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05-15-2009, 11:43 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Milan, TN
Posts: 455
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Lost my hitch and my Jeep
While traveling through the town of Pagosa Springs Colorado, my wife and I both heard a metal noise. About 10 seconds later, we heard it again. I got on the CB and told our 2 traveling companions ahead of us that we had a problem and had to pull over. We were only traveling about 25 mph, so we were able to quickly pull over to the curb. As soon as I stopped, I looked out my window to see my Jeep Liberty going down the street. I was scared to death that it would hit someone head on. I could see the tow bar in front of the Jeep as it kept moving. It moved over to the other side of the road where there was a curb, but after the curb was the office of a motel and I was then afraid that it would crash into the office and hurt someone in there. When the tow bar hit the curb, it ended up under the front of the Jeep and acted as a plow to bring my Jeep to a stop just as it hit the side of the old motel office building. THANK GOD no one got hurt.
I got out of the motorhome and ran over to the jeep to see what had happen. My first thought was, why did not safety chains not keep the Jeep attached to my motorhome? The answer, the hitch was still attacked to my tow bar and the safely chains were still attached to the Jeep and hitch. I went over to my motorhome and the hitch had been ripped off the chassis.
After it was all over, I looked under the motorhome again to try and figure out what happened. There are 2 bolts that hold the hitch to the chassis on each side. On the left side, the hitch was ripped off leaving a section with the nut and bolts still attached, but with a big hole, but on the right side, the 2 bolts were still hanging down from the chassis. The best I can figure is that the 2 bolts on the right side had not been completely tightened down and after 3 1/2 years and 30,000 miles they came off, thus causing the problem.
Damages: Hitch and Blue Ox Aventa II totaled. Left quarter panel where it hit the building. All underneath the front end where the hitch and tow bar ended up, broke many parts. Right rear corner hit a 'old coal car' on display and messed up the right rear area.
No, I did not have an auxiliary brake. But it would not have helped if I did, as the cable for it would probably have been attached to the hitch like one of my traveling companions setup was. In my case, the cable would have stayed connected just like my safety chains did. Rigs with air brake systems would have worked correctly I would think.
So, first, check your hitch to make sure all the nuts are tight. 2nd, attach the aux cable to something besides the hitch.
__________________
2006 Travel Supreme Select 45DL24
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. 35" tires, 4" lift
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05-16-2009, 05:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,027
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Ben & Bonita:
WOW!! What an experience. Just curious, were you about to head over Wolf Creek Pass, or had ya just come over the pass?? Would have been tough to loose the Jeep while going over the pass.
There was a caution or alert about hitches cracked on some chassis just a short time ago (2 or 3 mos.). Wondering whether yours may have been one of them??
Glad no one was hurt. Did ya ever listen to that trucker song "Wolf Creek Pass", where the driver ends up in the side of a Feed Store in downtown Pagosa Springs. Your experience kinda reminded me of it.
Steve & Lynette
__________________
2014 Newmar 3103 BAYSTAR/Triton V10 w. Banks/05 Honda Element toad
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05-16-2009, 06:10 AM
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#3
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Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 59
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WOW
Can only imagine the feeling. Glad no one was hurt. Gonna go check my hitch today.
thanks for sharing this info
__________________
dave from mesa
Dave & Judy
2011 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 43 DFT
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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05-16-2009, 08:00 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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Glad there were no injuries. This points out the importance of having an auxiliary toad brake with breakaway feature AND fastening the breakaway cable to a rigid frame member on the motorhome away from the receiver.
I know I shouldn't, but I fasten my breakaway cable to the receiver. I'm going to look for a longer cable and somewhere else to fasten it.
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05-16-2009, 02:08 PM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,676
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I've heard a couple other stories like this - hitch broke off motorhome. Scary! I now have a safety chain looped from the hitch to a nearby frame member. That way I can still hook up my regular safety chains easily (to the slots built into the hitch) and also have some piece of mind.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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05-16-2009, 03:38 PM
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#6
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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Quote:
I know I shouldn't, but I fasten my breakaway cable to the receiver. I'm going to look for a longer cable and somewhere else to fasten it.
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Guilty here also.
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Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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05-16-2009, 04:56 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Fulltime/ SE Minnesota
Posts: 3,119
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Another guilty here also. Thanks for the reminder to check our hitches often and as said ,run another cable to the frame.
__________________
08 Foretravel Nimbus 40 ft tag axle / 1000 watts of solar
2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn Hemi 4x4
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05-16-2009, 05:03 PM
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#8
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Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Zephyrhills, Florida
Posts: 49
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I am guilty of this also, and it has bothered me a lot. and the above made me consider what I have been thinking of doing to get a better anchor for the breakaway cable. I am going to use a cable (garage door cable) and loop it all the way back to the rear axel if I have to, to find a good safe anchor, and just leave the end of the loop laying by the hitch hardware.
__________________
2003 Newmar Kountry Star 3614, W22 248 WB, Banks Stinger & Ottomind, Motosat HD LCD TV's, WD, 58K "Home is where I park it" Walt
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05-16-2009, 06:59 PM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,948
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That is why I have never attached the safety cable or the break away cable to the hitch or anything attached to the hitch. It is connected to the frame separately from the hitch. Most all of the instructions you read say not to attach to the hitch but to the frame.
Glad no one was hurt.
Ken
__________________
Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
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05-16-2009, 08:19 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Milan, TN
Posts: 455
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Steve, we had already come over Wolf Pass. I am surprised it did not come loose then. I did not see the alert on cracked hitches. Wish I had, I might have check mine.
I hope that no one else EVER has to experience a problem like this. You always think it can never happen to you. Maybe my bad experience will get others to change the location of their breakaway cable and be better protected in case it does happen to them.
__________________
2006 Travel Supreme Select 45DL24
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. 35" tires, 4" lift
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05-16-2009, 09:09 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Nor'easters Club Workhorse Chassis Owner iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 30,785
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Couldn't find anything on cracked hitches but this thread may explain the stress placed on your hitch when towing.
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05-16-2009, 09:16 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Manteca, Ca
Posts: 1,373
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As I recall it was a hitch problem on Spartan chassis around the 2007 year.
__________________
"Piddln"
2008 Jeep Sahara '4Dr"
Ronnie Bledsoe
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05-17-2009, 06:41 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,224
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I used to hook the breakaway to the hitch.Worried about having the hitch fail so I got an eyebolt and drilled a hole in the body just above the hitch.Now the cable is connected directly to the body.
BOB
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05-17-2009, 08:24 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Milan, TN
Posts: 455
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007, I have seen many people towing where they had more 4 inches difference in heights. Mine was even.
My problem appears to be the nuts on the right side not tighten as they should have been and came off over time. It never crossed my mine to get under the rig and check how tight the nuts were on the hitch. I sure will when I get another hitch installed.
__________________
2006 Travel Supreme Select 45DL24
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. 35" tires, 4" lift
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