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Old 04-20-2009, 08:53 AM   #15
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When we were towing a dinghy, I used the pins with pad locks.

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Old 04-20-2009, 09:04 PM   #16
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The pins with the snap ring are called "Click Pin" or "Lynch Pin." They come in all sizes and can be found at any farm supply store, and most hardware stores. Selecting the correct diameter is a must!

Example of a Click/Lynch Pin

Glad you are safe.
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Old 04-20-2009, 09:15 PM   #17
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That is exactly the pin I had and now have again. Must be flipped the right way to be safe. I got my replacement at ACE Hardware,
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Old 04-20-2009, 10:20 PM   #18
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I parked the MH with toad attached across the street from my house. Later that day, I decided to take it out for a test drive. About two blocks away, I noticed the toad in my left mirror and stopped on a busy road in commute traffic. Turns out that "apparently" someone walking by the MH when it was parked, decided to take one of the drift pins. I was lucky that all I did was bend the steel bar on the hitch. A $75 fix to replace the bar. My solution was to purchase a set of four paddle locks keyed the same. I have used them ever since and I don't have to worry about anyone "taking" one of my pins wherever I park the rig.
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Old 04-22-2009, 06:19 PM   #19
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Here's what I used before leaving the driveway with the MH & Toad

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....ROD&ProdID=101
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Old 04-22-2009, 07:48 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paz View Post
if you use locking pins and you have a fire while your rig is hooked up to the toad (it doesn't matter if the fire starts in the rig or if it starts in the toad), you will likely loose BOTH the rig AND the toad.
I would weigh the likelihood of a fire and the likelihood of a pin falling out. I would rather risk losing a toad to a fire than losing a toad and possibly injuring someone when a pin falls out.
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Old 04-23-2009, 06:21 AM   #21
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I would weigh the likelihood of a fire and the likelihood of a pin falling out. I would rather risk losing a toad to a fire than losing a toad and possibly injuring someone when a pin falls out.
You raise a good point, but also be aware that if the fire starts in the toad due to a short, locked brake, or deflated tire, there is also a good chance you will loose the MH if you can't quickly get the toad disconnected. Fiberglass burns real fast, and so does all that styrofoam insulation inside the walls. Of course, loosing a toad to fire would be preferred over injuring someone, but people are injured in fires, too.

Using the proper pins, making sure they are in good condition, and checking the pins EVERY time you stop will go a long way to make sure the pins don't fall out. Using an auxiliary toad brake will also go a long way toward preventing injury or damage if a pin does fall out.

Everyone needs to do what is comfortable for them. I was trying to point out one disadvantage to padlocks on the pins.
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Old 04-23-2009, 08:51 AM   #22
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I think I must have done it the wrong way as I was conversing with my wife while I was doing the hookup.
Boy, I can relate to that! When I am hooking up the toad I try to concentrate on my routine and not get distracted!

I try not to speak with others, also, as they are hooking up so as to not disrupt what they are doing. This is one of the most critical routines we do when travelling.
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Old 04-23-2009, 02:28 PM   #23
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Boy, I can relate to that! When I am hooking up the toad I try to concentrate on my routine and not get distracted!

I try not to speak with others, also, as they are hooking up so as to not disrupt what they are doing. This is one of the most critical routines we do when travelling.
Amen. My rule is that I don't talk to anyone while I'm trying to hook up. I haven't lost a pin but I did loose a safety cable. It must have been bouncing along, throwing sparks on the road because a truck driver passed me and blew his horn (it was VERY early in the morning). I immediately stopped and found the problem. $80 later, I have a different type of safety cables and that problem shouldn't ever reoccur.
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Old 04-25-2009, 02:44 AM   #24
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I also use locks as big Sky Bob and TXiceman does, as I do not want a 7000# truck to come loose and kill someone else. I have insurance if I loose the truck or motohome in a fire. Also it is known that pranksters like to mess with things when you are away and even if equipment is install properly does not mean that someone else can't play with you. Glad to hear no harm was done and thank you for reminding us of complacency.
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Old 04-28-2009, 06:55 AM   #25
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BOY!! glad to hear others have encountered same problem. Coming across S. Dakota last summer, I noticed (in rear camera monitor) that the toad was pulling a little off it's usual position. Immediately pulled over, and sure enough, one of pins connecting one arm of Blue Ox to the toad was missing!!! WHEW!...caught it in time!!

The pins I'd been using since first hitting the road were the kind founded in towing sections at RV centers...(can't recall the brand) but were the kind with a cylinder knob affixed on one end of the pin and a similar shaped cylinder locking knob which you snapped on the other end of the pin once it was inserted. Yup, the locking knob had fallen off most likely because I failed to assure it was snap/locked on fully, and the pin eventually worked out when I saw the toad wasn't tracking correctly.

DON'T want to do THAT AGAIN....eh? Steve & Lynette
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Old 04-28-2009, 07:31 AM   #26
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How about a Self Locking Integrated Cotter (SLIC) pin? You can also call Blue Ox and ask for their pins which are like the SLIC pins, 1/2" dia, 2 5/8" long Blue Ox part # 229-0520 (looks like the pin in the pic below at the top center with the pull ring - note the squared integral cotter like spring loaded detent on the other end. These automatic pins take away the worries about if the cotter is correctly installed.
I wouldn't use those so called automatic pins. We tried using them on equipment here on the farm and my son in the construction business has tried them. We have both seen to may failures when things hit the bottom of the pins and pop them out. I suppose in RV use the chances of the pin being bumped out is much less than our using in our farm operations.
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Old 04-28-2009, 05:33 PM   #27
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Something else to watch for. I parked the MH and toad in a food store parking lot while we did some shopping. Before we went into the store I checked the whole rig including the toad hookup. When I came back from the food store I did a quick walk around (26 years of flying in the Navy makes me do that) and I found a looking pin had been removed. Somebody thought they were being cute. I always carry spares.
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Old 04-28-2009, 05:47 PM   #28
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We boondock in Wal-Mart and various places and I frequently do not unhook or hook up the night before. I need to be very diligent in checking out my pins. We usually go through a turn signal, brake signal check and must remember to check out the pins, breakaway cables and breakaway brake cable.
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