Yikes! Problems and questions

Hello all, this site is so awesome. I would not have bought a TM if I had not been able to learn so much here first. However, now I am wondering what have I got myself into!!
Anyway, I hope I am posting this in the right location. I am a newbie with a 2004 3023 using a chevy conversion van as a TV. Things were fine towing on maiden voyage, but second trip just this week, getting home from it, today something went very wrong towing. I heard a bunch of clicks from hitch as I pulled away from campground, and pulled into first flat out of way area I found. Fortunately, a fellow RVr was going same way and saw me stop. This veteran RVr and I looked and noticed the sway bars seemed way too far forward, and the chains too far back. He suggested that the chain hooks were mounted too far forward and the clicking was the chain hitting the metal. OK, I know I did not have this problem on way to campsite and on my first trip to and fro, so I am wondering how they could have moved....got ALL the way home only to notice that the ball was out of the htich, and that was why the bars were so far back, and the chain so far forward. YIKES. There is some scratched metal all around where the tow ball sits in the joint, and the place where the triangle meets a support is a bit bent...can this TM safely be towed? How can I tell if it is still safe (asuming I connect it correctly next time!!) ??? Do I need to have it towed to a dealer for inspection? Please advise.
Thanks!
PB

PB

I would look for damage with the TM unhooked. Damage that might prevent a good latch closure for travel. Look for bent things or worn things from the trip.

Then hitch the TM on the ball, lock it in place and look again. I suspect the damage won't hurt anything, but you should be able to tell by crawling under it. Or the ball lock may not close and lock properly.

The way I prevent this is to lower the TM onto the ball with the ball a bit too far forward. That way, the TM has to slide down the ball while pulling to the rear. This permits the pawl locks under the hitch to go in under the ball. If you have the ball too far to the rear, it hits the pawls and pushes them up and rides under them instead of above them. You cannot lock the TM to the ball that way. You can tell if that happens in a lot of ways as the latch doesn't go down properly.

Best wishes on your next trips.

Thanks Leon and Bob,
Your help and advice is excellent.
I was just out there trying to figure out what that thing was that presses from the TM against the TVs ball... a pawl? I wish there was somewhere I could see picture of how that whole thing is supposed to work. I love technology, guess thats one reason I bought a TM, kinda like a giant transformer toy~! I just need to learn a whole lot more.

I will get pictures of damage in daylight (and post here? More stuff to learn!)

Thanks again! Maybe I can camp this weekend afterall...maybe!
PB

[wbmiller3]

Here's how I check it. Once I have the ball connected, I crank the trailer wheel down until the trailer tongue lifts up. If the TV lifts up too, I have a good connection.

This also helps make putting the WDH chains on easier.