Hitch Disconnected From the Receiver???

[barryfriedman]

Just got back from a few days in Death Valley National Park. I have had my dual receiver hitch connected to my 2020 Accolade for over a year. I use a hitch with a drop-down receiver so that I can connect my tow bar to my Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and keep it level.

I towed the Jeep 263 miles to Death Valley, disconnected the Jeep but left the tow bar connected to the Accolade. We were about a 100 miles from the park on our way home having just traveled up the steep uphill (9% grade) and just as steep downhill and were coming to Trona on highway 178 when I looked in my side view mirror and saw the jeep was 3-4 feet to my left!

I slowed down and stopped, the jeep hit the rear of the accolade when I stopped (but not hard). When I got out, the entire receiver was on the ground. The tow bar was still connected to the drop-down receiver and to the jeep but the hitch had slid out of the receiver on the Accolade?

The drop down hitch and the tow bar looked fine, the locking pin connecting the drop-down hitch to the receiver on the Accolade was nowhere to be found? I don't remember hitting any hard dips and can't figure out how the pin would slide out of the receiver?

Happy that the damage was minimal (a big bend in my ladder and the electrical connection pulled out) but was hoping someone on the forum can shed some light on how this could happen.

Disaster Avoided....

[Old and soft]

I gave up trying to figure out why my ball loosened up after 13 years.

[crockettlarry]

Sounds like some chicanery at your last stop. Maybe at a rest stop, fuel stop, or restaurant?

[Murff]

^^^^This!

Murff

[Rustynuts]

I use all locking pins on my setup. We came out from a grocery store one time and as I look out toward our coach, I see a car take off that was setting by it. I thought it was strange so I did a walk around and found one of the pins attaching my towbar to the base plate was gone........locking pins ever since.

[EA37TS]

I agree on the locking pins. I read an article or watched a You Tube where they discussed folks removing pins from tow bars or base plates for the fun of it.

Also, every time we stop I always do a walk around and touch every pin, umbilical cord and safety change connection to make sure things are as they should be. Once this becomes a habit it takes about 30 seconds to accomplish.

[Marcm157]

I also use locking pins on everything I tow. I am also in the habit of doing a visual walk around after every stop...

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

I agree on the locking pins. I read an article or watched a You Tube where they discussed folks removing pins from tow bars or base plates for the fun of it.

Also, every time we stop I always do a walk around and touch every pin, umbilical cord and safety change connection to make sure things are as they should be. Once this becomes a habit it takes about 30 seconds to accomplish.

Unbelievable what people will do!! That could easily kill someone! Nevermind the extensive financial damage that could happen!

Looks like I'm adding an item to my "walk around", and now I feel like I'll have to do it EVERY TIME I turn by back on my rig!! Not to mention getting a couple spares to have on hand. Usually keep a spare receiver pin or two laying around (my receiver pin is a locking pin), but not ones for the base plate/tow bar...

[barryfriedman]

All of my hitch pins have locks.

I always do a walk-around before I leave and again after about 100 yards just to make sure the toad is attached properly. I have been focusing on the connections between and hitch, towbar, and the Jeep. I really don't take a good look at the receiver on the Accolade since I never remove it and it is locked. Based on your feedback, I will now do a more detailed check.

The strange thing is we never stopped from the time we left Death Valley to when the hitch came out of the receiver. I would think if someone managed to remove the lock and the pin, it would have disconnected long before 100 miles and certainly during the 9% uphill grade.

Does anyone think it is possible that the lock managed to come off the pin, or the pin broke? Those are the only explanations that make any sense.

[RAurand]

Like pilots do with airplanes,
EVERY TIME I stop somewhere, I do a complete walk around my unit looking things over very carefully BEFORE getting and driving off.

[Jagiven]

Glad the damage was minimal and no one got hurt!

Who knows, could have been someone at your last stop messing with you, or a cheap pin that failed, maybe retainer pin was forgotten and it took that long for it to slip out.

I too always double check everything, just like EA. When we stop and walk away, I do a quick look and feel (brakes). Before pulling out look at everything, and touch every item, even my windows, hatches including the frig access panel.

One day I had our Emergency exit window open up twice on me while high in the mountains. Surprise it did not shatter, or get hit by an oncoming vehicle. Never happened before or since.

So far the only thing I know that I have had stolen, was one of my L-brackets for my Equalizer hitch. Luckily I bought a spare set.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Unbelievable what people will do!! That could easily kill someone! Nevermind the extensive financial damage that could happen!

Looks like I'm adding an item to my "walk around", and now I feel like I'll have to do it EVERY TIME I turn by back on my rig!! Not to mention getting a couple spares to have on hand. Usually keep a spare receiver pin or two laying around (my receiver pin is a locking pin), but not ones for the base plate/tow bar...

We know the feeling... but can't prove that it happened.. We made a stopover in a Walmart in Mesquite NV... and the next morning, the clip holding the hitch pin was missing when I was doing the pre-trip check.

I do the walk around and do a detailed check of the hitch/pins/chains along with the straps on the Toyota on the trailer... at EVERY stop's departure, right before jumping in the cab.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by SloPoke

We know the feeling... but can't prove that it happened.. We made a stopover in a Walmart in Mesquite NV... and the next morning, the clip holding the hitch pin was missing when I was doing the pre-trip check.

I do the walk around and do a detailed check of the hitch/pins/chains along with the straps on the Toyota on the trailer... at EVERY stop's departure, right before jumping in the cab.

I do a similar walk-around at every stop, but I don't know that I would notice a cotter pin missing? I'll for sure be looking a bit more closely from now on though...

To be fair, it would be virtually impossible for one of my pin retainers to just fall out since I have the pin/ring type retainers. It would literally have to shear, and if that happened, I would probably notice as it would take a massive lateral force directly on the pin for that to happen...

In my setup, those pins that attach the tow bar to the baseplate are really the only "removeable" part. The hitch pin is a locking pin into the receiver, but those pin retainers on the ends of the tow bar are just ring/pin retainers that can be quickly and easily removed if you know what you're doing. Not quite as easy as cotter pins, but still...

[norty1]

And make sure you have some spares in case one is missing.

[Julie&MarksJayco]

How old are you?(lol) I’m 57 and I actually have a list on paper I go by every time I hook up.Maybe you took pin out?Or maybe someone thought it would be funny to pull pin.Glad nothing was damaged too bad.

[Extreme]

This is a recurring issue. Safety and security. Heard about people coming out of restaurants and their toad or trailer is gone. I always have a lock hitch pin, a lock on the tow bar and a steering wheel lock in the Motorhome. These days they don’t just break in and steal stuff , they just take the whole kitten kabuddle. Recently in Oregon someone came out of their house and their brand new Airstream was gone. Did not lock the hitch... so sad indeed.

[Jim Davis]

I do two slightly different walk-arounds. Pulling into a gas station or other stop I do an eyeball check all the way around and physically put my fingers on the wheel hubs. Before getting back on the road I do another eyeball check just to make sure.

[norty1]

Years ago, I stopped at a park off the PA Turnpike and one of my front pads was missing. All I can figure is that some road debris hit the slip pin and knocked it out. Long story short, I purchased a new one but since, I have wired every slip pin with safety wire or a tie wrap to keep one from accidently being pulled or falling out.

[berwin]

Ditto on the locking pins everywhere. I read about someone who stopped at a rest stop and went inside to the rest room. When they came out, their toad was gone. As I recall, their toad had to have the key inserted to unlock the steering wheel. They had either left a door unlocked or someone broke out a window, then disconnected the toad-RV connections and drove off.

[Trapper2020]

I also use locking pins in all three locations. This did not stop the pin from breaking when I once had to back up to get out of a gas station. The pin came loose about an hour later while going up a hill. The moral of the story is don’t back up with tow hooked up. I should have disconnected tow but was to lazy. Never again. Safe travels

Enjoy the journey