Loose Ends
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Written by Travis Mai
Although I’ve been towing for many years, I have never been in any form of towing accident or true emergency. I have had plenty of flats and lost cargo, but never had any equipment malfunctions. Working as a technical support representative for CURT Mfg., I’ve heard a few horror stories and most of them resulted from user error.
-Pins, Clips & Chains
The most common problems arise when a person doesn’t check over their towing setup. The absence of safety chains, proper lighting, and routine maintenance are often the common denominators. People tend to lose hitch pins and clips when removing or storing their ball mounts. This can be dangerous because many times people will use a random bolt or other insufficient means of securing their ball mount. This can result in the trailer pulling the ball mount out of the receiver while towing. Even with safety chains the potential for serious damage is there. If this were to happen the tongue of the trailer could slam into the ground turning your camper into a three ton terror of the highway ripping the trailer hitch from the frame of your vehicle. This has even been known to happen without a trailers weight tugging on the ball mount as this unlucky Oregon man found. (Click here to view video)
-Trailer Lighting
Although rare, accidents can occur due to poor trailer lighting. If you are towing a boat or utility trailer without proper lighting, you could be rear
ended by someone not paying attention. In this instance it’s quite possible that your insurance company would have to pay for the damage if the other driver can prove that your lighting was not working. This would then place at least a percentage of the fault on you resulting in fines or increased insurance rates.
-Coupler & Structural Trailer Maintenance
I believe that the lack of routine maintenance is the greatest likely cause of towing related accidents. For example failure to grease your trailer’s coupler over the winter can cause a “false hook-up” which happens when the coupler’s lever will go all the way down but not tighten over the ball potentially causing the trailer to come off during towing. Also if you have a steel trailer, fight rust by painting at least a coat of primer every couple of years. Another maintenance related problem that can arise is failure to check for tire wear or dry rot. A tire blow out can cause uncontrollable sway sending even an experienced driver into the ditch or into oncoming traffic.
The scariest of all towing related accidents is when your equipment fails, because no amount of maintenance can prepare for these situations. A few weeks ago I spoke with an intriguing couple on our Live Chat Service who had experienced this first hand. (Click here to read their blog entitled A Close Call On The Freeway!) Should have gone with CURT! The word “towing” is synonymous with fun. We all love the many different activities and life styles that come with it. Whether you’re a weekend boating enthusiast or a hardcore off-roader trouble can be around any corner. So keep safe, secure your ball mount, and know your limits!
