Almost lost the Toad

[Lindsay Richards]

While driving in the country at about 55 mph, I saw that my toad was veering badly. Fortunately the breakaway system immediately slowed the toad down and kept it from hitting the coach when I slowed down. I was able to pull over. The pin on one side had fallen out and the breakaway system activated. I was towing with only an attached arm on one side. I now realize that I put the cotter pin in wrong and the jiggling around made it fall out and the pin released, This will not happen again believe me. I have about 22,000 miles on the system, but it only takes one time not being careful when installing the system. The Toad Stop which activates on a surge detector works well and the dash light activated. The Toad Stop has an air pump which controls the toad brakes and stops the vehicle. We drove into town and bought the appropriate size bolt, washers, and bolts to make a jury rig system. On the way back from the hardware store, I went back .4 of a mile and found the lost pin. I figure I have hooked up my truck to the coach hundreds of times and always put in the cotter key correctly. It only takes once to cause yourself a problem. It is easy to become complacent when doing this daily task, but the forces involved in towing a 5,500 pound truck behind a 24,000 pound coach are very large and care must be taken each and every time.

[Jim Stewart]

I am glad that everything worked out safely for you and a good reminder to double check every thing, every time!

[RVDude]

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.

[rjf7g]

Glad you and your stuff came out of it ok.

[Lindsay Richards]

The cotter pin that I was using was a Blue Ox item. It isn’t pictured above, but has a pin captured in a circle. If you insert the key thru the pin and then put the key within the circle, the tension holds the circle against the key. You can put the key within the circle one of two ways. I got it right the first several hundred times and I think I must have done it the wrong way as I was conversing with my wife while I was doing the hookup. I can tell by looking at it or by feeling it and believe me, I won’t mess it up again. I was able to buy an exact replacement from Ace hardware for $1.69. I really love the Blue Ox system. The brake system is instilled under the hood of the truck with a cable to the back side of the brake pedal. You never know it is there when driving the toad and it adds no time to the hookup. I know my description of the circular cotter key is impossible to understand.

[RVDude]

You should consider the automatic pins I mentioned above - including the Blue Ox part number. Any of the old ring style retention rings be they the snap ring or the slide through the hole ring looking sort of like any of these

leave room for error - the automatic SLIC style ones in my post above don't. If the basic pin is inserted fully, then the retention device is automatically (and correctly) engaged.

Just a thought. Glad you got though that with only frayed nerves.

[EddieMet]

Glad things worked out. I know what you mean by it only takes one time. Once not long after we started RVing, I was working on the Brake Buddy, and DW was hooking up the tow bar. I finished with the BB and went to help with the tow bar. We pulled out of the CG and one of my kids asked why the car was way to the left side of the MH. Well, when I went to help with the tow bar, DW assumed that I had connected the tow bar on my side. I assumed she had connected both brackets. Needless to say, I had not connected my side. Luckily, the cables held the toad in place until I could stop. Also needless to say, we BOTH double check each other before we pull out. Lessons learned the hard way are the lessons we remember the longest regardless of the outcome.

[Lindsay Richards]

The brass looking circular key on the left above is the Blue Ox key and is exactly the one that I think I installed incorrectly. The two parts of the ring are eccentric and if you bring it over the top, the tension does not hold it as well. The shaft does not rest fully against the bottom of the ring and I believe this is what I did. It is very easy to determine by looking or feeling even in the dark. I took the other key into ACE hardware and compared them, they look and operate exactly alike. You know now that I am going over this, I realize that this whole thing was my wife’s fault for talking to me when I was hooking up. Actually we have a check list that we go through when hooking up and now having the key in correctly is on the list. We went close to 100 miles before the toad came loose. I don’t know when the cotter key came out as we didn’t find it, but I suspect that I didn’t go to long after the cotter key came out before the pin came out.

[Lindsay Richards]

Lots to be said about double checking and we try to do it each time. My wife drives the toad up to the coach and then makes sure the toad is ready to go with it out of gear, emergency brake off, key in proper position, and 2 wh, 4wh drive transfer switch in the correct position. She will not allow me to lock up the toad until I double check each item. We tried driving off once with the manual transmition in gear. Didn't get too far, so we always double check. We also check the turn signals and brake lights each tim.

[BigSkyBob]

These don't fall out and can't be removed by anyone "accidently".

[paz]

Lindsay, glad everything worked out OK. This incident illustrates the necessity for having an auxiliary toad braking system with breakaway feature. I see so many people say their toad is light and they feel they don't need an auxiliary toad brake because their coach brakes can easily handle stopping the toad. Well, your coach can't stop the toad if it isn't properly attached anymore. That's when you REALLY need the auliliary toad brake.

FWIW, I had a set of what people are calling the "automatic" pins. I used them for 1 or 2 short trips and then threw them away and went back to the type with the rings. Even though both automatic pins were brand new, one of them wouldn't stay in. The pins have little spring-loaded buttons at the end that are supposed to snap out to keep the pin in the tow bar. One of buttons kept hanging up and wouldn't always snap out properly. If you use this type of pin, make sure the pin is pushed in all the way, make sure the little buttons are snapped out EVERY time you install the pin, make sure the pins don't get coated in road grime or corrosion, and make sure the little buttons don't wear over time and get rounded off from snapping them in and out.

[paz]

Originally Posted by BigSkyBob

These don't fall out and can't be removed by anyone "accidently".
Attachment 340Attachment 339

Those locking pins will certainly not fall out.

I used to use locking pins, but I stopped after attending an RV seminar put on by Mac the Fire Guy. Mac said, 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. Fires don't happen often, but when they do, they spread fast. Locking pins can't be removed "accidentally," but they also take longer to unlock and remove on purpose during an emergency. I'm not saying don't use locking pins if you feel they are working for you, but it's just something to be aware of.

[Lindsay Richards]

People do not stop think how large the forces are in towing a vechile. You must used heavy duty equipment designed for the job.

[John-D]

Trust me I know the feeling well.. cost me over $2,000 to fix the damage
No, the towed did not hit the motor home

It did, however, hit the hitch gear