So, driving straight down I40 and see toad in side mirror. Not good.

[Neal]

Blue ox comes with plastic tags on these clips explaining this. You have to cut them off. I’m picking up a new tow bar today (hopefully) and will take a picture of this tag and share later.

Story developing as to why. Stay tuned.

 

[Tnedator]

Blue ox comes with plastic tags on these clips explaining this. You have to cut them off. I’m picking up a new tow bar today (hopefully) and will take a picture of this tag and share later.

Story developing as to why. Stay tuned.

Oh man, I'm a sorry excuse for an RV'er. I've seen those tags, but never looked at what was on them. Feel like a real dope now.

 

[Neal]

Oh man, I'm a sorry excuse for an RV'er. I've seen those tags, but never looked at what was on them. Feel like a real dope now.

You're sharing, others can learn from your experience. I'm sure you have or will save someone else from something going wrong. Good on you!

The only reason I know this was from helping @Joe Hogan with his blue ox setup and we had to cut these off and figure out what the heck they were telling us.

 

[DKRITTER]

I watched a You Tube video by the RV Geeks about flat towing. They said to always put the pins from inside to outside. I started doing that and noticed the release pin was never tight so I guess it works.

 

[Rich W.]

Oh man, I'm a sorry excuse for an RV'er. I've seen those tags, but never looked at what was on them. Feel like a real dope now.

I’m also really glad you brought this to everyone’s attention and you’ve probably just prevented future accidents. That isn’t dopey. I appreciate the info and will pay strict attention to this now. As I mentioned earlier I’m sure I’ve put them in the wrong way before and just got lucky.

 

[Tnedator]

I watched a You Tube video by the RV Geeks about flat towing. They said to always put the pins from inside to outside. I started doing that and noticed the release pin was never tight so I guess it works.

I used to always put them inside to out (pins on outside I think you are saying), but recently, can't tell you why, started putting them out to in, with the pin on the inside. Will be sure not only check pin per Neil's photo above, but also start putting pins on the outside.

 

[DKRITTER]

Here is a YT link to what I was saying, the explanation is at 4:30. Just wanting to make sure I'm explain this correctly.

 

[Rich W.]

After reading this I checked out my pins and took pics in both positions. You can see by the geometry of the safety clip mechanism why it matters. The ring will not rest on the pin if they are in backwards.

 

[Tnedator]

It's really hard for me to imagine that I had my clip like the picture on the left, but I guess it's possible. Would like to think I would have noticed that. Most of the time when I install them, the clip is already resting against the pin I pull it back slightly to enable me to insert it. Rarely, but sometimes, the hoop is all the way up. If I recall, it can stay in the all the way up/open position, so if I had a pin like that, I suppose I could have pushed it down in the wrong direction and not noticed that it wasn't laying flush.

Those pictures, along with Neil's, are helpful to make sure we don't screw up. Also, for what it's worth, on the Roadmaster with blue ox adapters, there isn't an arrow for up/down, like with the blue ox.

 

[Neal]

I mentioned sharing a picture of the instructions from the blue ox tow bar on hitch pins. Here it is:

 

[gordo2050]

Happened to a friend, Scared the hell outta me when I heard, so now, I run a small Zip-Tie around pin and ring

 

[Tnedator]

Happened to a friend, Scared the hell outta me when I heard, so now, I run a small Zip-Tie around pin and ring

While it was probably user error on my part (putting in backwards), I had thought about possibly something like snap clips or something similar to insure it could never release on it's own.

Would need to come up with the right size snap clip or spring clip, but I think something like that would be fast on/off and insure it couldn't pop up.

Amazon product ASIN B08TQTN5XJ

 

[Rich W.]

Happened to a friend, Scared the hell outta me when I heard, so now, I run a small Zip-Tie around pin and ring

I’ve often thought about doing that and from now on I will. Easy enough and it will keep the lock ring from moving.