Safety Chains Too Short?

[Asherstanton]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MS...ID=71qn9mvl7ZL

Could help.

[tbashin]

What is the rating on that shank?

[guskmg]

When I had a hitch shank weld failure the chains did their job and held the front of the trailer off the ground until I could stop. The chains only have to hold the rolling load, not the gross weight of the trailer. I have never seen or heard of a properly rigged safety chain failure. Don't forget to cross them underneath the spring bars.
guskmg

[Andrew T]

Really think about not using that shank 18” is a massive amount of additional rear overhang.
It gives the trailer substantially more side to side leverage on the back of the truck. Increases chassis flex so the ride isn’t as smooth and makes it harder to get proper weight transfer.

I would also be concerned about the strength of that design.

Andy

[billrector]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

Really think about not using that shank 18” is a massive amount of additional rear overhang.
It gives the trailer substantially more side to side leverage on the back of the truck. Increases chassis flex so the ride isn’t as smooth and makes it harder to get proper weight transfer.

I would also be concerned about the strength of that design.

Andy

That shank is rated for 1500 lbs of tongue weight which is about 500 lbs more than my trailer. In my last truck, I could not put the tailgate down due to interference. That was not a big deal. However, in my new truck, it is too easy to put down the tailgate by mistake...either through a button in the car or from the remote. I want to avoid denting both the airstream and the truck!!

I hear you though....I know there are tradeoffs!

[overlander63]

For every person towing an Airstream that has too-short safety chains, there is another person the safety chains are dragging the ground because they are too long. There is a slide pin and cotter pin through it that allows you to safely remove the chain from the hook end. Add a threaded link, and enough appropriately rated chain to make it long enough to reach the connection on the truck. For people with the chain too long, remove the pin, and insert it through a link further back, then replace it on the hook.
I'm not in front of one right now, but I think the final strength should be around 17,000 pounds.

[Andrew T]

Hi Bill
If opening a tailgate is important to someone we have a fairly simple solution. We relocate the power jack to behind the LP Tanks. There is plenty of room there and it is simple to weld a base for it.

Just because the shank is rated for 1500 pounds doesn’t mean they tested for the amount of torque weight distribution applies to it, potentially 5000 lb. ft. with an F250. For all you know they rated it for weight carrying. It could well be made with sub standard steel and poor welds. Just the fact that they would build that tells me they don’t know what they are doing.

The tribal knowledge that used to be there in hitch companies is long gone so be careful. I can tell you nothing would ever leave our shop with that shank.

I hope this helps.

Andy.

[Baby Zeppelin]

Since my Ford F250 has a 2½" hitch receiver I got this shank to go with my Blue Ox Sway Pro: https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...x/BXW4018.html

My tailgate does not hit it or the trailer's power jack.


That shank bolted to the Sway Pro hitch does make for an almost 60lb. weight to wrestle with.

[Wanderer2604]

The safety chains may not be the weak link.

[billrector]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

Hi Bill
If opening a tailgate is important to someone we have a fairly simple solution. We relocate the power jack to behind the LP Tanks. There is plenty of room there and it is simple to weld a base for it.

Just because the shank is rated for 1500 pounds doesn’t mean they tested for the amount of torque weight distribution applies to it, potentially 5000 lb. ft. with an F250. For all you know they rated it for weight carrying. It could well be made with sub standard steel and poor welds. Just the fact that they would build that tells me they don’t know what they are doing.

The tribal knowledge that used to be there in hitch companies is long gone so be careful. I can tell you nothing would ever leave our shop with that shank.

I hope this helps.

Andy.

Okay, thank you. I appreciate the input as I understand you are very good at setting these hitches up! I have removed that shank and am using an Equalizer EQ90-02-4400. So, you solve the problem of having the safety chains being to short!!

Maybe you can help with a few other questions?? I don't see how you can move the power jack? Immediately behind it are the propane tanks and right behind those is the battery box?

Also, I now have the hitch height set so that the truck ball and trailer are the same height. However, I am finding that even though the back of the truck drops when I hitch the trailer to the truck, the front wheel well measurement seems to be unchanged? If the measurement is the same with or without WD, how do you setup the Equalizer??

Thanks again for your input!

[Fred L]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Add a threaded link, and enough appropriately rated chain to make it long enough to reach the connection on the truck.

Just as an aside, I tried this but to use the 5,000lb rated threaded links, they wont fit through a chain link. My solution was to put the threaded link on the hitch holes where the hooks would go (since on my Toyota, they are actually a pain to get hooks in since the are so small). With the two threaded links attached to the hitch, it is simple now to connect the hook to them.