Trailer Separation from Tow Vehicle

[John Dorrer]

Yesterday while traveling home from Northern Indiana on US 31, we hit a bridge joint. It was a big jolt followed by a load bang. Looking back the front of the trailer had dropped. We slowed and pulled off onto the shoulder.

 

The crossed chains did their job, as did the brake cable. Got out and was pretty shaken so I didn't look closely at the hitch, and can't remember anything, other than the pin was in place.

 

We just had Alcan 5-leaf springs installed and our travel home was completing the 500 miles before re-torque, which will be done tomorrow. The springs are still stiff and will be for awhile. Wonder if this could have contributed 

I found no damage to the Bulldog Hitch. We have the 2" ball and 2" Bulldog. 

 

Very scary. Only damage was the foot plated of the front jack. I will get that replaced.

 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by John Dorrer
Typo

[rich.dev]

Wow, John! I can just picture how terrifying that must have been. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it! I’m so glad you and everyone else are okay and came through unscathed.  

[Tom and Doreen]

John, I'm so glad that you're ok!! I'd be very interested in knowing what caused the Bulldog to release! That's pretty scary! It's good to know that the safety systems do in fact work! 

Time to relax under a tree with your favorite adult beverage!!

 

[Townesw]

Was the clamp open when you looked at it immediately following the incident?

Bill

[topgun2]

4 minutes ago, Tom and Doreen said:

Time to relax under a tree with your favorite adult beverage!!

Or, three or four!

I do know of a person (me) that was leaving VERY early one morning from a campsite in Yellowstone and just had this "funny" feeling that all was not right.  

I (oops - this person that I know) stopped at the camp entrance just to take a look around and saw that while the bulldog was clamped shut and locked, it was "resting" on the top of the ball - NOT down and clamped around the ball as it should have been.  This person has never told me just how he got the bulldog closed and locked without being down on the ball.  I've accused him of not being as careful as he should have been and he claims that in the early morning darkness plus being in a hurry may have had something to do with the issue.🥴

Bill

[John Dorrer]

50 minutes ago, Townesw said:

Was the clamp open when you looked at it immediately following the incident?

Bill

That is a mystery. I was so shaken that I started checking to see if the jack worked. I had to disconnect everything, which meant no flashers on the trailer and is flying by, that all I wanted to do is get hooked up and off the shoulder. So not sure whether this was my error or something that was the perfect storm. Bad bridge joint, new springs, something with the Bulldog. The Bulldog looked fine.

[Tom and Doreen]

It's a lesson to all of us to always have a spare set of shorts handy for occasions like this.  😜

[jd1923]

13 hours ago, John Dorrer said:

I found no damage to the Bulldog Hitch. We have the 2" ball and 2" Bulldog.

Yeah, except it popped off and is no longer fit for highway use (around town OK). I would replace it ASAP with the 12.5K 2 5/16" coupler. Glad I made the upgrade before something like this, and more so since our trailer is much older.

The heavier Alcan Springs will keep the Oliver from porpoising. It will be less forgiving, and over a bump could creat force in the opposite direction. Given this failure, it would have happened eventually since the sagging 1750s are more foregiving.

Sounds like your back or near home. John, you do not want a repeat episode! Please get it replaced! This is what I purchased which is still reasonably priced today =>

Bulldog Collar-Lok Trailer Coupler 2-5/16" Ball 12,500 lbs 3" Channel Tongue w/ High Profile Latch | TrailerJacks.com