Trailer popped of the ball...

[atvaholic]

Wondering if anyone here has had this problem, never happened to me before. On my last fishing trip I loaded up and headed out. Went over a big bump and the trailer came off the ball! Scared the %#&* out of me, smashed my license plate and dinged the tailgate too. I was pretty sure I put on the trailer properly, I ended up tightening the nut underneath a small amount and drove slowly home without issue.  the ball size is correct and I have a locking hitch pin which was still locked when it came off.

Im leaving again tomorrow. I hooked up the trailer this afternoon and went for a ride. Tried to lift the trailer a bit with a jack. No issues so far, I took a pic underneath, does this look correct to everyone?

[Fisherman]

You already fixed it.  If there's too much slack in the coupler nut, it can pop off the ball.  I would also suspect lack of 10-12% of total trailer weight on the ball would make it easier for that to happen. 

[Terry]

I would say the tension on the coupler need to be tightened or you have a 2 “

coupler and a 1 7/8 ball

[OhioFisherman]

My boat my buddy's truck, he lives 2 houses from me and has had boats and trailers for decades. He hooked up my boat and we drove to Chautauqua  Lake in New York for a tournament, driving to the ramp on the lake a deer ran across the road and when he hit the brakes the trailer jumped the ball and hit his plate. It's like 160 - 170 miles from here, so lucky?

I am assuming he just didn't seat it right on the ball, I had a trailer jack on the front of  mine, hook it up and crank the jack up and it shouldn't come loose. Spray some lithium grease on the locking mechanism to keep things working smoothly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DRIFTER_016]

Had it happen on the 401 in the 80's.

It was pretty sketch!!! Locking clip fell out and latch came undone at a buck twenty in the middle lane!!! Luckily the tongue dropped down on the chains so it didn't dig into the road but she was whipping side to side pretty good until I got it slowed down. Scared the living crap out of me. No damage done but it could have been an epic wreck on the busiest highway in North America pretty easily.  😱

[b2kptbo]

Had that happen, hit a pot hole, lucky was slowing for a stop light...

[akaShag]

18 hours ago, Fisherman said:

You already fixed it.  If there's too much slack in the coupler nut, it can pop off the ball.  I would also suspect lack of 10-12% of total trailer weight on the ball would make it easier for that to happen. 

Precisely.  And yes, I have had this happen a number of times, mostly on an ATV hauling a trailer on rough terrain.  Tighten the nut too much and it is a serious PITA to remove the coupler from the ball.  Leave it too loose and you already know what happens.  But a bumpy ride can loosen the nut off, all by itself.

Doug