do not greese my hitch ball either. There should be a lock washer under the hitch ball and above the nut, need to be sure to check that the nut is tight and everything is ship shape before you take off with the thing. Some say "stick" and some say "spray". What ever works best for you.

Ken Macfarlane · Aug 7, 2013

5th wheel plate is large diameter vs ball and carries a lot more pin weight, of course it won't turn dry. We don't grease here, attracts dirt/sand and gets on legs, hands, dogs etc. Our heaviest trailer is about 2000 lb tongue weight and after a few hundred hours towing its just taken the chrome off the top edges of the ball or dulled it, can't tell, don't care, new ball isn't much more than a couple tubes of grease when it wears out in another 10 years.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 7, 2013

I use the ball with the hex on the bottom, that walmart sells. It's part of a system, that has a receiver with a corresponding hex shape stamped into the receiver. Didn't buy the receiver part, just welded a piece of 3/8" square stock, as long as one of the faces of the hex, to the receiver. That way I can stick the receiver into the reese hitch, sideways, and just tighten down on the nut, with only 1 wrench! Oh, and grease your balls, and put never seize on your nuts, and life will be easy!

adventure in trailering - first time event

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