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safety chains...hooks up or down?


ch312

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so, is it better to have the opening of the hook facing up or down? a recent discussion with a buddy ended up with both of us agreeing to disagree...

 

anyone know the answer? any links with actual proof (rather than grandpa says its bettet this way) that one is stronger than the other?

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Good question! I have always put mine on with the hook facing down, the logic being that if the hitch failed the trailer would drop and lag behind hense applying the weight downward and to the strongest part of the hook but I could be very flawed in my reasioning. I'll be interested in hearing the answer to this one!

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well the latest answer is neither, the open hook is frowned upon and the MTO officer wants to see a snap closure on the hook. and the open portion of the hook should point down from my conversations with them.

 

however i beleive the regs say "should" have a snap closure so im not sure that is a finable offence.

 

i have a feeling i just added fuel to the fire.....

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Our Shorelander trailers have the snap hooks on them. We recommend having the hook facing up. If the hook was facing down and a rock were to hit the snap there could be a possibility for the chain to come off. This goes the same for ppl with hooks without snap's. Some ppl still use the closed snaps. But you spend more time twisting the locks on and off than unhooking it from the vehicle.

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well back in the day

 

when I drove tow truck

 

the guy told me you always hook up

every hook you put on a car..never down

 

but maybe he was just an up kind of guy

 

:rofl2:

Edited by Terry
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Had a safety inspection one year going up to Lakair,they said you had to use a closed snap type of connector and cross the chains.

Joe

 

Bang on the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...

I got stopped last year with my camper.... I passed ...

except for one recommendation

 

I have snap hooks on my camper he told me to hook it underhad vs overhand ..apparently it's safer that way.

 

I've always done this...

crossing the chains creates a cradle if ever the wagon got un-hooked and would prevent it from falling onto the road digging into the pavement....

 

Randy

:canadian:

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well the latest answer is neither, the open hook is frowned upon and the MTO officer wants to see a snap closure on the hook. and the open portion of the hook should point down from my conversations with them.

 

however i beleive the regs say "should" have a snap closure so im not sure that is a finable offence.

 

i have a feeling i just added fuel to the fire.....

 

The trailer that came with my Stratos has rubber strips to close and of course one broke last weekend, stupid system if you ask me.

I am assuming since this trailer had to pass a inspection then it is perfectly legal! :dunno:

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The trailer that came with my Stratos

 

 

Why didnt you say you had a Stratos,man I,ll be up real soon. :rofl2:

 

Randys bang on as far as whats wanted and law. The crossing of the chains like he said,creates a craddle,preventing the towed , from digging in and flipping over. Also it adds like the hitch. Can still be controlled.

Edited by Misfish
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About 12 years ago, a police officer told my father that the hooks on our trailer's safety chains were now illegal and that we had to have closed links (safety clips, carabiners etc.). He said he could give us a ticket for just having the hooks but would just give us a warning for now.

 

He also said that we had the hooks upside down... (the openings were facing down/the road) and that a bump could jump them off the hitch which makes sense. So, we hooked them the other way and went on out way.

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Anyone who tows big boats or big RVs will tell you the same thing - stainless snap hooks, chains crossed and hooks attached underhand is the way to go.

 

Totally agree with lookinforwalleye - the rubber snubbers on bass boat trailers like the Stratos asre cheesy. Swap them out for a proper snap hook - it's less fuss (especially in cold weather) and it won't stretch or break.

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the guy told me you always hook up

every hook you put on a car..never down

Just like Terry said.

I too drove a tow truck, back in the early 80's. Safety course said open end up. Reason: if the chain were to break then the chain would go down and not fly upwards. So I still follow that rule.

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Just like Terry said.

I too drove a tow truck, back in the early 80's. Safety course said open end up. Reason: if the chain were to break then the chain would go down and not fly upwards. So I still follow that rule.

 

For a boat trailer with safety chains only a few feet long it won't matter if the chains fly up or down.

 

Maybe for a tow truck this might come in to play but not for a boat trailer. I really doubt whether the position of the hooks will even do anything anyways for the direction of the chains if they break.

 

 

The chains are hooked with the open ends up so it is harder for the hooks to be bounced off the hitch from bumps in the road.

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when i cross the boarder they look at my hooks and said no s hooks if you have s hooks turn around so it must be a law

 

YEP...."they" pick on those "they" don't like which is YOU ????

 

Only kidding......have had S hooks forever....never a problem crossing the border....now undocumented aliens under the tonneau cover has always been a problem....I just tell them they fillet my fish and away I go....a :rolleyes::rofl2:

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