Trailer Chains Presentation for Review

[John DeRosa]

Gentle-people of RAS Prime,

I have been thinking for years about trying to help glider trailer jockeys to make sure that their trailer doesn't become a un-guided missile while traveling down the highways and byways.  

This was to be an article in Soaring magazine but turns out to be more of a visual, rather than textual, discussion area.  I suppose it could be a series of articles.  But I digress.

So, as I like to do, I put the thoughts running around in my head, and the attendant images, into a presentation.

While still missing some minor content it is in pretty good shape.  But before publishing to the public I would like have a few of you to do a sanity check.  Does it make any sense?  Is it logical?  Is it missing things?  Got stuff downright wrong?  

Please let me know.  You can download a copy at; aviation.derosaweb.net/presentations/documents/Trailer_Chains_DRAFT.pdf 

Thanks, John OHM

[David S]

John,

Very nicely done, as always.

Perhaps the chains should also be long enough to allow the leash to the trailer brake to come taught and engage the brake.

Conversely, though I cannot vouch for any of it, at least one member of our club claims that you should connect chains or the brakes but not both.  The claim was that Europe requires brakes, the US requires chains, and while they address the same problem they do not work well together.

I continue to connect both.

Cheers,

   ...david

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[John DeRosa]

Thanks for the comments.  

I use both chains and brakes also.  

John H DeRosa(OHM Ω)

West Dundee, Illinois, USA
mailto:jo...@derosaweb.com
http://derosaweb.net

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

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[John DeRosa]

Question: There are two places or "holes" on a vehicle's hitch where the chains are attached to or loop through.  

What are those holes called?  I used "eyelets" for want of a better word.

Any thoughts?

- John OHM

[David Cleveland]

I've heard them called "loops" before. As in "attachment loops" or "connection loops". The attached paper uses both.

DC

[John DeRosa]

Dave - Interesting document.  I will reference it in my presentation.

[Eric Greenwell]

Neither Europe nor the US require both, suggesting to me there is no significant increase in safety from doing so. What happens if the brake is applied while chains are in use?

Eric

[John DeRosa]

Eric,

It is a good comment wondering about if the brake becomes applied while chains are in use.

As I always use both so it would be a concern.  However, in all the years of driving a Cobra trailer it has never happened to me and I have made some rather sharp U-turns that would have tripped the brake if it was possible.

My $0.02.

John H DeRosa(OHM Ω)

West Dundee, Illinois, USA
mailto:jo...@derosaweb.com
http://derosaweb.net

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

http://derosaweb.net/matrix_codes/DeRosaweb_URL_MC.png

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[*Eric Greenwell1*]

I was thinking of a situation where the trailer comes off the ball, and the cables are long enough that the brakes are applied by the "trigger cable" of the Cobra trailer. I suspect that a trailer connected to the tow vehicle with just the chains, it's brakes applied, might be relatively safe, but I've not heard about it happening with a Cobra trailer, so I don't know what would actually happen. Maybe Cobra knows?

I know of one glider trailer (not a Cobra) that came off the ball, oscillated wildly, and broke the chains. It coasted to a stop with very little damage after missing oncoming traffic. It didn't have brakes, but it's a situation where brakes might increase the chances of a good outcome.

But, as I was writing this, I realized the US (or at least many states) does require require the trailer brakes to be applied automatically if the trailer completely disconnects from the tow vehicle. The requirement applies to "large" trailers, like many RV travel trailers, not to smaller trailers like ours. These trailers use electric brakes, so the trailer has a dedicated battery that can activate the brakes if the trailer breaks loose.

Eric

[John DeRosa]

Piet Barber posted on this RAS_Prime conversation (https://groups.google.com/g/rasprime/c/Z_R2FAER7Ts) a comprehensive list of trailering regulations for each US state.  With the permission of Piet I have included his list of links to US states trailering regulations to my "Trailer Chains" presentation.

https://aviation.derosaweb.net/presentations/#trailerchains

Many thanks to Piet for providing this comprehensive list.  If you spot an error on a link, or have a better link (I just changed Illinois), please let me know.

- John (OHM)

[John DeRosa]

My presentation on Trailer Chains has been updated with some "Critical Hints" I thought important and also some other minor edits.

Thanks, John (OHM)

[Raul Boerner]

High quality presentation! Contest season is coming, so this is a good time to improve my towing system. -- Raul Boerner

[John DeRosa]

Dang.  I should have shown the link to the latest presentation.

https://derosaweb.net/aviation/presentations/#trailerchains

Merry Christmas.

- John (OHM)