Great stuff rog & chopper-john!
I have visited all your suggested links and bookmarked them for further study. Rog might I suggest that you copy and paste your other-thread post over here too. I think this is a very important subject.
I have a runaway trailer (not RV) war story too regarding NO chains. I was 1st on scene of a dump truck which was stopped in road with a trailered back hoe implanted in its engine compartment. The dump truck driver was pinned in the cab by the steering wheel and instrument panel. His drivers door was jammed shut. I entered the truck on passenger side but could do nothing but listen to the poor fellow gasp and gurgle. He was 90% unconcious. Others arrived,someone went and called help (prior to cell phones), it arrived and they admined an IV and waited for jaws of life arrive to extricate the man. Sadly he died later that day. The driver (who had fled scene before my arrival) of the pickup truck was found to be an illegal Mexican immigrant. The safety chains were still hooked to their storage carriers on the trailer and had never been used that day. I went before the city council and implored them to crack down on trailer users and unsafe tow setups. They stared blankly at me and as far as I know never even followed up with the Police chief as to the ramifications of such a crackdown. Since that day for the last 20 years I have glanced over at almost every trailer I pass, lookin at the safety chains, I have seen countless numbers not being used at all or skipping along on the pavement. I would support the harshest of laws and fines including checkstops and random pullovers or special inspection sticker requirements for trailers and hitch units.I do believe in less government ..except on the highways..and at the borders!
In Houston and Birmingham I see overloaded pickups (often overloaded with passengers too) pulling small construction or lawn maintenance trailers, with poorly secured or overloaded trailers. Many I believe are piloted by illegals who may not have any license, much less any briefing on safety towing.
My brother a Houston policeman tells me that traffic officers there hesitate to even stop some aliens for the lack of co-op they get with the immigration people. He says the Houston jails could be filled to overflow in a week if they just arrested those with no or fake drivers licenses. They have been advised not to arrest for such offenses.
Have we all lost our minds in this country or what????