Safety Chains
AuthorMessageRoaddane |
Beaver |
Joined: Apr 23, 2003 |
Posts: 96 |
Location: Chilliwack,BC |
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 11:14 am Post subject: Safety Chains |
The safety chains on my trailer aren't long enough to do the cross over and reach the tow vehicle. Any trick to pre-determining the length prior to purchase? _________________ Paul 73 Apache Ramada 03 GMC Safari |
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Elk |
Joined: May 27, 2003 |
Posts: 249 |
Location: Connecticut |
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:39 pm Post subject: |
Hi. I'm surprised to hear that your safety chains won't reach the hookup area on your hitch. It's a possibility that somebody had replaced them in the past. I have a '74 Ramada. The chain does slide through the opening on the tongue to "even out"... if only one side is too short, try turning the chain in the center area of the tongue and even it out. If you need to purchase new safety chains, use a length of rope, passing it through the opening on the trailer tongue and allowing it to reach (crossed over of course) the chain hookup on your hitch. (the loops on either side of the receiver opening) The rope should have some "droop" to it but shouldn't reach the ground. Measure the rope to find the approximate chain length you need. Pete |
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Greenhorn Camper |
Joined: Jun 03, 2003 |
Posts: 8 |
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 2:26 pm Post subject: |
Hi Guys, If I am reading this correctly, you are talking about crossing the safety chains when towing the vehicle. You should not cross the chains, this could cause the camper to flip if the camper becomes unhitched. Think about a crossed rope, if you pull the ends tight like what would happend if the camper came loose, the tendancy is for the ropes to become untwisted. just my opinion! |
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Elk |
Joined: May 27, 2003 |
Posts: 249 |
Location: Connecticut |
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 5:36 pm Post subject: CROSS THOSE CHAINS! |
DT- Not to offend, but you couldn't be more wrong. The reason safety chains are crossed is to keep the trailer tongue from nose-diving into the pavement at highway speeds, which would cause the camper to flip up and over end to end. Crossing the chains "cradles" the tongue...if you had a catastrophic failure at the ball itself, the trailer tongue would "drop" onto the crossed chains....nothing's perfect, and I'm sure the camper would mash up the bumper pretty bad, but without the chains crossed, imagine the jack stand of the camper dropping onto the pavement at sixty plus miles per hour. Have hauled boats, horse trailers, etc...and every recommendation I've ever found, in manuals and on the web, recommends criss-crossing your safety chains. Thanks. pete |
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Elk |
Joined: May 27, 2003 |
Posts: 249 |
Location: Connecticut |
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 5:38 pm Post subject: Check this link for more towing info! |
Check this site for more information on safe towing, including the part about crossing your chains (it's from the New York State Department of Transportation)....it's actually a regulation! |
Happy Towing! |
Pete |
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Elk |
Joined: Apr 20, 2003 |
Posts: 247 |
Location: Northern California |
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 7:16 am Post subject: |
FiremanPeteHappily, a new set of safety chains isn't too bad, depending on the store, under $25 usually. Any decent auto parts store or WalMart carries them. _________________ Ruth 3 kids, 2 dogs, 1 cat '72 Apache Ranger '64 Apache Chief Nothern California
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