ITT: We argue about the necessity of safety chains

[t4thfavor]

which is my my trailer had its own dedicated battery correct?

correct.

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[HenryMac]

I'm not laughing. I just wanted to move this nonsensical conversation out of the towing thread, and into one that sane people can come to, drop a reason to use chains, then leave and let the children REEEEEE!

Nobody said laughing... joking is what was said.

 

[RedlandRanger]

This is most likely the reason.

"A European tow vehicle driver who experiences coupling failure is left with a tow vehicle that can be easily controlled and a separated trailer with its brakes locked on.

An Australian tow vehicle driver who experiences coupling failure is left with a tow vehicle and trailer loosely connected by a pair of chains. The combination behaves totally unpredictably and almost always finishes up rolled over."

(Australia has the same system as the US regarding trailer hookups I believe)

Thanks for the detailed response. That makes sense in that context. So if you have trailer brakes with a switch, you don't have chains - otherwise, you have chains (I'm paraphrasing obviously).

 

[t4thfavor]

Nobody said laughing... joking is what was said.

Well I’m not doing that either.

 

[Groo]

Groo here
Back in the day,,, I had a horse trailer break the tongue off [poor weld]]
and the jack cut a groove in the blacktop..
Chains held and we got to the side ok..
The break away cable would not have worked [ too short]
The cable is to brake the trailer to a stop "IF" the two units come a drift.
Check your regs.
As I recall, the law says trailers over a given weight need breakaway brakes of some type
{maybe electric] but there is no mention of the car/truck having a brake controler .
You must read regs word for word as the legal eagles don't speak "plain" American!!!!

 

[Nathan289]

49 CFR 393.70 coupling devices and towing methods is where the safety chain requirements are located on the federal level.

Most states will have laws adopting the federal laws as a state requirement.

There are requirements for working load limits, attachment points, criss crossing of the chains and how the emergency break away cable is to be attached..

 

[t4thfavor]

49 CFR 393.70 coupling devices and towing methods is where the safety chain requirements are located on the federal level.

Most states will have laws adopting the federal laws as a state requirement.

There are requirements for working load limits, attachment points, criss crossing of the chains and how the emergency break away cable is to be attached..

The original instigation for this post is in Finland or some other Eurozone country. We in the US, UK, and AU all have clear cut safety chain laws.

 

[Arly]

In the USA, I'd say there is quite a bit of variation between states laws, concerning trailers.

 

[TimmyB]

Interesting read. I am with @RANGER PRIDE on graduated licenses. As a full-time RV'er, I am stunned that in most states, a person can drive a 45 foot, three-axle diesel pusher, pulling a trailer of 10 tons or more with nothing more than a standard operators license! That is flipping crazy.

I'm also for police targeting these selfish clowns that treat trailer hookups as an intrusion on their precious time. We just had one down here a couple miles from where I live, where a trailer broke away (no safety chains, etc.), travelled into the oncoming lane, and took out two motorcycles with two couples riding. At least one fatality and one critical. It is a serious problem down here in FL because there are SO many of these lawn-care providers down here and you see these trailers that look like they should have been retired a decade ago. They don't even bother to hook up the trailer lights. That to me should be an automatic stop.

One thing that this thread hasn't covered, and maybe because it doesn't happen that frequently with pickup trucks, is a failure of the hitch itself. There have been incidences where the actual hitch broke away from the RV, which means none of the safety equipment would kick in. Overloaded, equipment failure, not sure why. Maybe this happens in the RV world only.(?)

 

[Leftcoast]

Another reason to keep safety chains.
https://tfltruck.com/2021/03/saved-...duty-dangles-over-the-edge-a-couple-is-saved/

 

[Arly]

We'll let everyone else argue there merits or lack of them. We're going to use them anyway.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

HI Folks,

Having been involved in many trailer tow cases...I was amazed at the amount of accidents where the chains were shown to have not been used....STUPID, STUPID,STUPID... Safety chains save lives.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[t4thfavor]

I’m not hearing any arguing!!!

 

[GTGallop]

Safety Chains
Tourniquets
Mouth Breathing CPR
Covid Restrictions

All seem to have the same thing in common - the devil is in the details and you can't make any definitive hard and fast rules. They are all dependent upon timing, condition, equipment circumstances, lunar phase, etc... No one can be right or wrong on them especially in an internet forum where you can't know all of the details behind their post and preferred direction / reasons.

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