TRAILER SAFETY CHAINS

[NCL4701]

This thread is a hoot

So now that you’re in the thread, do you cross your chains or not?

 

[6869704x4]

So now that you’re in the thread, do you cross your chains or not?

I have a gooseneck

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have a gooseneck

Do you have safety chains on it?

 

[6869704x4]

Do you have safety chains on it?

Yep.
In the last 15(?) years or so more states were requiring them. I had to add anchor points on the 97 F-350 dually that I bought many years ago. My 23 Denali came with anchor points.
If I may add a story, a scary one.
A good friend of mine borrowed another good friends 20 foot tandem trailer. He was dropping it off at my house and I'm helping unhook it. I shit you not the hitch was upside down. The coupler was resting on the shank and nut. To top it off the chains were not hooked up. I'm like "Willy, WTF? He said the ball wouldn't fit so he turned it upside down and the chains wouldn't reach. He pulled that trailer from Marianna to Navarre FL like that. I asked him how he got it to Marianna. He said it fit then. So many questions but thankfully it made it. Destroyed the lock on the coupler, had to cut it off and weld a new one on. Nobody let Willy borrow a trailer again.

 

[lynnmor]

Sounds like it’s more Driver Stupidity than roads if you aren’t smart enough to slow down for road conditions.

Slow down in Montana? Surely you jest! There is no common sense on the highways there, just look at the crosses along the roads.

2500+ so far.

One website

 

[McMXi]

Slow down in Montana? Surely you jest! There is no common sense on the highways there, just look at the crosses along the roads.

The crosses don't indicate the how and why an accident occurred, or when it occurred, or where the victims were from. Montana has a small population compared to many states, but there's a significant influx of tourists throughout the year which various state and government statistics don't account for in the accident statistics.

I would expect the death per capita data to be inaccurate given that the state reports something like 12.5 million tourists come to Montana each year but that number could be a lot higher. Regardless, tourists outnumber residents more than 10 to 1 and how many accidents involve tourists from who knows where who aren't competent drivers in their own state or country, let alone in a state with very dangerous roads and conditions.

Interestingly, the death per mile driven statistics tell another story too.

 

[McMXi]

Do you have safety chains on it?

I have chains on my gooseneck trailer too and use them. All of my trailers have two chains with the exception of the boat trailer which has two cables. Even though they're not required by law in Montana, I always connect them to the tow vehicle for the simple reason that I'd have a better chance of controlling where the trailer ends up if it's connected via chains than if it's heading down the road without me. The bigger concern up here are chains dragging on the road creating sparks that can start fires.

@North Idaho Wolfman , this next paragraph isn't directed at you, just to the topic in hand in a general sense.

As I've already stated, preventing problems is where I focus my attention so that the redundancy systems are never needed. I have good quality components when it comes to receivers and hitches, well-maintained tow vehicles and trailers, and put some time and effort into making sure that the load is properly distributed and secured. That's what matters, not whether or not you follow grandpa's dogma that all trailer chains should be crossed.

Just the other day I saw a video on YouTube of a boat being towed on the interstate in an incredibly unsafe manner. The funny thing though was the name of the boat ....

TITAN URANUS

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I've seen enough scary loads being hauled over the years.
Some people believe if it fits it ships.
I like leaving myself a larger than just marginal degree between hauling and crashing/dieing.
All it takes is one little even to turn the tables really quick, and add mountains, curves and weather into the mix and you really complicate things.

I'm in the middle of building a 1983 C60 for a friend.
It going to be used to haul a gooseneck, and a couple of very large boats.
It's getting everything gone through!
Safe equipment is underrated!

 

[SAR Tracker]

Chains - Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them.

Yes I do.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I’ve only had a couple incidents with trailers over the years:

1. Cheap receiver (press brake formed where the ball attached). That sucker snapped right at the presser brake / bend in the receiver…I did everything right except used a cheap receiver….the ball was still attached to the trailer with the little lip of metal. I’ve always checked the hitch tongue to the ball. Lesson learned is don’t use a cheap brake press style receiver.

2. Tire blow out at speed on interstate. Fortunately was a tandem axle trailer. Would not buy a trailer without random axles. Lesson learned don’t use cheap tires on the trailer. A lot of trailers come with cheap tires IMO. Check the load and speed ratings and respect them…or don’t.

Replacing tires early is better than after it’s too late, carry appropriate tools to do a wheel change (includes a good jack that works with your trailer.). Or don’t…sooner or later you could find out if lucky or good.

It’s a lot easier IMO to check everything hooked up properly in the driveway at home than it is on the road.

Travel safe.

 

[6869704x4]

Another opinion on chains.

 

[McMXi]

Another opinion on chains.

Otherwise known as confirmation bias. Find someone who appears to be credible confirming what you already hold to be true regardless of whether or not they're actually right or if their test protocol is realistic or representative. Notice how these supposed experts illustrate what will "likely" happen with the truck and trailer sitting in a garage or in their driveway.

Can you imagine NASA doing this and telling astronauts not to worry since they're confident that making rocket sounds while the sharpie lifts off from the desk is pretty close to the real thing.