Blue Ox Aventa LX Failure w/ F150

[Sky_Boss]

I know someone will bring this up so...

I use the Blue Ox Locking pins.

BX88101 Receiver Lock Kit, 2-1/2, 1-5/8″ | Blue Ox

This should avoid both the possibility of inadvertent loss of pin and intentional sabotage/removal by "pranksters".

[TyCreek]

I noticed with my new linch pins that the spring ring snapped closed more positively. My takeaway is; If the ring closure is sluggish and doesn't snap closed into the lock position, replace it!

[ChasL]

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

I know someone will bring this up so...

I use the Blue Ox Locking pins.

BX88101 Receiver Lock Kit, 2-1/2, 1-5/8″ | Blue Ox

This should avoid both the possibility of inadvertent loss of pin and intentional sabotage/removal by "pranksters".

X2, I use Pad Locks after having one Pulled out or falling out.

[dpinvidic]

Originally Posted by Belladog

These are the type of pins we use ( same as OP ). You need to physically lift the ( spring ) ring then pull the pin.


Roadmaster Linch Pins (Qty 2) Roadmaster Accessories and Parts RM-910024

I don't like these pins becasue you must flip thr ring one way for it to work correctly. I suspect I flipped mine the wrong way when I found it missing when returning to storage. good thing it was a short drive..the main pins was still there.

Dan

[pcurt23]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Same thing happened to us!

X2 Me too. I started using the locking pins after that. I suppose they could have fallen out. However, my pins were very difficult to remove and required some effort.

[chuckster52]

Originally Posted by steined

Had a failure on I-75 about 400 miles into our trip today. Noticed a weird miss or seeming surge of the engine while going down hill, asked the DW if she noticed, she said yes she felt something, then checked the rear view camera to see the F150 resting on the rear of the motorhome. I immediately thought the bars fell off and slowly and carefully pulled over and stopped. Got out and the F150 was against the ball on the Aventa LX. Only minor damage to the truck bumper.

I think either the baseplate to tow bar pin sheared or it fell out of the passenger side lug. I had just checked after fueling about an hour prior and it was fine. Again we were about 400 miles in without issue. It was quite windy today. The passenger bar had somehow fell, flipped over and ground against the ground.

Will call Blue Ox in the morning and see what can be done. Frightening to say the least. Could have been much much worse!

Please be careful out there!

In the future, it is recommended that you cross the safety chains/cables under the tow bar when hooking up..right side on truck to left side on motorhome...and other side crossing....this keeps the tow bar from hitting the ground if this happens..
what can, happen is that part of tow bar that was running on road falls into a hole and gets jammed in the hole and the toad gets flipped in the air,still connected on one side of the hitch
Chuck

[D Lindy]

Having heard from numerous members that they've checked their pins when stopping and then when going to leave, and finding the pin/pins missing, is it possible to use a padlock in place of the pins, thus preventing anyone from removing them, and it's less likely to fall out/come unhooked?

[steined]

Originally Posted by chuckster52

In the future, it is recommended that you cross the safety chains/cables under the tow bar when hooking up..right side on truck to left side on motorhome...and other side crossing....this keeps the tow bar from hitting the ground if this happens..
what can, happen is that part of tow bar that was running on road falls into a hole and gets jammed in the hole and the toad gets flipped in the air,still connected on one side of the hitch
Chuck

Thanks for the tip. I do cross safety chains but never wrapped them around the arm as I never had issues with them dragging. Now it seems it serves another purpose to wrap around the arms... Is that what you were suggesting? Thanks!

[steined]

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

I know someone will bring this up so...

I use the Blue Ox Locking pins.

BX88101 Receiver Lock Kit, 2-1/2, 1-5/8″ | Blue Ox

This should avoid both the possibility of inadvertent loss of pin and intentional sabotage/removal by "pranksters".

Thanks. I think that will be my next purchase once I'm back in action! Not sure how it could have come undone, but the posts suggesting the safety cable could have flipped it seem plausible. I am also not ruling out that it sheared, though it seems pretty unlikely. Glad to see ideas on how to improve the safety of this setup. I'm just glad no one got hurt, and the only real damage to the truck was superficial to the bumper plastic. Definitely counting blessings!

[70ChevelleSS]

Originally Posted by steined

Thanks for the tip. I do cross safety chains but never wrapped them around the arm as I never had issues with them dragging. Now it seems it serves another purpose to wrap around the arms... Is that what you were suggesting? Thanks!

Only problem with wrapping them around the arm is they will rub and wear the rubber boots. As I and others mentioned, keep the locking pin on the side opposite the safety cables.

[Belladog]

I really like the " lock pins " its about the safest way you can do it.


Question for guys using the lock pins..... do the rubber snap covers over the locks keep out road dirt ??


I would assume if you got dirt in the key hole it could be a problem getting the lock to work properly.

[Bob&AnnaMari]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Hello steined

When we were visiting Blue Ox factory a year ago, the technician told us to place the Lynch Pin on the opposite side from the safety cable hookup point. Same thing for those Blue Ox Base Plate attachment tab assembly. He said that they had reports that the safety cable clamps or the hook could possibly unhook that lynch pin as you drove.

Interesting. The manuals all show the hookup for this pin on the inside of hitch (which is where I have always put mine). But, my cable attach points are also on the inside of the attach tabs. I guess I will start putting them on the outside from now on.

[Bob&AnnaMari]

Originally Posted by steined

Thanks for the tip. I do cross safety chains but never wrapped them around the arm as I never had issues with them dragging. Now it seems it serves another purpose to wrap around the arms... Is that what you were suggesting? Thanks!

DO NOT WRAP YOUR CABLES AROUND THE ARMS! I did this when I was new at all this and found out that cables wrapped around the arms can (and will) pull on the release handles. I was shocked to see my toad moving forward and back while the tow bar was totally "unlocked". I was very very lucky that all this happened while I was driving in town at some very low speeds. I have never wound the cables around the arms since.

Get cables that are spirally wound and keep tension on the hookup. But, under no circumstances would I ever recommend that anyone put cables around the arms. I even go further and keep my electrical cable connection and my breakaway cable routed under the towbar as well.

Yes, I saw TyCreek's photo of his safety chains wrapped around the tow bars, but this configuration certainly did not work for me.

Just my experience.

[dpinvidic]

Originally Posted by chuckster52

In the future, it is recommended that you cross the safety chains/cables under the tow bar when hooking up..right side on truck to left side on motorhome...and other side crossing....this keeps the tow bar from hitting the ground if this happens..
what can, happen is that part of tow bar that was running on road falls into a hole and gets jammed in the hole and the toad gets flipped in the air,still connected on one side of the hitch
Chuck

This does not help in most cases. You will see that the attach points on the coach are welded to the side of the receiver tube. So crossing them still leaves the same size open space in the center of the gap between coach and TOAD.
The same has been said to protect your electrical connector if it falls out.

I have a protect-a-tow, which I know will catch my cable, and it might support the free end of a tow bar, not exactly sure on this since it stretched.

Maybe a bungee cord wrapped around the toad end of each bar AND the safty cable would keep the bar from hitting the ground. Don't think it would cause a rubbing problem...

Regards,

Dan