Safety cables...how do you attach to MH?

[Neemer]

I know you’re supposed to attach safety cables to the frame of the MH vs the hitch. How do you do that? I have the coiled cables by Blue Ox and I’ll have to get something else as they don’t stretch far enough.

If you have pics of your setup, that would be helpful.

 

[Buly]

How long is your tow bar? Blue OX coiled cables are very long. I have hard time believing they do not reach? Can you post photos of your setup?

 

[Neemer]

My rig is in the shop so I cannot take any pics right now. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but those cables don’t seem to be long enough to reach the frame. But let’s assume they are. How do I attach them?

 

[Akdare]

Not my vehicle, just a photo I found on the internet. I do have the BlueOx system, though. They hook to the baseplate, cross under the towbar, then to the hole in the plate next to the receiver on your coach. They stretch. A lot.

 

[Jabber Jaw]

Buly,
I have an "Anthem" tow bar from Blue Ox. It is longer, and the "cable set" is about 3/4 uncoiled when connected to the coach!

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

If they are truly too short (as were the non-coiled cables on our Ventana LE), you can buy short extension cables with loops swaged on each end. I used 15" ones with screw-links on the coach end and bunjied the extension cables to the receiver to gain the length needed. My safety cables were not coiled, however, and I doubt that you will need extensions.

TJ

 

[jmltech]

I know you’re supposed to attach safety cables to the frame of the MH vs the hitch.

I always had attached to the loops next to the hitch. Wasn’t aware that there was another way.

 

[Buly]

The two loops on the sides of the hitch (like the photo above) are for the safety cables. Thats how
i do it.

 

[Neemer]

I always had attached to the loops next to the hitch. Wasn’t aware that there was another way.

View attachment 613

Yes, that’s how I’ve been doing it. However, I’ve read elsewhere that the cables should be hooked to the MH’s frame in case of a hitch receiver failure. That makes sense to me. I’ve seen pics of hitch failures. The hitch receiver breaks and the toad and everything else goes wherever it wants to. With the breakaway cable affixed to the hitch, there’s nothing to cause the toad’s aux brake to do its thing. I figured out how to hook the breakaway to the frame, but haven’t broken the code on the safety cables yet.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

The receiver is actually part of the "frame" as it is either welded or bolted to the structural members. Any other attachment point on the structural members will be subject to similar (but very unlikely) failure potential.

I just went out and looked at the hitch on my coach (Spartan K3/500 chassis) and found that it is secured directly to the frame rail extensions on each side with four 3/8" Grade 5 bolts. Any alternate safety cable attachment points would have to rely on similar (or less robust) methods of attachment. The tow bar attachment to the toad, and the tow bars themselves) are far less robust that the receiver attachment. The odds of a failure there are significantly greater than the failure of the receiver mount.

We all need to be proactive in checking bolts periodically and looking for other potential failure points, but after my personal inspection of the hitch receiver on my coach, I don't think there is anything to worry about there. YMMV

TJ

 

[Joe Hogan]

Hmm...stuff happens

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

"Stuff" does, indeed, happen! And, that one is pretty ugly.

My point in my earlier post is that a similar failure could occur wherever you attach the safety cables. I learned long ago that there is ALWAYS a failure point in any piece of equipment. Usually, it is well beyond the design stress for the part.

As I think most will agree, a failure like the one in the photo is extremely rare. It took a lot of force to rip that receiver section out. Welded on a Monday morning after a long party weekend, perhaps?

TJ

 

[Joe Hogan]

TJ, I agree, that this is very rare. However, at a safety seminar we attended in 2018, RVSEF, the women sitting next to me had a new 2018 Baystar that had a similar failure. She seemed t think it was the dealers fault as the dealer was somehow involved with the hitch installation. But her tow car passed her as she drove down the highway on her first camping trip. Luckily the car went into the grass median and came to a stop with minimal damage. But the hitch was destroyed and had to be replaced.
Her next trip was to the Safety Seminar to learn about Class A systems and towing.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Timely discussion, note this recall Forest River motorhome recall: Hitch ball could detach - RV Travel

 

[Stuart W]

I cross the BlueOx cables under the Avail bar (California requires them crossed). They reach fine even using a RoadMaster 10inch extension with a 2 inch drop

 

[sheridany]

(California requires them crossed).

Thank you Stuart. I had no idea.