Where do you hook the safety chains?

When towing with a bumper mounted hitch on a 2007 Tacoma Access Cab, where do you hook the trailer's safety chains. There are knockouts on either side of the knock out for the trailer hitch ball on the bumper, but what do you put in them to hook up the safety chains; big eye bolts?

 

you got it. Big eye bolts.

 

Big eye bolts are impossible to find. I went with a very large clevis pin.

 

Theres some fellow boater friends of mine that cut 98% of the way through their safety chains but still hook them up so if shit goes down theyll snap cause they don't want an out of control trailer dragging them around. personally i'll try my luck with the boat beating up the tailgate a little. and x2 for big eye bolts and big washers.

 

You should tell your stupid friends that 400 - 500 people are killed each year by runaway trailers. Really stupid.

 

then why use them at all?

 

I use a frame mount trailer hitch for strength. I don't trust those wimpy bumpers that will rust out. With a frame mount hitch, there is a place to put the safety chains.

The safety chains are to be attached in a criss-cross fashion so if the trailer does come lose, the chains will hold the trailer hitch elevated and prevent it from digging into the pavement, possibly flipping.

Hitch the trailer correctly/safely. You can be ticketed for improper hitching.

 

As for cutting through safety chains:

If you get in an accident and those chains break your insurance will not cover you and you will probably be charged for operating an unsafe vehicle even if the accident is the other drivers fault. If someone is killed because those sawed-thru chains break lyou will probably be facing a manslaughter charge.

 

Yeap. I don't friggin do it, thats for sure. I just thought i'd share some twisted logic. always a good conversation starter

 

My sister in law was killed by a runaway trailer in Pa about 10 years ago. Her son was in the car at the time and was in a coma for a couple of weeks. The person was charged with vehicular homacide. Do you really want to take the chance of killing some one to "save" your truck?