Time to check out the hitch before the next trip

[BigRedLancer]

After the tow bar popped out of the hitch during our last trip, I think it is time to check out the entire hitch system before our next trip. Since the tow bar slid on the pavement for several feet, parts of the bar were "ground down" along with the lock (on the locking hitch pin) that pins the extension to the tow bar. The "emergency" brake cable got caught under the tow bar and suffered a little damage. Fortunately it still did it's job and turned on the SMI brake. When I got back to the tow bar, it had rotated 90 degrees as it slid down the road in front of the car. It was all I could do to get it rotated back so I could slip it into the receiver. I think this time I will construct a longer safety cable and attach it to the frame. A friend lost all but one bolt on his hitch while driving down the highway. His towed suddenly appeared in his mirror.

I installed the system in Jan, 2006. I think I will also call Roadmaster to discuss what happened during the mishap.