So maybe Y'all's permanent trailer Hitch rules aren't so bad after all.....

[Robotstar5]

My dad had a trailer in the 60's with a master cylinder coupled to the hitch and hydraulic brakes, no idea how old it was when he bought it.

 

[prepman]

I bet they had been over tightened - can't see them breaking otherwise unless badly rusted.

Or re-used? 214nm I think

 

[prepman]

2" receiver hitch is very versatile.....all manner of attachments for it.....including:

The Bumper Dumper

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No Health and safety advisory ie, ONLY TO BE USED WHILST STATIONARY

 

[Wildefalcon]

@Erie Fred

When you say 7 blade sockets, you don't mean these, do you?

 

[8ob]

I have commented on how UK trailer hitch's don't remove they way they do here in the US, most popular are a 2" square socket, and that is something
that limits versatility. There is a wide range of attachments to plug in there.

Spotted this landscaping contractor on my afternoon commute.....

It's a 1 ton dump truck, with the new 2 1/2" sq. hitch (that no-one sells anything for, so the OEM equips them with a 2" bushing that rust's in permanently)
Owner is pulling a 14k 2 axle dump trailer (everyone is geared up right now collecting leaves).
The amount of slop (up/down & side/side) by the time we get to the trailer is clearly visible, and the height adjustable part is set too high as well.
Not even considering how much further back the ball is from the truck, adding leverage (in a bad way).

All looks a bit flimsy Fred, its quite normal for hitches to be set back like that on tippers.
Not quite sure how my mate bent the one below, possibly used it as a plough off road or jackknifed it reversing knowing him.

I cut the old one off and replaced it with the same, never did it again.

 

[KimB]

My neighbor has a 3/4 ton dodge pickup with a Cummins diesel.
He has a 24k 2 axle dually gooseneck trailer, and carries a Case 580k backhoe on it.

Do you think that is safe ?

it's legal, it's very common, and it has electric brakes on it.

You won't catch me driving it.

It's that qty (1) piece of 12 ga wire standing between you and splattering yourself at the bottom of the hill.

Why is the 7 blade round connector considered awfull ? I've fixed the 6 pin round and the 7 pin round, and the newer 7 pin blade is much better as the contacts wipe as you push
the connector in, and no tube socket to get plugged with corrosion.

One area that get's no love is the front of the chassis mounted socket, there is a spring loaded door on the back when it's disconnected, but nothing much
on the front end (where the wiring comes in) to stop the blast of road salt & sand coming off the back tires.

I have affixed a piece of old inner tube rubber all over that area with some tye-wraps, to keep it clean.

I don’t really see what your huge concern is. The trailers my partner and I run, I know they’re not electric brakes but I know the condition of the wiring. There’s never any faults with them because of how I did them.

Yes there are some people that don’t maintain their things but not everyone’s like that. The new 13pin style connector we use over here is a really nice plug. It turns to lock it in place, it can’t fall out. In fact at my lost job we had them doing some of the electrics on low loaders and they were never an issue.

 

[rtcosic]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that around 50,000 hitch accidents occur every year. About 21,000 injuries were reported as caused by negligent towing or a faulty hitch. In the same year, an additional 450 fatalities were reported.

Secondary source only:

Runaway Trailer/Negligent Hitch Accidents

Have you ever traveled down the road and noticed how many cars are hitched to a trailer - right here in Maryland? Or if you have ever traveled the roads near the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries ...

www.millerandzois.com

I have found a report to Parliament in 2019 reviewing the cost-effectiveness of mandatory testing of trailers between 750 and 3500kg.


158 Collisions involving caravans
791 involving single trailers (750-3500kgs)

20 collisions with vehicle defect contributory factors that may have been identified in a roadworthiness test.

The conclusion was that the benefit in avoided KSI was c.£2.2 million and the cost c.£74million per annum.

I couldn't find any data for the little tip-run <750kg unbraked trailers.

The data for MoT Towbar failures is buried here:

Anonymised MOT tests and results - data.gov.uk

I failed to download it though.

Clear as mud.

 

[Wildefalcon]

"shocked face!" But, but, but, but you can't put a price on life!!!!!!

"Entire NHS". Errrrrrrrmmmmm, about that.....

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Yes but that still had a proper chassis!
I had a D2 TD5 for a while. Brilliant.

TD5 D2’s no longer have a proper chassis

 

[Justme]

Well....I have worked on a few trailers with electric brakes.
Remember one thing....there is a single piece of 12ga wire to operate those brakes.
They do not failsafe.

UK approved ones should fail safe.

Which is one reason why USA ones cant get UK approval.

That and the parking brake / battery power source location.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

I bet they had been over tightened - can't see them breaking otherwise unless badly rusted.

You'd do well to over tighten them, the torque spec is 240nm or something daft.

 

[Erie Fred]

@Erie Fred

When you say 7 blade sockets, you don't mean these, do you?

View attachment 423853

No, this here:

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Wiring-sf-Trailer_Connectors-sz-7_Round_~_Blade.aspx

 

[Erie Fred]

I don’t really see what your huge concern is. The trailers my partner and I run, I know they’re not electric brakes but I know the condition of the wiring. There’s never any faults with them because of how I did them.

Yes there are some people that don’t maintain their things but not everyone’s like that. The new 13pin style connector we use over here is a really nice plug. It turns to lock it in place, it can’t fall out. In fact at my lost job we had them doing some of the electrics on low loaders and they were never an issue.

I apologize if my tone came across as somehow mad at you, that was not the intent.

Locking plug is a good item, the 7 blade does lock by the feature that the swing door has a hook that engages the plug.

On your 13 pin, do they get corrosion in the sockets ? as I mentioned up above, the newer 7 blade units wipe as you install them, and they are not
a closed up tube (that engages the pin) that get's plugged.

My concern is pulling 30k of trailer with a 7k truck, and the only thing that is stopping this combo is a piece of 12 ga wire from the controller in the truck, thru the 7 blade
connector at the back of the truck, to the brakes on the trailer.
All the brakes are wired in parallel, one shorts to ground, the fuse blows, and you have zero brakes.

Lose any part of that system, your careening down the hill.

No way will the 7k truck stop all that weight alone.

Plus, you need to steer that trailer as well.

Electric trailer brakes are not as great as one would think, they are good at being able to dial in a brake setting independent of the truck, (especially when running a flatbed empty versus full) and put them on independent of the truck whenever you want (like when it starts to slide around)

But they have their problems.

I have tried to combine the hydraulic surge brake with the electric brake so there would be a safe backup, but have not gotten very far with the design.
Even with that, there is no spring applied brake like with air brakes.

 

[bricol]

If you see how many UK trailers have non-working lights in some form or other . . . I'd be wary of anything electric on a trailer that operates the brakes!