When my son was a teen, he took our boat water skiing with friends quite often. One time he forgot to snap down the lock on the hitch. The boat came unhitched a block later, when he slowed at the first turn at the end of our street. The boat stopped just fine, but used the truck tailgate to do so. He now owns a small trucking company.
We also had a nice 5th wheel travel trailer that had a very short cable for the brake emergency switch. Twice, I found out that the brakes worked very well, and locked up when it is triggered. Both times making a right turn off a busy street, and the cable caught on the 5th wheel hitch. Luckily, my F250 diesel had the power to drag the trailer with its locked brakes out of the road before an accident happened. Hard on the tires.
PS: On one pickup I had, the receiver framework was 2" square tubing, and the hitch would store in the end of the tubing under the truck, so it was always available if I needed it. I don't like to leave the hitch attached...too many scars on my legs from walking into it. I drilled a half inch hole in the side of the tubing and used the hitch pin to secure it. On the hitch pin, I like to drill the hole for the hairpin spring keeper out big enough that I can put a padlock on it rather than the keeper. Cheap anti theft setup.
Last edited by Rick Potter; 06-10-2021 at 2:58 AM.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.