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TOWING: Safety Chain Question

Melensdad

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
OK I feel like a total idiot :wave:

I just learned that when you connect the saftey chains from the trailer to the tow vehicle you are supposed to cross the chains. So the right chain gets hooked to the left side of the hitch and the left chain gets hooked to the right side of the trailer hitch.

Am I the only one who never knew this?
 
The odd thing is that I had all sorts of problems with my trailer lights working with my Touareg so I've taken the trailer and the T-reg to two different hitch companies to have them work on it before we finally figured out it was the LED lights on the trailer that were causing me problems. Both times when I went back to pick up the truck & trailer the hitch companies hooked everything up and they did not cross the chains. So apparently they didn't know to do it?

Now that I know why to do it, it does seem very logical, but still, I've been trailering for over 15 years and it was news to me when I found out!
 
B_Skurka said:
The odd thing is that I had all sorts of problems with my trailer lights working with my Touareg so I've taken the trailer and the T-reg to two different hitch companies to have them work on it before we finally figured out it was the LED lights on the trailer that were causing me problems. Both times when I went back to pick up the truck & trailer the hitch companies hooked everything up and they did not cross the chains. So apparently they didn't know to do it?

Now that I know why to do it, it does seem very logical, but still, I've been trailering for over 15 years and it was news to me when I found out!
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If you cross your chains, your lights should work properly.
 
DaveNay said:
If you cross your chains, your lights should work properly.
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Yea that probably would do it, but then my windshield wipers would start whenever I honk the horn.
 
B_Skurka said:
Yea that probably would do it, but then my windshield wipers would start whenever I honk the horn.
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Not if you keep your headlight fluid topped off.
 
B_Skurka said:
Yea that probably would do it, but then my windshield wipers would start whenever I honk the horn.
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You gotta car that haz wipers ?

Geez Bob, what next..........ya gonna get one with doorz that open too ??

You're spoiling yourself !!

Trailers with safety chains ??

We always looped them around a phone pole & locked them together.

If we cross 'em what are we gonna do with the pole ?
 
PBinWA said:
I've never heard of crossing the chains.

I'm curious to know what the logic behind it is?
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Two things really:


1 As you turn crossed chains don't get short on you if you hook them too short.


2 If your coupler comes off, the tongue will drop & come to rest in the "X" of the crossed chains, keeping it from nose diving into the pavement.

(Don't ask me how I know it works !)

This is if you have the chains the proper length.
 
PBinWA said:
I've never heard of crossing the chains.

I'm curious to know what the logic behind it is?
Click to expand...

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one.

The logic is that if the hitch ball/hitch bolt breaks (which is apparently the most common way a trailer will break loose) then the trailer's receiver will drop down and be "caught" by the crossed chains. If the chains are not crossed, the receiver will hit the asphalt roadway. If the road is rough, the trailer's receiver can snag on the road and cause it to do all sorts of unsightly gyrations and apparently greatly increases the chance of tipping, flipping, etc.
 
B_Skurka said:
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one.

The logic is that if the hitch ball/hitch bolt breaks (which is apparently the most common way a trailer will break loose) ...
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Well...a few years ago I went with my dad to pickup some firewood and we had an incident. This was before I had my dually and gooseneck trailer. Anyway, I wanted to get all I could on one load so I towed my 18' car trailer and loaded it with firewood as well as my truck bed. After hitting a hard dip in I64 that felt really bad since the suspension was bottomed out, my trailer pulled out beside me and passed us. :4_11_9:

For a couple of seconds my dad and I just watched it, not quite comprehending what it was. Then a huge feeling of dread washed over me. In unison, we chanted a nice chorus of "oh shit" over and over. Luck was sort of with us because it just kept plowing with the tongue for a few hundred yards and then it went into the median and really plowed hard a bit before it stopped.

Part of the reason we were confused was because it looked so odd. Not because it was a trailer with no truck pulling it, but because of what was at the front of it. It had the complete rear hitch and part of the rear frame of my Chevy truck still attached to the tongue! On that dip it ripped part of my frame out!!

Needless to say, it was no fun trying to get that thing out of the dirt and get it home…
 
Crossing chains is how I was taught. Just for the reason stated above. They will catch the trailer tongue.

I bet the guy doing the service was just in a hurry or just doesn't know or care.
 
I learnt to cross the chains when towing showmans' living wagons, so for a change I did know about something!!
 
Absolutely unbelievable experience! That is just wild. Must have been amazing to see that go by you. Impressive that it tracked relatively straight and had the kindness to head off into the median. :pat: How close do you think it could have come to ripping out your back axle/suspension?

Dargo said:
Well...a few years ago I went with my dad to pickup some firewood and we had an incident. This was before I had my dually and gooseneck trailer. Anyway, I wanted to get all I could on one load so I towed my 18' car trailer and loaded it with firewood as well as my truck bed. After hitting a hard dip in I64 that felt really bad since the suspension was bottomed out, my trailer pulled out beside me and passed us. :4_11_9:

For a couple of seconds my dad and I just watched it, not quite comprehending what it was. Then a huge feeling of dread washed over me. In unison, we chanted a nice chorus of "oh shit" over and over. Luck was sort of with us because it just kept plowing with the tongue for a few hundred yards and then it went into the median and really plowed hard a bit before it stopped.

Part of the reason we were confused was because it looked so odd. Not because it was a trailer with no truck pulling it, but because of what was at the front of it. It had the complete rear hitch and part of the rear frame of my Chevy truck still attached to the tongue! On that dip it ripped part of my frame out!!

Needless to say, it was no fun trying to get that thing out of the dirt and get it home…
Click to expand...
 
PBinWA said:
I've never heard of crossing the chains.

I'm curious to know what the logic behind it is?
Click to expand...

So if the tongue comes loose from the tow vehicle ,it will be cradled in the crossed chains and not jerk out of control or dig into the pavement .
 
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When I was a wee lad I was working at a gas station next to the freeway and a very long 2 lane off ramp that opened up to 4. I remember hearing this Horindous noise and looked up to see a small vehicle towing a small U-haul trailer comming to a stop on the shoulder. The hitch had fallen out and the chains held the Uhaul trailer to the vehicle. BUT man I bet those groove marks can still be seen! Thank God he had the chains on or it could have been alot worse. If he would have had them crossed he could have come to a smoother less destructive stop! Man it was loud!
 
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