Tug test.

[runaway parents]

TUG TEST  TUG TEST TUG TEST. If I ever deserve a Is chewing out  I deserve one now. We have had this Trailer for about 10 years. And never had issue with What I have now. Went to hook up to move it From in front of the garage. Check to see if jaws were closed on fifth They were and assumed they were locked. Went ahead and raised up landing years. Without doing a tug test  you could imagine What happened next This stunt Cost me one blown out landing gear and  abought a days worth the welding.  Fortunately nobody got hurt. This could have been a whole lot worse. So i'm telling you this  hopefully somebody out there will learn from my mistake and never Have this happened to them.

[aknavy]

28 minutes ago, runaway parents said:

TUG TEST  TUG TEST TUG TEST. If I ever deserve a Is chewing out  I deserve one now. We have had this Trailer for about 10 years. And never had issue with What I have now. Went to hook up to move it From in front of the garage. Check to see if jaws were closed on fifth They were and assumed they were locked. Went ahead and raised up landing years. Without doing a tug test  you could imagine What happened next This stunt Cost me one blown out landing gear and  abought a days worth the welding.  Fortunately nobody got hurt. This could have been a whole lot worse. So i'm telling you this  hopefully somebody out there will learn from my mistake and never Have this happened to them.

I second this.  Always, regardless of hitch, do a tug test.  My incident only involved the trailer pin hitting the back part of a TrailerSaver hitch, so only a couple inch drop and no real damage other than a dent in the hitch.  The design of the bed and placement of the hitch unintentionally creates an area that will catch the pin if it slides out, thank goodness.

 

[TXiceman]

The Trailer Saver hitch hear (Holland Binkley) is a very positive latching head, but mistakes can happen.  With my TS3 hitch, after hitching, I lifted the front  trailer legs about 1" off the ground and did a tug test and then I even physically eye-balled the rear of the hitch to make sure the jaws were closed and then confirmed the hitch had latched and set my safety catch.  I am an engineer and tend to like my belt with suspenders.

I have seen folks get in a hurry and all of a sudden ....BANG.  You look over and there they are with the trailer setting on a massed bed and tailgate.

Ken

[GlennWest]

I bent a leveling jack my last pull. Had to cut off and fix at destination. So stuff does happen.

[Danfreda1]

We do it every time we hitch up. Look at jaws and pin behind the jaw block to make sure it’s in place. Then do the test with landing jacks about an inch off the ground. Then we check lights. Only time in 3 years we didn’t was after leaving the dealer for a computer   Update. The guy left the brake controller unplugged when he plugged his computer in. We didn’t do the tug test because we had did it a few hours before and didn’t unhitch. Left the dealer and started down the highway in afternoon traffic with no brakes on the trailer. Check then EVERY time now. 

[rickeieio]

Pre-flight routine.  Do everything in a sequence and don't let others disrupt you.  I once asked my bride for a light check when she was in the middle of her jack retraction sequence.  Came close to bending our front Big Foot legs because I interrupted her.  I altered my own sequence to not bother hers.

The only time I dropped a fifth wheel was when I thought I'd latched a hitch on a lowboy drag.  Lifting the front of a 25 ton lowboy isn't as easy as extending your jacks.

[Nigel]

When I was learning to drive years ago I was told dropping a trailer would get you fired immediately from most companies.  I never found out if it was true but it certainly put the emphasis on doing a tug test.

 

Nigel

Edited May 2, 2023 by Nigel

[runaway parents]

I agree there is no excuse for not doing a tug test. We checked the hitch out and there was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't hit hard enough to lock it in. From this point on i'm going to put a Safety Pin Where the padlock supposed to go. That should ensure a positive Connection. and then tug test the c*** out of it. Before raising landing gears. That was an expensive lesson. We always did Tug test But failed to do this one and it bit us in the butt. I have had my CDL since 1985. It's the first time I ever dropped a Trailer.

Edited May 2, 2023 by runaway parents

[rickeieio]

1 hour ago, runaway parents said:

I have had my CDL since 1985.

Now we're admitting to being Olde Phartes.  I got my chauffer's license in 1972, but didn't bother to be "grandfathered" in for the cdl.  I knew too many hillbillies with junk trucks who wanted me to drive in my slow season, and that was my way out.  So, one drop in 51 years......  My fault too.  I'd backed the tractor up under the trailer a week previous, and hadn't hit the pin because I expected to grab a different trailer.  Rookie misteak.

[NeverEasy]

Yep, stuff happens.  I built this just in case and it did happen.  What I don't have is a picture of the drag marks in the words in front of the drop preventer when it did happen.  Saved my bacon.

[SuiteSuccess]

When I did the GeorgiaHybrid redo of my hitch, I added a Henegar handle with an extension that allows a second pin behind the jaw block.  I not only watch my handle “snap” into place, I put in the second locking pin before my tug test.  As a former commercial pilot, Rick is correct.  Do your hook up/ unhook in the same sequence every time and if distracted start over. In airplanes we always used a checklist because missing something major might not give you a second chance.

As an aside I don’t think you have to “slam” the pin into the jaws to get a positive lock.  If the jaws are together and the primary pin snaps behind the block it should mean the block is between the jaws. Am I wrong?  I see people all the time slamming their pins into the hitch and just thinking that can’t be good in the long run.

[rickeieio]

29 minutes ago, SuiteSuccess said:

As an aside I don’t think you have to “slam” the pin into the jaws to get a positive lock.  If the jaws are together and the primary pin snaps behind the block it should mean the block is between the jaws. Am I wrong?  I see people all the time slamming their pins into the hitch and just thinking that can’t be good in the long run.

You're right, a gentle nudge is all you need.  I can hear our jaws snap shut from the driver's seat.  But. like so many other practices, folks see commercial drivers cowboy'n a hitch-up and assume that must be the correct way to do it.  Commercial trailers are built to take such abuse.  RV's are not.

[runaway parents]

1 hour ago, SuiteSuccess said:

When I did the GeorgiaHybrid redo of my hitch, I added a Henegar handle with an extension that allows a second pin behind the jaw block.  I not only watch my handle “snap” into place, I put in the second locking pin before my tug test.  As a former commercial pilot, Rick is correct.  Do your hook up/ unhook in the same sequence every time and if distracted start over. In airplanes we always used a checklist because missing something major might not give you a second chance.

As an aside I don’t think you have to “slam” the pin into the jaws to get a positive lock.  If the jaws are together and the primary pin snaps behind the block it should mean the block is between the jaws. Am I wrong?  I see people all the time slamming their pins into the hitch and just thinking that can’t be good in the long run.

No no no definitely did not  Slam into the king Pin. This was a uphill struggle. She had to back truck up  a slight grade to connect the trailer. Throttle control and break control had to be met to accomplish this task to much throttle to get up the  hill slam. Not enough and the jaws didn't lock . It was a 100% my fault for not checking to see if they were locked they were closed but not locked.

Edited May 3, 2023 by runaway parents

[runaway parents]

1 hour ago, rickeieio said:

You're right, a gentle nudge is all you need.  I can hear our jaws snap shut from the driver's seat.  But. like so many other practices, folks see commercial drivers cowboy'n a hitch-up and assume that must be the correct way to do it.  Commercial trailers are built to take such abuse.  RV's are not.

This is very true.

[SuiteSuccess]

2 hours ago, runaway parents said:

This is very true.

I was making a general statement not directed to your incident. In no way was I saying you or wife were slamming into hitch. Just saying in my many years have seen a lot of “hitch slamming “, lol. 

[rickeieio]

It makes sense to hit a commercial hitch a little harder.  Commercial hitches are much less sensitive to vertical alignment, so if you leave a trailer just a little low, and back in a bit fast, it picks up the nose of the trailer, just enough for the tug test.

And I admit, sometimes old habits die hard.........

[Vegas Teacher]

Hope all turns out for the best.

[runaway parents]

2 hours ago, SuiteSuccess said:

I was making a general statement not directed to your incident. In no way was I saying you or wife were slamming into hitch. Just saying in my many years have seen a lot of “hitch slamming “, lol. 

Oh no offense taken it's all good. This whole experience has been extremely Humbling definitely took me down a Peg or 2? Well one good thing at least I did this in my own driveway. And not in an RV park somewhere. We get enough attention in an RV park as it is. Definitely don't need This going on. First thing this morning I went down and bought a caribbeaner to put in The hole Where a padlock should go. I don't want to padlock it to the truck in case of fire heaven forbid. This would have been a good what not to do video. Yeah I could have just not said anything about it and just  wrote it off and not put it on the forum I but I felt if somebody else out there learn from my mistake it might keep them from getting hurt.

[rpsinc]

9 hours ago, SuiteSuccess said:

a Henegar handle with an extension

Can you post a pic of what this is?  I am currently upgrading to a TSLB3 and am interested in this modificatioon/enhancement.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

It happen to me with Trailer Saver hitch. After that I always did a tug rest. It did stop me from any damage, but through the years it still had problems with a solid connection. When I purchased my last TV I decided not to go back to a 5er hitch. I now use a Reece Goose Box. After using the Goose Box I would not go back to a 5er hitch.

”Happy Trails”

Chiefneon

[SuiteSuccess]

11 minutes ago, rpsinc said:

Can you post a pic of what this is?  I am currently upgrading to a TSLB3 and am interested in this modificatioon/enhancement.

I’ll try to go to truck and get some pics for you in the next couple of days. 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

2 hours ago, rpsinc said:

Can you post a pic of what this is?  I am currently upgrading to a TSLB3 and am interested in this modificatioon/enhancement.

I would send you a pic but I'm about 3500 miles away from my truck right now.

[jenandjon]

Don't beat yourself up too bad. Even us "professional" drivers drop a trailer once in our lives. It is embarrassing when it happens. 

[runaway parents]

25 minutes ago, jenandjon said:

Don't beat yourself up too bad. Even us "professional" drivers drop a trailer once in our lives. It is embarrassing when it happens. 

Thanks it is good to know I am not the only one that has done this

[Vegas Teacher]

One of the great things about your post it the reminding everybody is that we get into habits and forget to perform simple inspections all around the trailer and truck. Messages like this remind us not to get in a hurry, to pull out that old check list and go over it a little more slowly.

Thanks for the great information. It is also great to see somebody who is humble enough to post stuff like this.

Later,

Cory O