Cargo Tray Gone Astray

I"m not sure I need help, but I thought you might get a kick out of this.

I took the family camping last week. I completely loaded the back of my short bed and had to use my cargo tray that plugs into the hitch receiver. The pin I used to secure the cargo tray was held in place with a cotter pin.

The tray was loaded with two tubs, two coolers, an Easy-Up canopy, a locker, and two matress pads. All-in-all, I'd say it weighed about 350 lbs, including the tray. Yeah, I know, I take way too much stuff camping.

As I was driving along, doing 65, the tray came out of the receiver. I heard an awful scraping noise, looked in my rearview mirror, and saw the tray with the whole stack sliding down the road behind me. After a few dozen feet, it started to spin and then slid to a stop. Lucky for me, it never did roll.

My son picked on me when I was loading the tray because I used two cargo straps and about 10 bungee cords to hook everything together. However, the whole stack remained intact. The receiver pin was no where to be found. A local rancher pulled up to offer help and gave me the receiver pin off of his truck. I was distressed for only about 15 minutes and eventually made it home 4 hours later safe and sound.

Now, with the load I was carrying, I had been bottoming out on a regular basis. I tried to get the suspension TSB on my '08 and the dealer where I bought it wouldn't do it. I suspect that all the jarring knocked my receiver pin out, but I don't have any proof of that. I do know that if another car had been following me, if the stack would have rolled, or if I didn't get help so fast, the situation could have been much worse. As is, I think it's a pretty amusing story.

 

Do you have a long bed? You must have a long bed if you have an '08 and it's bottoming out. Only the long beds bottom out. There is no TSB for it yet. But take it to the stealer with some weight in the back and show them how it's bottomming out. They'll take care of it.

 

Yeah...I'd be pissed at the company that made your hitch pin. Sounds like it needs a safey lock of some sort.
I use a hitch pin with a locking cylinder on it (for security) and never had an issue with it coming out- as long as you engage the lock-good to go.

 

Try this on your truck if you can't get the TSB done. I have an 05 and although I didn't experience any bottoming out it definitely has helped when I pull my trailer with about 700# of tongue weight on it. No harsh ride when unloaded as some have said by using AAL's or the extra leave from the TSB.

http://www.activesuspension.com/

 

Looks like Timbren's would be your best bet. Normal ride height but there when you need them.