phoenix2013 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 After the last ET "field install" a discussion ensued about what to do about emergency brake lanyard for the fifth electric brakes. So a quick design effort, and the real thing. It will be standard feature on all ETs made from this point on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblr Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Great now I need to upgrade already!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 I'll send you the grommet, address? The link is a Home Depot purchase. I'm sure that Smart is willing and ready for "another run for another purchase" by now. How does it like premium gas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblr Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Henry, It is staring to run smoother now, thanks. Just had the brackets to hold the ramps spread out a bit to move them away from the hitch plus give me some wiggle room when moving the ramps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 This was a question(suggestion) that I had with Gregg@RVhaulers about a year ago or so. You could also clip that into the square 1/2 drive hole of the jaw release handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 This was a question(suggestion) that I had with Gregg@RVhaulers about a year ago or so. You could also clip that into the square 1/2 drive hole of the jaw release handle. Rick, good ideas never die, they just get "recycled". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lights Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 DOT says your brake a way cord or brake lanyard can't be attach to any part of the hitch. I know it is a stupid law. I have mine attached to the frame rail, just to be safe. The reason the law says that if the hitch brakes away the brakes will still be applied to the RV. If our hitch brakes away our truck we will be in BIG trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dollytrolley Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 DOT says your brake a way cord or brake lanyard can't be attach to any part of the hitch. I know it is a stupid law. I have mine attached to the frame rail, just to be safe. The reason the law says that if the hitch brakes away the brakes will still be applied to the RV. If our hitch brakes away our truck we will be in BIG trouble. No problem.......after the......."event" , just hobble around the truck in ever bigger circles until you find the trailer..........once you find the trailer........the hitch should be near the lanyard..........so simple.....Henry knows what he is doing........ Cancel the above advice......the DW reminds me (what mind) that every time I drive away from the hitch with the lanyard still attached to the truck that the lanyard just stays with the truck and I just drag the little plastic fork down the road.......and the trailer sits with the brakes on till the battery runs down........ Who would think that tis RV-thing was so complicated....... Drive on........(check the lanyard first)..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 DOT says your brake a way cord or brake lanyard can't be attach to any part of the hitch. I know it is a stupid law. I have mine attached to the frame rail, just to be safe. The reason the law says that if the hitch brakes away the brakes will still be applied to the RV. If our hitch brakes away our truck we will be in BIG trouble. OK, the first letter in DOT stands for Department.................... Very seldom the nuggets of wisdom coming out of institutions whose names start with Department.............. have been thought out so completely that they represent pure brilliance covering all possible situations. Furthermore, people running institutions named Department.... most likely have a degree in Political Science and not a degree from MIT, 'nuf said. That's a quarter inch thick steel plate attached to a 650 pound hitch with four 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts. The said hitch is attached to the truck frame rails with six 3/4 inch grade 8 bolts. Last time I checked these were 40,000 lbs each in shear and 150,000 lbs each in tension. This hitch is not going anywhere and in this instance it is attached to a piddly cable attached to a piddly plastic thingie, stuck into another piddly plastic thingie. Guess what's going to "give" first. It is more important to think through the positioning of the emergency stop lanyard so that it works properly when you need it, than a stupid DOT rule. For instance, in my callow youth when I didn't know anything with my first fifth, I chose the location for the lanyard that (I don't remember anymore) either looked right, or looked good. I my first parking attempt, which included backing and jackknifing the fifth all of the sudden the fifth didn't want to go anywhere. I was OK jackknifing to the left, when I jackknifed to the right I pulled the friggin lanyard out and locked the fifth's brakes. I didn't take into account that the position of the emergency actuator (offset to one side) required different lanyard slack depending on the turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronbo Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 If the trailer becomes unhitched (someone doesn't visually check) and you drop said trailer the pin will pop out and the trailer will not go anyplace. The hitch stays with the truck. So I have heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beyerjf Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I think a total recall of every ET hitch ever made before this change is in order. All removal, shipping, reinstallation costs to be borne by the manufacturer of this very dangerous and shoddy product. Very similar to the recent GM decision to change the faulty ignition switch without changing the part number hoping NHTSA wouldn't notice. I know a good lawyer for class action lawsuit....LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdickinson Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Herrin welded a short pce of 1/2" bar diagonally across the top corner of the hitch recess forward of the hitch itself. I just loop the cable thru and hook on to itself with the same size carabiner you show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I think a total recall of every ET hitch ever made before this change is in order. All removal, shipping, reinstallation costs to be borne by the manufacturer of this very dangerous and shoddy product. Very similar to the recent GM decision to change the faulty ignition switch without changing the part number hoping NHTSA wouldn't notice. I know a good lawyer for class action lawsuit....LOL Jeff, never mind the GM problem, this could be on the scale of Takata shoddy manufacturing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I couldn't believe how many 2500/250-3500/350 SRW pickup's I saw on the long weekend pulling triple axle 40ft+ toyhauler's. I think this law would make sense since someone probably told these guy's hauling way overloaded with a 13K fifth wheel hitch should be fine too. Until they see their FW passing them down the highway with the lanyard still hooked to the hitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Jeff, never mind the GM problem, this could be on the scale of Takata shoddy manufacturing. You mean the airbags on our hitches could explode from high humidity? Guess we better cancel next weeks trip to TN, AL, MS, and LA! (not) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 My lanyard connects to an eyebolt which is one of the mounting bolts for my license plate. My plate sits high in the rear of my bed though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I couldn't believe how many 2500/250-3500/350 SRW pickup's I saw on the long weekend pulling triple axle 40ft+ toyhauler's. I think this law would make sense since someone probably told these guy's hauling way overloaded with a 13K fifth wheel hitch should be fine too. Until they see their FW passing them down the highway with the lanyard still hooked to the hitch. Rick, I might have to tone down my "opinions" about a "stupid law", after all there is "difference in bulk" between one of these and one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I think most of us here would fold this hitch over with our pull test!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dollytrolley Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I think a total recall of every ET hitch ever made before this change is in order. All removal, shipping, reinstallation costs to be borne by the manufacturer of this very dangerous and shoddy product. Very similar to the recent GM decision to change the faulty ignition switch without changing the part number hoping NHTSA wouldn't notice. I know a good lawyer for class action lawsuit....LOL Ok great Idea...........little mod to the concept...........Stuff ALL tort lawyers (Good Lawyer.....Oxy-Moron) in the 5th wheeler and then just pull under the hitch just not latch it...........Drive briskly down the S. Santiam Mt. Pass and...........you decide where to "secure" the lanyard.......maybe just a spot of duct tape will "secure" it just fine..... What class action....... Drive on........(don't look back too often) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 I couldn't believe how many 2500/250-3500/350 SRW pickup's I saw on the long weekend pulling triple axle 40ft+ toyhauler's. I think this law would make sense since someone probably told these guy's hauling way overloaded with a 13K fifth wheel hitch should be fine too. Until they see their FW passing them down the highway with the lanyard still hooked to the hitch. Unfortunately, you don't have to go any further that Forks RV brochure. I was really disappointed when I saw this. I met the Forks RV folks at the Last year's Hutch Rally and these guys are very bright, know their stuff and make a great product. They also knew why they were talking to this crowd. The only thing I can come up with is that you can start with something like this and then the white knuckling experience will compel you to move to something else. I guess the days of honesty in RV advertising are long gone. I own one of these "senior citizens" which was built long time ago. When we were visiting the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart I spent some time in their archives and library and found the Trailer Life from the era when these were originally designed and built by Carriage. It was interesting to read the article on the fiver and the associated article on the Freightliner puller. They made no bones (then) in the article that if you were going to buy one of these you better plan on buying the Freightliner too. That Carriage is heavy 22,500 lbs but it's a "lightweight" compared to what the Forks units weigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 I think most of us here would fold this hitch over with our pull test!!! Yeah, well my 28K+ 5er with 7K pin weight would not like that little hitch. Fortunately I have an ET Sr with Superbinkely and the new suspension system. However, I'm disappointed that I don't have that little hole in my plate.....Oh, WAIT!! I don't need it...I don't have any "stinking lanyard". I use BluDot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 There is a newly painted new New Horizon at Precision Painting Inc waiting to be delivered to the owner in Ohio. So far they have not found a transporter that wants to tackle towing the New Horizons. Apparently the typical 350HD equipment is not up to the task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Here is another company that advertises SRW trucks pulling big triple axle trailer. When I saw this video......I just shook my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Here is another company that advertises SRW trucks pulling big triple axle trailer. When I saw this video......I just shook my head. Sounds like a bunch of yahoos who welded something and are excited because it works, although I'll give them high five for testing it to destruction. You can make anything strong and lightweight, aircraft industry knew that over 100 years ago, they build aerobatic planes with wood wings good for over 10 Gs. The trailer is not as heavy as the ones you guys pull, subtract the pickup weight and it;s just over 20K. There was one moment of pure BS when the guy talked about chucking. The chucking on a hard hitch like that will feel like your neck and the fifth will try to "consummate their union" the moment you put that pickup in drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 When they said that they had 5220 lbs of tongue weight on that Ford SRW pickup truck....I just disregarded anything they were saying after that because they just became a danger to everyone around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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