No tow vehicle safety cables

[Skidie2]

Don, Pick one !

Aren't these forums fun.

[Margaritaman]

OMG if my wife saw this I’d have another item to store each time I stop. Probably even have to keep a “decorator set”.

[MrGoodwrench]

Originally Posted by harris155

Blue Ox even recommends safety cable from base plate to the vehicle frame.

Talk about overkill... However, I succumbed to it when I installed the baseplate on my Buick Envision a couple years ago. The Blue Ox kit came with s very short 3/4” wire rope cables that were to be wrapped around the baseplate and a frame member as an additional safety measure if the baseplate were to fall off.

I had a few conversations with “experts” at shops and some knowledgeable neighbors, all of whom laughed and said “That plate will never come off, just throw those cables away!!”.

After some thought, I figured there was no harm with including them, spending 1/2 a day fighting with the stiff cables and shackles, using a bunch of large cable ties to keep them out of the way of the engine, out of sight, and rattle free.

I still know it was a big waste of time and resources, but they were there, so I used them... In order for the baseplate to break away, 16 Grade 8 loctited 3/8-11 bolts with flat and lock washers would have to shear or pull through the frame.

That would never happen in 500 years, but I’ve always been a bit anal when the manufacturer says “You should do this”, and supplies all the parts. No harm in complying...

[brobox]

Guess what, my baseplate did come loose, I just had it fixed last week. Glad the cable were there.

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by rk911

interesting. care to share with the class?

I’ve added a secondary means of securing the pins that are installed and removed when connecting and disconnecting the toad without compromising the integrity of the original components. I am not aware of any tow bar or base plate manufacturer that recommends such a modification. It only took a small amount of head scratching to devise. IMO it greatly reduces the likelihood of losing the pins and will seriously aggravate anyone attempting to tamper with the setup.

[philnail]

The owner was not around otherwise I would have asked him about it and made my recommendation.

If I am parked at night in a parking lot I always leave my car hooked up. I do pull the light connector but it is just unplugged from the car. The cable is still there. I have to say I talk with a lot of people and I see lots of stupid things people do. One of the guys drove an Anthem and he had no clue about anything and at the park we were staying at he moved to a different space and wiped out the side of another campers van. He blamed the issue on the camp because he had to change places. It does not matter what people drive there are lots of people who pull trailers, drive RV’s or pull 5th wheels that just don’t think. Some of them I have spoke to over the years have me walk away shaking my head. Not that they are bad people they just don’t think and I have to say most of them are educated people.

That said I think if we see something unsafe we need to let the owners know and if we can educate them all the better as it could be you or it could be me who is behind a vehicle and gets hit because someone didn’t think it was necessary to secure things they are towing. JMHO

[Glensouth]

I have been rving 22 years and never lost a set of cables or electric cord when parked somewhere, Walmart, rest areas or truck stop. It’s the least of my worries when parked like that.

[PHAETON119]

Originally Posted by philnail

I was reading a post lately where someone had used bungee cords as safety cables between the coach and tow vehicle.

I am next to a guy from Florida that has no safety cables at all and no cord for the lights on the vehicle

At least the guy who was using bungee cords probably thought it the tow vehicle can disconnected the bungee cords would stretch out and then bounce the tow car back to the coach. :bang head

Attachment 251636

Looks like the slides are out and the jacks are down. Hopefully getting ready for a trip to the grocery or just getting back. Looking at the rig I find it hard to believe that he is traveling without essential safety gear. Just saying.

[knightstorm]

This thread needs to be put out of its misery. It might just as well be about the dangers of driving with the slides out - look at the photo. The coach is obviously parked, and the owner may just want to be sure the cables are still there when they head out. They make locking hitch pins, but no locking cables that I’ve seen.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by awol50

Toad brake systems are only required where mandated by law. I don't use one. Not required by law. And these brake systems are unreliable and cause many problems on their own.
I have never, ever heard of a 3000# toad completely separate from an RV let alone hurt anyone. Have you? If so provide details. I doubt you can.

Your statement makes it sound like you think all braking systems are problems and that simply is not true. I've been using the M&G Engineering system for almost 20 years now and it is anything but "unreliable and cause many problems on their own". I've never had the first problem. It's a easy one connection hookup and I'm done, and it works every time.

As for your last statement, there was a report in January of this year in this forum where a owner reported a seperation of the toad from the coach with the toad rolling down the side of the Interstate embankment.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/truc...rv-427146.html
As you can imagine, there were many many questions as to how something like that could happen.

On another note, I was following a Dutch Star motorcoach that was towing a SUV. We were heading to a campground that was located at the bottom of a long windy slightly damp road with steep drop offs on the one side. He was in a left hand curve of the road when I saw his brake lights come on and then I saw the rear end of the coach sliding toward the drop off with the toad pushing his butt end in that direction.

Later that evening while I was walking Hershey I stopped to talk to the gentleman and mentioned I was behind him coming down the grade into the campground. He said " I thought we were a goner. A deer jumped out and crossed the road in front of us and I hit the brakes and suddenly it felt like a hand was pushing the rear of the coach over toward that steep drop off." I asked if he had a braking system on the toad and he admitted he did not but he would have one for the next trip out.

I can see the physics of a toad weighing anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 pound amplifying the centrifugal force pushing the ass end of the coach toward the outside of that curve, and I can see how a proper toad braking system could have prevented the event. It is easy to see how a toad braking system will shorten the the overall stopping distance of a coach & toad combination. To me it just makes sense to protect my family the best way possible.

But as they say, each to his/her own.

[Rodg495]

AWOL50,
Don't come to California, they are required.
"26458 The braking system on every motor vehicle used to tow another vehicle shall be so arranged that one control on the towing vehicle shall, when applied, operate all the service brakes on the power unit and combination of vehicles when either or both of the following conditions exist: (1) The towing vehicle is required to be equipped with power brakes. (2) The towed vehicle is required to be equipped with brakes and is equipped with power brakes."

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by knightstorm

This thread needs to be put out of its misery. It might just as well be about the dangers of driving with the slides out - look at the photo. The coach is obviously parked, and the owner may just want to be sure the cables are still there when they head out. They make locking hitch pins, but no locking cables that I’ve seen.

When you post to a thread your post appears in the “recent discussions” window. This may encourage others to post and keep the thread alive.

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by Rodg495

AWOL50,
Don't come to California, they are required.
"26458 The braking system on every motor vehicle used to tow another vehicle shall be so arranged that one control on the towing vehicle shall, when applied, operate all the service brakes on the power unit and combination of vehicles when either or both of the following conditions exist: (1) The towing vehicle is required to be equipped with power brakes. (2) The towed vehicle is required to be equipped with brakes and is equipped with power brakes."

This brings up the question: If you are compliant in the state in which you are licensed and the vehicle is registered, are you compliant in all other states?

I haven’t reviewed each states requirements in a while. It seemed like most required toad brakes on anything above 1500lbs, a few were 3000lbs. Not too many toads under 3K.

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by Dbl-l

Well when I was a kid my dad had a 1960 17ft Shasta trailer and towed it with a 1957 Chevy 3/4 ton step side pickup. On each safety chain he would grind one link paper thin. I asked him why he did that and he replied, "If that SOB breaks lose, I don't want it hooked to me." Seemed right to me, I was 12.

Not all 12 year olds are brilliant. Does ignoring safety, shirking responsibility and endangering others still seem like the right decision?