Will I be ok towing a small U-Haul trailer?

Here in WA it specifically says the chains have to be crossed, was just looking at it the other day in the RCWs. Also, we've had plenty of fires started around here during the dry season due to chains hitting the asphalt and throwing sparks. It's a thing! Keep those chains off the ground!

 

Oh wow, that’s good. More than half of the dudes I see towing here, do not cross cross and some are just running 1 chain.

 

I did go slightly over 55 though... shame on me.

 

@YF_Ryan
Called a Chain Up... got mine here: https://www.fastwaytrailer.com/chain-up

 

Is it RUBBER?

 

I gotta say, if there is as much chain slack on your trailer as is what's in the advertisement, give your local neighborhood welder some beer money and ask him to take off a few links. That amount of chain is silly.

 

I just looked it up, and yeah, it's Rubber. If the chains are too long, and your hitch actually pops off, that rubber is just gonna break under the tongue weight and your coupler is gonna hit the ground. This pretty much bypasses the point of crossing your chains to catch the falling coupler while keeping you legal in that your chains don't hit the ground.

@2021SR5V64WD If you have time, next time you are hooking up your trailer you should try connecting your safety chains and lowering your trailer directly behind your trailer ball (so it misses). Keep lowering it (if possible) and have the chains catch it. You can literally drive slowly like this and move the trailer in an emergency (i've moved trailers without a drawbar/ball in this manner for short distances, i.e. 100 feet). If the tongue can reach the ground than you have a problem. Your chains will keep the trailer connected to your truck, but the trailer might also pole-vault if/when the coupler digs into the ground. I really am coming 100% from a safety perspective and hope you keep it in mind. -Thx.

 

I think that's the exact reason its rubber. You can still cross the chains but if tongue pops off the rubber just breaks and the chains do their thing.

 

That pic also appears to show hooks instead of hasps.

 

But proper length/twisted chains wouldn't need the rubber bit, and if you need the rubber bit cause your chains are too long they couldn't "do their thing", am I wrong?

 

That's all true. It could also just be used to tuck things up nicely. Or keep chains from dragging when go over extreme angles like at a boat ramp, into gas stations. etc. Just saying no matter the reason you use it rubber IMO is the right material.

 

OP, don't pull into a place you have to back out of because those little short trailers are a bitch to reverse. I took my little 8 footer to the dump last week and had to back up about a half mile no shit. I am not ashamed to say I had to pull forward two times while backing that distance and I am as good as anyone backing up a trailer!

 

I think this is why the uhaul trailers seem like they have longer tongues, at least compared to some other trailers I've messed with.

 

Agreed. Dual Axle are SOOOOO much easier to back up.

 

Hey man, don't twist your chains. I cross but never twist. Why? It's much easier to break a twisted chain than a straight chain. Also, it just grinds on me as an engineer.
A slight twist weakens by around 5%. a heavy twist, what one would do to shorten the chain, can weaken the chain breaking limit by over 50%! Seriously.
I use zip ties if my chain is too long.
There's all kinds of articles on the web and many years ago we actually tested it for an off highway application I was part of. Here's a link https://mechanicalelements.com/twisting-safety-chains/

 

UHaul likes to build their trailers with stupidly long tongues. It makes them easier to wrestle around the yard, it allows them to rent to vehicles that have a lower payload/hitch weight rating, and its slightly more idiot-proof against improper loading.

The downside of course is that they have a turn radius worse than the cargo vessel Ever Given.

 

I always wondered if this was a good idea or not, seemed suspicious at best. Good to know.

 

Great read, man! Thanks for sharing that. Definitely makes me want to take a couple links outta my chain. Luckily I usually only need a slight twist thanks to my 11 inch drop.

 

Yea I just use it because it ensures my chains won't hit something low -
My chain setup isn't too-long... I just like what this does for me.
I have this thought of a piece of rebar sticking out of the ground some where, my chain catching
it and causing all sorts of havoc.. why worry 'eh.

Good thought although I'll pass on lowering off the ball to see if it hits the pavement - ..

 

@hiPSI
That video gives new meaning to the Beatles song: Twist and Shout

Thanks for this info - before that little doo-hickey I use now, we would twist to take a bit of slack out of the
chains as we thought they may be too low.... no more after seeing that video - good stuff thanks.