Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
I always figured that digging into the pavement would be a good thing, since it would help to stop the trailer. Otherwise the detached trailer would run forward into the stopping tow vehicle, and the hitch coupler could spear the gas tank. Now there's something I really don't want to try!
I know - the breakaway switch is supposed to stop the trailer. But that works only if the trailer is completely detached, chains and all. We all know that in a panic situation, the tow vehicle can stop a lot more more quickly than the trailer.
Bill
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I had a trailer come detached years ago - a Coleman popup - the ex didn't snap down the coupler onto the ball, nor attach the lock, obviously... The trailer didn't dig into the pavement, nor did the hitch coupler ram into the back of the vehicle. The hitch coupler immediately dropped to the crossed chains, went no further, and the trailer itself hit the spare tire on the back of the Bronco while the hitch coupler was under the bumper cradled in the chains. Zero damage to trailer or Bronco, but I'm pretty sure I lost a few years of my life....
From videos I've seen, even at highway speed, chains not crossed, the hitch coupler doesn't dig into the pavement, it just scraps and bumps along, begins to swing wildly out of control, and eventually, while the TV is coming to a stop, the trailer is swaying like crazy and ends up flipping.