[AT] Hitch broke on first tractor trailer. It's long but there is a point...

[Cecil Bearden]

I have a trailer that my Dad & I built in 1971.  We bought it from a 
farmer about 60 Mi NE of OKC and drug it home.  It had jeep wheels and 
axles.  It was made from the old Military trailer axles.  We widened it 
to haul a Massey Farm tractor along with lengthening the axles. It had 
one axle with hydraulic brakes and we welded an Atwood "run-up" hitch to 
actuate the brakes.  About 10 years later the axles were bent and we 
upgraded to 7000# axles with 8 hole wheels one axle with brakes and 
again using the old Atwood hitch with a 2"ball.   This trailer has been 
to Canada once in addition to one trip to Chicago and all surrounding 
states. The loads it has carried have been enormous.  The tongue weight 
was exceeded many times.   When the original wooden floor rotted out we 
floored it with steel from old Sohio oil tanks, and covered the tires 
with home built fenders from oilfield sucker rod and tank steel.   I 
built floor level side rails from 2-7/8 drill pipe and reinforced the 
tongue with a piece of drill pipe.   In the last 10 years the hitch 
became worn and the braking feature  was not working.

Since I get a discount from Etrailer.com, last fall I Ordered a new 
20,000# pintle style hitch and jack to replace the old 2in ball Atwood 
hitch.  Due to water leaks, cold weather, and tractor problems, the 
hitch is still sitting in the shed.
Today I had to haul 3200# of sacked oats to our farm about 60 miles 
south of home.  I hooked up to the old trailer with my  new to me 2011 
Silverado 4wd crew cab long bed.  The nicest vehicle I have ever owned. 
   After airing up the tires, I loaded up the 2 pallets of oats and 
headed south.  We unloaded the pallets at the farm and I had bought a 
Lincoln Ranger 8 on a tandem trailer a few weeks ago and since the tires 
were bad, I left it at the neighbor's place at the south farm until I 
could haul it home.  We loaded it on the trailer today and I headed 
home.  While backing up in the pasture later, I jackknifed the trailer 
and bent the bumper on my pickup.  Needless to say I was upset.  I 
headed out toward the road, and felt a bump like the tailgate dropped.  
I checked the trailer and found the hitch had bent and partially broke 
just in front of the actuator on the hitch.   I thought I could make it 
the 1 mile to the neighbor's place and leave the trailer.  I only made 
it about 600ft before the hitch broke and hit the ground.  The safety 
chains did their job.

My neighbor brought his 2755 JD and picked up the front of the trailer 
by the safety chains and drug it to his place.  The hitch coupler was 
still attached to the ball.

When I unhooked the coupler, one side of the coupler had been broken for 
a long time, the break was very rusty.   Only half of the coupler was 
holding, the bushing hole for the actuator was broken through the hole.

I still regret very much tearing up the rear bumper and fender on my 
truck, I am peeved at getting distracted while backing and at the 
expense of repairs.  However, if I had not had that mishap, I would not 
have known the coupler was broken.  If it had broken farther from home 
or help, I would have been in an expensive fix to get help and get it 
hauled home off the road.     Also, if it had broken while at high speed 
and hit another vehicle,  it could have resulted in a loss of life or at 
the least 10 years of higher insurance rates.

My Mother used to say everything always works out for the best, and if 
my Dad was still here he would have said I was lucky it happened where 
it did.  I certainly was!

I tell you guys this to encourage you to check your hitches on your 
trailers.  We all use them, but I know how we usually just latch it, 
hook up the chains and go.  Also, make sure those safety chains are 
heavy enough, mine were ex military safety chains, and they certainly 
paid off....

Cecil