Crossing Chains/Cables - Page 2

chief7101 · 07-10-09, 09:02 PM

I live in Pa and the DOT law does require chains to be crosses and it also requires and extra strap on the bow. I have seen the results of trailers in accidents and it makes sense. JMO

Abbeysdad · 07-11-09, 11:43 AM

I just don't get it - my EZ Loader trailer has cables instead of chains that are coiled and WAY TOO LONG - even crossed, they provide NO PROTECTION if the tongue came off the ball or the ball failed. About all these would do is not lose it if the ball failed up a hill or ramp. (Still thinking I should replace the cables that came on the trailer with (shorter) chains that can be crossed.)
But it begs the question - if this is any kind of issue, how are trailers being made/sold and pass inspection with long cables like this??

nofearengineer · 07-14-09, 10:12 AM

Dad,

Because the trailer manufacturer has no idea what will be towing the trailer. It could be they just provide an extra long cable, intending for it to be cut down to the right size. Or it could just be they're dumb and lazy. You can bet if it were too short, they'd get an ear full.

zooker · 07-14-09, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Dad,

Because the trailer manufacturer has no idea what will be towing the trailer. It could be they just provide an extra long cable, intending for it to be cut down to the right size. Or it could just be they're dumb and lazy. You can bet if it were too short, they'd get an ear full.

if you tow with a suv with the spare tire on the rear.-jeep wrangler-or like the expedition xl ...you have to add a 12" extender on to your resse hitch.which is the reason for the extra lenth cables..

my stock hitch on the expedition xl. put my troller WAY close to the back window.. i had to remove the troller to tow it...

zooker

nofearengineer · 07-14-09, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zooker

if you tow with a suv with the spare tire on the rear.-jeep wrangler-or like the expedition xl ...you have to add a 12" extender on to your resse hitch.which is the reason for the extra lenth cables..

my stock hitch on the expedition xl. put my troller WAY close to the back window.. i had to remove the troller to tow it...

zooker

Ahhhh....good point, Zook! I've never owned an SUV or a Jeep with the tire on the back like that. Learn something new every day.

weaverml34 · 07-14-09, 08:57 PM

When I got my boat from my buddy he was the one that hitched the boat up. On the way home the trailer popped off. We heard a bang and a lot of dragging. My wife asked me what was wrong and I was like I think the trailer just came off. My daughter was in the back of the truck crying. Talk about a stressful moment. Turns out my ball was too big for the tongue. I called my buddy and he said he checked to make sure the tongue was locked down but obviously it wasn't. Lesson learned though about not double checking ball and tongue connections. Lesson number two learned even though I knew it I hit the brakes to slow down and the tongue made a nice dent in my bumper. Live and learn I guess... I'm just glad no one else was involved and no one got hurt.

Abbeysdad · 07-14-09, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zooker

if you tow with a suv with the spare tire on the rear.-jeep wrangler-or like the expedition xl ...you have to add a 12" extender on to your resse hitch.which is the reason for the extra lenth cables.

So we make most trailers less safe just in case somebody is using a long draw bar?
Seems to me this could be done much better. I have coiled steel cables that can't be adjusted w/o re-manufacturing the looped ends.
Seems like chain could be adjusted to the appropriate length and the excess secured back along the length with a bolt.
I'm probably going to replace my cables with chains (I thought the bait monkey was bad, but the boat monkey is a dern 600 lb. gorilla!)

Randy · 07-15-09, 06:51 AM

Just one more reason why I ALWAYS double check to make sure the ball is locked to the trailer. My fishin pardner ask if he can help hook-up. I explain that I don't mean anything by it , But I would much rather do it myself, that way I am sure it gets locked down. Then I ask him how would he feel if the boat came unhooked from the truck. That makes up his mind about helping me. To keep him busy , I throw him a towel and tell him to start wipping down the boat.

zooker · 07-15-09, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

So we make most trailers less safe just in case somebody is using a long draw bar?
Seems to me this could be done much better. I have coiled steel cables that can't be adjusted w/o re-manufacturing the looped ends.
Seems like chain could be adjusted to the appropriate length and the excess secured back along the length with a bolt.
I'm probably going to replace my cables with chains (I thought the bait monkey was bad, but the boat monkey is a dern 600 lb. gorilla!)

please note.
chain that touchs the road its done-the road will eat thru chain links-.. cable with multi strand hits the road 1-2 strands get cut cable still has a 90% load rating..

zooker

RonB · 07-15-09, 12:04 PM

I always cross my chains. If I had some too long, I guess I would cut them down or replace em. I have seen way too many trailered vehicle accidents on the highway.

I'll tell you something else I see folks doing that I wont...I see people often not strapping the back of the boat to the trailer.
I was following a trailered boat once when I was a kid near Caesars Creek Lake in Ohio, and when the truck/trailer crossed a small bridge covering a creek.. the rear of the boat jumped off the trailer and straddled the bridge guard rail. That guard rail literally sawed that boat almost in half. They were probably going to fast as just past the bridge is a long red light and they were more than likely trying to beat a stale green light.

I also will not ever again let anyone hook up for me either. When I was on the way to buy my boat last month, the seller advised the ball was a 1 7/8. I stopped along the way and bought a new ball as I only had a 2 " with me. After I bought the boat, I backed the truck up and the seller had the ball hitched up before I got out of the truck. I hooked up the lights, and safety chains and gave the tongue a good lift to make sure it wasn't going to come off easily and left. I drove home 40 miles and unhitched to find the trailer was a 2" instead of the 1 7/8 as he stated. It wasn't a good feeling knowing that thing coulda popped off somewhere along the way.

RonB · 07-15-09, 12:10 PM

I always cross my chains. If I had some too long, I guess I would cut them down or replace em. I have seen way too many trailered vehicle accidents on the highway.

I'll tell you something else I see folks doing that I wont...I see people often not strapping the back of the boat to the trailer.
I was following a trailered boat once when I was a kid near Caesars Creek Lake in Ohio, and when the truck/trailer crossed a small bridge covering a creek.. the rear of the boat jumped off the trailer and straddled the bridge guard rail. That guard rail literally sawed that boat almost in half. They were probably going to fast as just past the bridge is a long red light and they were more than likely trying to beat a stale green light.

Abbeysdad · 07-17-09, 09:23 AM

Well, I did it - I replaced my way too long cables with chains that I can adjust to an appropriate length so that when crossed, there's no way the tongue could hit the pavement if the ball ever failed.

footnote: Especially as a newbie, I appreciate having the opportunity here to discuss this, ensuring my trips to and from the lake are safer for me and my family.

07-14-09, 10:12 AM	#28
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Dad, Because the trailer manufacturer has no idea what will be towing the trailer. It could be they just provide an extra long cable, intending for it to be cut down to the right size. Or it could just be they're dumb and lazy. You can bet if it were too short, they'd get an ear full. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

07-14-09, 08:57 PM	#31
weaverml34 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 212	When I got my boat from my buddy he was the one that hitched the boat up. On the way home the trailer popped off. We heard a bang and a lot of dragging. My wife asked me what was wrong and I was like I think the trailer just came off. My daughter was in the back of the truck crying. Talk about a stressful moment. Turns out my ball was too big for the tongue. I called my buddy and he said he checked to make sure the tongue was locked down but obviously it wasn't. Lesson learned though about not double checking ball and tongue connections. Lesson number two learned even though I knew it I hit the brakes to slow down and the tongue made a nice dent in my bumper. Live and learn I guess... I'm just glad no one else was involved and no one got hurt. __________________ Strap Indianapolis, IN "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Pitching stick that is.

07-15-09, 12:04 PM	#35
RonB BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 68	I always cross my chains. If I had some too long, I guess I would cut them down or replace em. I have seen way too many trailered vehicle accidents on the highway. I'll tell you something else I see folks doing that I wont...I see people often not strapping the back of the boat to the trailer. I was following a trailered boat once when I was a kid near Caesars Creek Lake in Ohio, and when the truck/trailer crossed a small bridge covering a creek.. the rear of the boat jumped off the trailer and straddled the bridge guard rail. That guard rail literally sawed that boat almost in half. They were probably going to fast as just past the bridge is a long red light and they were more than likely trying to beat a stale green light. I also will not ever again let anyone hook up for me either. When I was on the way to buy my boat last month, the seller advised the ball was a 1 7/8. I stopped along the way and bought a new ball as I only had a 2 " with me. After I bought the boat, I backed the truck up and the seller had the ball hitched up before I got out of the truck. I hooked up the lights, and safety chains and gave the tongue a good lift to make sure it wasn't going to come off easily and left. I drove home 40 miles and unhitched to find the trailer was a 2" instead of the 1 7/8 as he stated. It wasn't a good feeling knowing that thing coulda popped off somewhere along the way. Last edited by RonB; 07-15-09 at 12:10 PM.

07-10-09, 09:02 PM	#26
chief7101 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Grove City, PA Posts: 17	I live in Pa and the DOT law does require chains to be crosses and it also requires and extra strap on the bow. I have seen the results of trailers in accidents and it makes sense. JMO

07-11-09, 11:43 AM	#27
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	I just don't get it - my EZ Loader trailer has cables instead of chains that are coiled and WAY TOO LONG - even crossed, they provide NO PROTECTION if the tongue came off the ball or the ball failed. About all these would do is not lose it if the ball failed up a hill or ramp. (Still thinking I should replace the cables that came on the trailer with (shorter) chains that can be crossed.) But it begs the question - if this is any kind of issue, how are trailers being made/sold and pass inspection with long cables like this??

07-15-09, 06:51 AM	#33
Randy BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Tampa , Fl Posts: 71	Just one more reason why I ALWAYS double check to make sure the ball is locked to the trailer. My fishin pardner ask if he can help hook-up. I explain that I don't mean anything by it , But I would much rather do it myself, that way I am sure it gets locked down. Then I ask him how would he feel if the boat came unhooked from the truck. That makes up his mind about helping me. To keep him busy , I throw him a towel and tell him to start wipping down the boat.

07-15-09, 12:10 PM	#36
RonB BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 68	I always cross my chains. If I had some too long, I guess I would cut them down or replace em. I have seen way too many trailered vehicle accidents on the highway. I'll tell you something else I see folks doing that I wont...I see people often not strapping the back of the boat to the trailer. I was following a trailered boat once when I was a kid near Caesars Creek Lake in Ohio, and when the truck/trailer crossed a small bridge covering a creek.. the rear of the boat jumped off the trailer and straddled the bridge guard rail. That guard rail literally sawed that boat almost in half. They were probably going to fast as just past the bridge is a long red light and they were more than likely trying to beat a stale green light.

07-17-09, 09:23 AM	#37
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	Well, I did it - I replaced my way too long cables with chains that I can adjust to an appropriate length so that when crossed, there's no way the tongue could hit the pavement if the ball ever failed. footnote: Especially as a newbie, I appreciate having the opportunity here to discuss this, ensuring my trips to and from the lake are safer for me and my family.

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