Oops! Left the Hitch Pin Out

[KJRitchie]

Luckily I was going slow after making a turn from an adjacent street the Equalizer receiver came out of the Tundra receiver. I forgot to put the pin in it. Luckily the Equalizer head was able to withstand the impact and kept the trailer off the ground. The electric hitch jack got bent as it hit my Tundra's bumper so it will have to replaced. The aluminum propane cover has some scratches from the electric hitch jack. The aluminum propane tanks show no dents. I was able to lift the trailer barely high enough with the Tundra's tire jack and a with a passerby helping to stand on the Tundra bumper. The Tundra bumper has a shallow dent and it cleaned up with no scratches. I was only a couple of blocks from the house and I took the trailer back there to conduct repairs. All I need is an electric jack.

Somehow I got side tracked during the hitch up procedure. I've been towing only since 2010 but never remember myself catching myself not putting int the pin. I'm thankful there I escaped major damage.

Kelvin.

[Stefrobrts]

We have a list we go over before we move out, and each step of the hitching is double checked before it moves. Hitch Pin is on the list Though, now you'll probably never forget it again! But seriously, a move-out list is a good idea - next time it might be something else you get distracted and miss.

[KJRitchie]

I'm almost thinking I'm developing memory issues. I remember what happened. I had the AS at home parked in my garage driveway. The Tundra was about 3 foot ahead of the AS. I picked up the Equalizer head off the garage floor. As I walked out the wife asked me if I needed any help hitching up. My mind must have switched gears to the next as I slide the head into the receiver and started to back the Tundra up. After lowering the AS onto the ball my mind was on the process of connecting the Equalizer bars, chains etc. I wish the AS had pulled off in the drive way. I was embarrassing to be stuck on a public road obstructing traffic.

The only real damage to the trailer is the electric jack. The issue with it is there is no clearance between the jack motor and gear housing and the propane tank cover. The current models of jacks require some rear clearance for the housing and I don't want to mount a head with the light facing the side. Most seem to be white or black and even mounted sideways there is too much housing sticking out.

[Airrogant]

Glad you are OK. That could have been worse. The good news is that you'll never forget the hitch pin again.

[m.hony]

Does your Tundra's bumper look like this?

This is what happens when you don't latch the coupler. The tongue jack of a cargo trailer did that to my bumper. I was helping someone move. I won't do that anymore- leave the coupler unlatched or help someone move-

[featherbedder]

I am happy that only damage to jack sad if AS damaged [nice AS]. Now people can understand when I wrote on another post about leaving hitch head in receiver instead of removing, as I said I have seen damage when hitch stuck into receiver. At Chg. land nascar a elderly gent. with s.o.b. tried this, ruined electric jack bent a frame could not tow had to get wrecker luckily only lived 35 miles, still expensive. I am not to lazy to remove after bars are off. Take short cuts you will pay in the end. I am happy that only damage was to jack, sad if damaged nice AS. Follow up I forgot to latch pintle hook on imp. trailer tuonge weight held on even tho I drove over 100 miles.

[mimiandrews]

Glad you're OK and the damage is minor.

Now, make a checklist and form a firm habit of using it. No one has a perfect memory all the time every time.

[KJRitchie]

Here is a photo of the bumper. You'll see the minor damage to the plastic step and the crease down the bumper. If I knew what was happening when the hitch fell out and not braked I probably wouldn't have had to replace the electric hitch jack, the propane tank cover wouldn't have got dented nor the bumper but I reacted by braking.

Luckily the tail gate didn't sustain any damage.

Kelvin

[m.hony]

Yours is on the other side-

[perryg114]

Looks like new bumper time. I would put a decorative patch over that dent in the propane shroud. If you get it replaced on insurance send me the old one. Sorry about your accident. It could have been a lot worse.

Perry

[Road Ruler]

Over the past 15 years I have been an avid cyclist (pedal bike) and rode more than 50,000klm's. In that time I have spotted receiver 3 pins by the side of the road. Really makes one wonder if there was a story related to those pins.

[Stefrobrts]

Did it pull the emergency brake pin on the trailer? I have heard that once that gets used it needs some sort of maintenance to reset?

[AWCHIEF]

I have a couple in my tool box that I picked up in camp grounds. Hope the folks made it home ok.

[robert claus]

I did exactly the same thing a year or so ago. I was interrupted when hooking up the trailer by a phone call. The ball carrier pulled out a block away after I went over some railroad tracks. The criss-crossed safety chains caught the ball carrier, but the bottom of the jack (manual) dragged on the pavement and was distorted. I just touched it up with a grinder and could then put the foot on again. It didn't bend the shaft, fortunately. I was able to crank it up so that I could reinsert the ball carrier in the receiver and drive off - shaken, but not stirred.
So, you are not alone.

[cwf]

Thanks for the VICARIOUS lesson!!!! Wow!

Maybe reminder tool?

How about leaving the hitch pin in the receiver AND in the hitch? Cheap insurance?

Easier reminder??? How about one of those "receiver plugs" that have a fish/fowl/antlered animal?

When I damaged my shiny bumper I replaced with a heavy duty Ranch Hand. It was cheaper than the Stealer's shiny parts.

Speaking of which... If you go to a hitch place they may have se parts they removed from another truck which are not damaged.

Hope you "lose the lumps, not the lesson!"

[m.hony]

I use a locking hitch pin. Somehow a lock seems more substantial than a cotter key. Also, I don't someone to steal that expensive hitch head.

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Did it pull the emergency brake pin on the trailer? I have heard that once that gets used it needs some sort of maintenance to reset?

The emergency pin didn't get pulled. The safety chains held. Didn't distort the chain bracket on the Tundra receiver. Luckily I was going slow turning onto a narrow street. I can live with the bumper. Its not terrible noticeable and it will remind me of this day.

I plan to leave my hitch pin with the cotter pin in full-time and use the locking pin when towing the AS. That way it will remind me.

Kelvin

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I use a locking hitch pin. Somehow a lock seems more substantial than a cotter key. Also, I don't someone to steal that expensive hitch head.

Hi, I also use locking pin. When not towing the locking pin holds a receiver plug in place. When switching from cover to hitch or when re-installing my hitch head assembly, I put my locking pin on top of my rear bumper so it's right in front of me. I also leave m keys on to of my propane cover until everything is done.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

The emergency pin didn't get pulled. The safety chains held. Didn't distort the chain bracket on the Tundra receiver. Luckily I was going slow turning onto a narrow street. I can live with the bumper. Its not terrible noticeable and it will remind me of this day.

I plan to leave my hitch pin with the cotter pin in full-time and use the locking pin when towing the AS. That way it will remind me.

Kelvin

I am also living with my dent to remind me.
The chrome part is at least $400 and very labor intensive to install.

[Jackcat2]

I had my locking pin malfunction in LA earlier this year. Just exited the freeway for fuel, was going about walking speed up the incline into the station when the hitch slid out of the receiver. Found my pin on the road nearby. No real damage but verrry unnerving. Pin had been in place for days and it was checked before departing NO. Won't pull with one now, back to the standard pin that I drilled an extra hole in and use a heavy cotter pin, in addition to the clevis, as extra insurance. Makes it a bit more difficult for a theif to remove also.