ITT: We argue about the necessity of safety chains

t4thfavor

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(ITT= In This Thread)...


There's an off topic debate in another thread about whether or not safety chains are 1. Safe, 2. Necessary, 3. Dangerous, 4. long enough, 5. short enough, 6, green, 7. blue, 8. purple (add more in your post).

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Arly

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I've seen or been near, to many trailer accidents. We'll use chains, weather they are legal or not. In general, I like to drive a short ways, then stop to recheck all connections. This is before we leave town (pretty small town :crackup:)

This happened near us and was in the paper. A gal was tooling down the 4 lane interstate highway when her horse trailer came off, turned slightly and traveled across the meridian and smacked a oncoming auto load with teenagers. Sadly, some were killed. The vehicle towing the trailer didn't even stop.. Maybe she didn't look back very much?
 
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I knew a guy that hooked up his utility trailer, so he thought, started loading it when it popped off the ball because he did not check it as it was on the ball not over it when he hooked up. Even then the chains helped.:headbang:
 


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t4thfavor

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It's really not a joking matter Chance. Lot's of folks killed and maimed by dumb asses pulling trailers that don't know what they are doing. Check out this site Dangerous Trailers.
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!
 

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I knew a guy that hooked up his utility trailer, so he thought, started loading it when it popped off the ball because he did not check it as it was on the ball not over it when he hooked up. Even then the chains helped.:headbang:
This story reminds me of one, I was involved with. We mowed ski trails via towed mower which used a ball and a trailer hitch system to attach it to the atv. This poor fellow just couldn't figure out how to keep the mower connected and lost it every summer which tore up the mower controls. He eventually bought a wrench for the ball nut. But we lost tools and broke other varuis parts on the atv and mower every year. Why was this such a hard thing to figure out for a fellow who spent his life working at a technical engineering university? :crazy:
 

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The use of chains won't change from this thread, we can argue about what is best. But in the end of the day, in the US the safety chains are mandatory. While in the EU they're illegal.

So while I do agree that safety chains would be the best option from a safety stand point, I can't use them over here. Cause illegal, lol.

Just how laws are different, I guess.
What is the reasoning behind making them illegal? That makes no sense to me at all. Not having them, sure, but illegal?
 
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t4thfavor

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The use of chains won't change from this thread, we can argue about what is best. But in the end of the day, in the US the safety chains are mandatory. While in the EU they're illegal.

So while I do agree that safety chains would be the best option from a safety stand point, I can't use them over here. Cause illegal, lol.

Just how laws are different, I guess.
I'm genuinely curious if you can provide a source for the legality claim. I'm looking everywhere, and all I can see is that they are highly recommended in the UK (I know, brexit and whatnot). I'm reading that in the UK, you are required to use a secondary connection, OR a breakaway cable. Which means safety chains would be required on trailers without brakes.
 
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t4thfavor

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I found some similar articles, basically I am reading it that you must have emergency brakes (So maybe there are no trailers that don't have brakes) OR safety chains can be used (Nowhere am I reading that you can't do both).

While I agree in part with the European/Australia comment, it's misguided to think that if a detached trailer steers in a certain direction when disconnected that it won't come in contact with someone who's not equipped to catch it safely.
 
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t4thfavor

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I'm squarely on the side of friendly debate until someone comes in and says that they run with no brakes or chains and haven't ever killed anyone with their trailer.

I'm genuinely curious the reasoning behind what you're saying the law states.
 

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Let me get this straight. The distinguished member from Norway now says he can't find the EU law stating safety chains are illegal. Now there's 5 minutes I'll never get back.
 
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t4thfavor

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I'm squarely in the country where your car can have rust holes through the frame, and no brakes at all, and you won't even get looked at by the cops until you run into someone, and we still use safety chains :)

In case you guys haven't read the entire towing thread, this is what I tow regularly (It's not as bad as it looks at 6000# loaded), definitely a safety chain AND breakaway cable situation.

I'm still curious to see what the DMV says.

IMG_1962.JPG
 
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t4thfavor

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I’ve heard back already. It's apparently illegal under the term that the chains would disturb how the wire works.
If it means they are illegal IF they interfere with the brake wire, then I get it. If it's literally "they are always illegal when a brake wire is used" then that's ridiculous as they could just make the brake wire a bit shorter than the safety chains like they are in the us....
 
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t4thfavor

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not sure what your brake wire is comprised of.

i had a trailer, with trailer brakes and a dead mans switch kind of brake applicator.

if i was a total dumbass and didn't hook my ball hitch properly, with the safety pin, and that failed...and then my safety chains, either hooked incorrectly, or fail, then the third and final part of the puzzle is the trailer moving away from the truck, pulling the wire connecting the two, which pulled out a switch and the brakes would apply.
(basically i believe this part of the system was powered open, much like air brakes, and when you lose the power thru the switch disconnect, the brakes applied...I assume thats pretty standard)

So I have numerous safety features available to me.

for the one regarding the vehicle unable to control a disconnected trailer with chains keeping it together, that's why we have towing limits....that's why you don't load your vehicle to the max unless you have the towing skills to back it up.

so many people bin it into the weeds when they have trailer issues is because they're totally unskilled and lack the experience to be towing a vehicle at its limits.

I'm a huge supporter of graduated licensing systems when becoming a new driver, I 100% think that trailering should be the same. This way, some clown doesn't go buy a Honda Ridgeline and try and tow a 32' dual axle camping trailer through the mountains.
Agree on everything here, but I have one point of clarity.

The deadmans switch as you describe it is Normally OPEN, and when the pin is pulled out it powers closes and applies the breaks with full battery voltage. Once that happens, the brakes usually lock up if the battery is good.

No battery=no emergency brakes on normal electric brake trailers.
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