"Jim22208" wrote in message
...

Don White wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
m...
Frogwatch wrote:

On May 11, 12:07 am, wrote:
Afterwards, I drove back to my parents about 20 miles and then
started
for home. I turned a corner and suddenly the trailer started
fishtailing wildly and I barely got off the road under control.
Looking at the trailer hitch, the trailer was held on by only the
safety chains. The hitch had slid out of its receiver because
somebody had either removed the heavy steel pin or more likely the
clip that holds the pin while we had been at the lake. The pin had
held long enough to get to my parents house but had slid out when I
rounded corner. I know I had put the pin an clip on this morn
because
I had to find said pin in the back of my truck first.
Was somebody sending a message that us pink people are not welcome
there? I hope not cuz I have never in my life worried about such
around here. Dang, I hate thinking like that.


Or the pin could have just slid out on its own. No offense, but I am not
impressed by the visage or description of your belongings, your delight
in slapping stuff together, and in some of the risks you take or want to
take.

I've never used a just a pin to secure the hitch to the receiver. I use
a hitch-receiver lock, basically a solid steel bar with a keylock on one
end. They're not expensive. I use one like this:

http://tinyurl.com/pxlzxw


I use a padlock to secure my coupler... whether to the vehicle hitch, or
when it's sitting in my driveway.
The hope is that it might discourage would be thieves.
What do you use to secure the receiver to the hitch?


I had a similar incident last fall while towing a small Haulmark trailer.
I used an older pin of the common design that has a metal tab that folds
down on a small hinge pin and "locks".

Fortunately there was virtually no traffic on the highway (new section of
495) and at about 60 mph the hitch fell out of the receiver and the trailer
bounced along on it's skid pad, connected to the truck by the safety chains.
I was able to safely stop and my son walked back looking for the pin which
he found.
The little hinge pin for the metal tab had apparently snapped, the tab fell
out and the main pin then worked it's way out. It was old and probably
rusted, but I don't use that type anymore.

Eisboch