The van somehow parted company with the Commodore and slid up an embankment into a wire fence.
The hitch had been in the locked position on the towball. It was checked before leaving the campsite at Narrandera and again 5 mins later at the service station, so no idea how it came loose.
I still cant believe she didnt roll over.
The draw bar was buried in the dirt and the only damage found thus far is to the metal framework where the gas bottle sits, the chain broke at the drawbar and the wiring pulled out of the 7 pin at the car end.
NRMA wouldnt help, as they say they only tow a caravan if the car is broken down, not it the van is damaged. I have the insurance where you select which months youll be on the road. As Murphys Law would dictate September is one of my off road months.
The short version is, an SES chap with a solid 4x4 was going to winch it out, but she was lifted by a few folk onto his towball. He towed her back to Narrandera, 20kms, to Clark Engineering. Repairs were welding a new chain, which I had under a seat, and reconnection of the 7 pin. Had to do a bit of pulling metal back into place. The chap at Clarks was excellent. He stayed back an hour after closing, to get me back on the road and only charged me $100 for the labour.
Why the van came off remains a mystery. The chap at Clarks jacked the drawbar up until the car lifted to see if the coupling would let go, while in the locked position and it didnt. He thought that maybe the inside of the coupling may have been worn, and therefore loose.
Now I am comfy at the Narrandera Caravan Park for 2 nights. I thought it would be tempting fate to chance another trip on the Newell, on a Sunday, when all repairers are enjoying their day off.
Jamjar, sorry to hear of your trouble, it vould have been so much worse.
My concern is the "safety chain" coming off at the drawbar. Although Australian Standards stipulate weld must go around most of the link I still think a bolt as well is common sense.
Tony
Jamjar said
08:20 PM Sep 7, 2019
Thank you Tony. Yes, Tony, I was lucky.
The problem was that the chain, which I think was somewhat original, was under the drawbar. So when its hit the ground the link that was welded to the bar has snapped. 1/2 the link was still welded flat to the bar, if that makes sense. The new one has been welded to the side of the bar.
Although the van is light, I am thinking of getting a second chain added, before I make another long trip, so I can cross them over for added safety.
Greg 1 said
08:20 PM Sep 7, 2019
A new replacement hitch is not sheep stations cost wise and maybe worth considering to be on the safe side
Jamjar said
08:23 PM Sep 7, 2019
Yes, Greg, it is on the cards.
blaze said
09:38 PM Sep 7, 2019
not the first to have that happen, we got picked up just outside port hedland and the towie didn't lock/or lower the coupler. couple kays up the road it dropped off into the twin chains, only damage was his pride and one of my rated shackles had to becut undone
cheers
blaze
ps I would replace ball and hitch and add chain so you have 2
Jamjar said
09:48 PM Sep 7, 2019
Yes Blaze, a new ball wouldnt hurt, I do have one at home.
J.
-- Edited by Jamjar on Saturday 7th of September 2019 09:49:25 PM
Eaglemax said
06:12 AM Sep 8, 2019
Legally the chain/s are suppose to be short enough to prevent the drawbar from hitting the ground but it can be difficult if your rig is a low one as yours is. The chain has to be long enough to allow for u-turning. When I built my van I also welded my end chain link to the side of the drawbar.
Once hitched up I use a small padlock to secure it in the hole of the hitch. I watched a youtube video whete a guy had a trailer with mechanical brakes. He'd hit a bump and the brake flap would flip over stopping the brakes from working. I thought a poor worn hitch could do the same.
-- Edited by Eaglemax on Sunday 8th of September 2019 06:19:09 AM
Olive Oil said
07:26 AM Sep 8, 2019
A relative of ours ended up towing just an A frame along the hwy.
The rest of the caravan ended up in a roadside ditch.
He was doing 100kph at the time.
sandsmere said
08:09 AM Sep 8, 2019
Could have been a whole lot worse Jamjar.
I,m glad you got away with so little damage.
Jamjar said
08:24 AM Sep 8, 2019
The chap who welded the new chain on took two links of it, but said it most likely wouldnt make much difference and anymore removed would have been too short.
The photos show where the chain was and where it is now. There isnt a hole for a padlock on the hitch.
A relative of ours ended up towing just an A frame along the hwy. The rest of the caravan ended up in a roadside ditch. He was doing 100kph at the time.
That would have been a shock. I too was doing 100kph and Im thinking the wind played a role it the event. Im heading home, tomorrow and the forecast is windy, so will be taking it easy.
Jamjar said
08:32 AM Sep 8, 2019
sandsmere wrote:
Could have been a whole lot worse Jamjar.
I,m glad you got away with so little damage.
Thank you, Sandsmere. Yes, luck was going my way. As I saw her heading into the grass I saw the angle increase and thought she was going to roll. My thoughts were that this was going to end up on Grey Nomads, as one of the many rollovers.
Brenda and Alan said
09:25 AM Sep 8, 2019
Jamjar I have one occasion where i coupled up and locked the hitch. When I walked around doing a final check I noticed from the side that the hitch seemed to be sitting higher than normal on the ball. When I rechecked I found the coupling was not down over the ball but was locked sitting on the ball.Because the coupling was locked it could never drop even with gentle movement. I now make a point of ensuring the coupling is properly seated before locking it.An easy problem to miss when looking down over the coupling, but noticeable from the side. It is only a distance of 20mm.
Alan
-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Sunday 8th of September 2019 09:26:36 AM
Jamjar said
10:25 AM Sep 8, 2019
I will get down and look under it, thanks for the tip Alan.
I was speaking with a lady in the caravan park, this morn, and she said that friends of hers had their caravan disengage when they went over a bump too fast and it was locked on.
I didnt hit any bumps and feel that it was the wind that lifted her.
What I dont understand is given that the drawbar should have hit the road, how did it end up travelling to the left and up an embankment? Why didnt it just stop on the road? To travel the distance it did, wouldnt the drawbar have remained in the air?
As an aside, I am using apostrophes, but when I submit the post they have disappeared.
J.
Rob Driver said
10:32 AM Sep 8, 2019
It certainly appears that you were very lucky that the van went off the road and not into the path of another on coming vehicle as the results of that could be disasterous.
Spare no expense on a new coupling and ball and fit TWO chains of the correct length and load rating and ensure your break away system is working and maintained correctly.
If not for yourself you owe it the rest of us who may be sharing the road with you.
Regards
Rob
dieseltojo said
10:47 AM Sep 8, 2019
Jamjar wrote:
A bit of drama for me, today.
I have the insurance where you select which months youll be on the road. As Murphys Law would dictate September is one of my off road months.
Now I am comfy at the Narrandera Caravan Park for 2 nights. I thought it would be tempting fate to chance another trip on the Newell, on a Sunday, when all repairers are enjoying their day off.
Hi Jamjar, Glad yo ar all ok but that would have been a scary moment.
I too have a similar policy and it lets me select say 3 months or whatever I want if not using the van. But All I need do is make a call and pay for any pre-selected month and its all good.
Nothing wrong in having no insurance if the thing is safe in a shed, (apart from Fire damage of course). But there is no way I would take to the road without making that call and taking that additional months insurance.
But yes... it is easy to be wise after the fact.
My first concern is the weight on the tow ball or seemingly lack of it. I have seen vans arrive at camp with the van not locked down to the tow ball. They got there simply due to enough weight on the tow ball. Just lucky though.
Me, I would check the A bar and install a new hitch. Also a new tow ball to be on the safe side. Just saying....
Jamjar said
10:49 AM Sep 8, 2019
bentaxlebabe wrote:
It certainly appears that you were very lucky that the van went off the road and not into the path of another on coming vehicle as the results of that could be disasterous.
Spare no expense on a new coupling and ball and fit TWO chains of the correct length and load rating and ensure your break away system is working and maintained correctly.
If not for yourself you owe it the rest of us who may be sharing the road with you.
Regards
Rob
Rob, the van has a tare of 620kg and GVM of 750kg and doesnt have brakes or breakaway system.
I like to think that I am very responsible when it comes to road safety and will endeavour to make the van as safe as possible. Once home, there wont be any trips until, well into 2020, due to depleted finances, excepted for a 42km trip to get it registered next month. So, other caravaners wont have to worry about me causing them grief.
J.
Jamjar said
10:58 AM Sep 8, 2019
dieseltojo wrote:
Jamjar wrote:
A bit of drama for me, today.
I have the insurance where you select which months youll be on the road. As Murphys Law would dictate September is one of my off road months.
Now I am comfy at the Narrandera Caravan Park for 2 nights. I thought it would be tempting fate to chance another trip on the Newell, on a Sunday, when all repairers are enjoying their day off.
Hi Jamjar, Glad yo ar all ok but that would have been a scary moment.
I too have a similar policy and it lets me select say 3 months or whatever I want if not using the van. But All I need do is make a call and pay for any pre-selected month and its all good.
Nothing wrong in having no insurance if the thing is safe in a shed, (apart from Fire damage of course). But there is no way I would take to the road without making that call and taking that additional months insurance.
But yes... it is easy to be wise after the fact.
My first concern is the weight on the tow ball or seemingly lack of it. I have seen vans arrive at camp with the van not locked down to the tow ball. They got there simply due to enough weight on the tow ball. Just lucky though.
Me, I would check the A bar and install a new hitch. Also a new tow ball to be on the safe side. Just saying....
It wasnt scary really, as I just thought I had a flat tire. The commodore handled it extremely well. The trip was unplanned, as I got a call to say that my mother was dying, in Victoria. I looked at the insurance and it was right for August when I left. Didnt even register that I would be returning in September. However, I wasnt aware that you could call and add the month if need, so will be on top of it, should it happen again.
Yes, she is light, so not much weight on the ball I expect.
outlaw40 said
11:35 AM Sep 8, 2019
From the photos i cant see any stamps on the new chain, is it rated ?
Rob Driver said
11:43 AM Sep 8, 2019
If the coupling became unhitched and it was locked on correctly as stated then really, there is a very strong chance that the coupling and ball assembly are faulty or worn out.
The van could, once again, come off while travelling one kilometre let alone the distance from Narrandera to home or the extra 40 kms to get it registered.
While remedial work to a chain may help if it happens again, it could still happen and you could kill someone.
Regards
Rob
Jamjar said
11:58 AM Sep 8, 2019
Yes, the links are stamped. The chain was purchased from a caravan parts dealer.
J.
Eaglemax said
12:00 PM Sep 8, 2019
Brenda and Alan wrote:
Jamjar I have one occasion where i coupled up and locked the hitch. When I walked around doing a final check I noticed from the side that the hitch seemed to be sitting higher than normal on the ball. When I rechecked I found the coupling was not down over the ball but was locked sitting on the ball.Because the coupling was locked it could never drop even with gentle movement. I now make a point of ensuring the coupling is properly seated before locking it.An easy problem to miss when looking down over the coupling, but noticeable from the side. It is only a distance of 20mm.
Alan
-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Sunday 8th of September 2019 09:26:36 AM
I think this is the best post to date. Thanks Alan.
The van in question has a atm of 750kg, exactly the same weight as my first van I built 2016. The light drawbar down weight of up to 80kg is so light that it makes that mistake of the hitch not getting all the way onto the ball less noticable and very possible. If you have 250kg towball weight the hitch has that weight to help it onto the ball. With only 60 or 80kg its less likely to get "home" and down weight on the ball is the only thing towing the van.!
This is why, when the tow truck guy jacked up the hitched up drawbar the hitch/ball remained attached, the hitch was fully in the ball.
As others have said the hitch, post such an incident needs replacing for piece of mind and getting the chain issue sorted is a no brainer.
This threads most value comes from Jamjars goodwill in making it public. Many readers here will now check their hitch for being faulty, look horizontal to ensure it's all the way into the ball and relocate the chain attachment if located under the drawbar. Such safety can be life saving so thanks Jamjar.
Tony
Jamjar said
12:11 PM Sep 8, 2019
Yes Tony, some excellent suggestions have been made and I will be checking very carefully before I drive off, in the morn.
J.
Bobdown said
01:39 PM Sep 8, 2019
Jamjar wrote:
I will get down and look under it, thanks for the tip Alan.
I was speaking with a lady in the caravan park, this morn, and she said that friends of hers had their caravan disengage when they went over a bump too fast and it was locked on.
I didnt hit any bumps and feel that it was the wind that lifted her.
What I dont understand is given that the drawbar should have hit the road, how did it end up travelling to the left and up an embankment? Why didnt it just stop on the road? To travel the distance it did, wouldnt the drawbar have remained in the air?
As an aside, I am using apostrophes, but when I submit the post they have disappeared.
J.
Maybe the camber of the road made the van track off to the left, the drawbar must have hit the road to break the chain weld.
Have seen a boat trailer come off the towball as it went around a corner, made a nasty dent in the tailgate, chains looked a bit long.
Glad you are all good Jamjar, aside from your punctuation marks.
Cheers Bob
Jamjar said
02:15 PM Sep 8, 2019
Thank you Bob. Yes, I agree it must have hit the road to have broken the chain. Its the van carrying on so far that has me confuddled.
Just as the disappearance of my apostrophes has.
J.
KevinJ said
05:23 PM Sep 8, 2019
Hi Jamjar,
Glad to hear things went well considering.
Just my opinion though, I would never use a padlock instead of a D shackle as I have seen padlocks unlock if you put pressure between the brass housing and the looped pin. They pop the lock.
In respect of your missing quotes, if you are using an iPad or iPhone this is prevalent. To get around it on these devices, hold the quote button down till the sub menu comes up, then select the quote in the middle. It should be ok then.
Kevin
Jamjar said
08:24 PM Sep 8, 2019
Kevin, no one suggested using a padlock instead of a D shackle, which are required by law to be used.
What was said was that you could put a padlock on the hitch, if there was a hole for one, not a padlock onto the chain. I had a trailer once that had the hole on the hitch. It was there so you could padlock it on to deter thieves.
J.
-- Edited by Jamjar on Sunday 8th of September 2019 08:34:43 PM
-- Edited by Jamjar on Sunday 8th of September 2019 08:35:16 PM
KevinJ said
07:41 AM Sep 9, 2019
Sorry Jamjar,
I must have misread it.
How did the quotes go?
Jamjar said
02:03 PM Sep 9, 2019
Hadn't had time to try the apostrophe insert. Just did and will see if it's worked, in a mo.
I'm home now and had an uneventful trip. I sat between 80 and 90 though as the crosswind was extremely strong.
A bit of drama for me, today.
The van somehow parted company with the Commodore and slid up an embankment into a wire fence.
The hitch had been in the locked position on the towball. It was checked before leaving the campsite at Narrandera and again 5 mins later at the service station, so no idea how it came loose.
I still cant believe she didnt roll over.
The draw bar was buried in the dirt and the only damage found thus far is to the metal framework where the gas bottle sits, the chain broke at the drawbar and the wiring pulled out of the 7 pin at the car end.
NRMA wouldnt help, as they say they only tow a caravan if the car is broken down, not it the van is damaged. I have the insurance where you select which months youll be on the road. As Murphys Law would dictate September is one of my off road months.
The short version is, an SES chap with a solid 4x4 was going to winch it out, but she was lifted by a few folk onto his towball. He towed her back to Narrandera, 20kms, to Clark Engineering. Repairs were welding a new chain, which I had under a seat, and reconnection of the 7 pin. Had to do a bit of pulling metal back into place. The chap at Clarks was excellent. He stayed back an hour after closing, to get me back on the road and only charged me $100 for the labour.
Why the van came off remains a mystery. The chap at Clarks jacked the drawbar up until the car lifted to see if the coupling would let go, while in the locked position and it didnt. He thought that maybe the inside of the coupling may have been worn, and therefore loose.
Now I am comfy at the Narrandera Caravan Park for 2 nights. I thought it would be tempting fate to chance another trip on the Newell, on a Sunday, when all repairers are enjoying their day off.
My concern is the "safety chain" coming off at the drawbar. Although Australian Standards stipulate weld must go around most of the link I still think a bolt as well is common sense.
Tony
The problem was that the chain, which I think was somewhat original, was under the drawbar. So when its hit the ground the link that was welded to the bar has snapped. 1/2 the link was still welded flat to the bar, if that makes sense. The new one has been welded to the side of the bar.
Although the van is light, I am thinking of getting a second chain added, before I make another long trip, so I can cross them over for added safety.
Yes, Greg, it is on the cards.
cheers
blaze
ps I would replace ball and hitch and add chain so you have 2
Yes Blaze, a new ball wouldnt hurt, I do have one at home.
J.
-- Edited by Jamjar on Saturday 7th of September 2019 09:49:25 PM
Legally the chain/s are suppose to be short enough to prevent the drawbar from hitting the ground but it can be difficult if your rig is a low one as yours is. The chain has to be long enough to allow for u-turning.
When I built my van I also welded my end chain link to the side of the drawbar.
Once hitched up I use a small padlock to secure it in the hole of the hitch. I watched a youtube video whete a guy had a trailer with mechanical brakes. He'd hit a bump and the brake flap would flip over stopping the brakes from working. I thought a poor worn hitch could do the same.
-- Edited by Eaglemax on Sunday 8th of September 2019 06:19:09 AM
The rest of the caravan ended up in a roadside ditch.
He was doing 100kph at the time.
Could have been a whole lot worse Jamjar.
I,m glad you got away with so little damage.
The chap who welded the new chain on took two links of it, but said it most likely wouldnt make much difference and anymore removed would have been too short.
The photos show where the chain was and where it is now. There isnt a hole for a padlock on the hitch.
J.
That would have been a shock. I too was doing 100kph and Im thinking the wind played a role it the event. Im heading home, tomorrow and the forecast is windy, so will be taking it easy.
Thank you, Sandsmere. Yes, luck was going my way. As I saw her heading into the grass I saw the angle increase and thought she was going to roll. My thoughts were that this was going to end up on Grey Nomads, as one of the many rollovers.
Jamjar I have one occasion where i coupled up and locked the hitch. When I walked around doing a final check I noticed from the side that the hitch seemed to be sitting higher than normal on the ball. When I rechecked I found the coupling was not down over the ball but was locked sitting on the ball.Because the coupling was locked it could never drop even with gentle movement. I now make a point of ensuring the coupling is properly seated before locking it.An easy problem to miss when looking down over the coupling, but noticeable from the side. It is only a distance of 20mm.
Alan
-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Sunday 8th of September 2019 09:26:36 AM
I was speaking with a lady in the caravan park, this morn, and she said that friends of hers had their caravan disengage when they went over a bump too fast and it was locked on.
I didnt hit any bumps and feel that it was the wind that lifted her.
What I dont understand is given that the drawbar should have hit the road, how did it end up travelling to the left and up an embankment? Why didnt it just stop on the road? To travel the distance it did, wouldnt the drawbar have remained in the air?
As an aside, I am using apostrophes, but when I submit the post they have disappeared.
J.
Spare no expense on a new coupling and ball and fit TWO chains of the correct length and load rating and ensure your break away system is working and maintained correctly.
If not for yourself you owe it the rest of us who may be sharing the road with you.
Regards
Rob
Hi Jamjar, Glad yo ar all ok but that would have been a scary moment.
I too have a similar policy and it lets me select say 3 months or whatever I want if not using the van. But All I need do is make a call and pay for any pre-selected month and its all good.
Nothing wrong in having no insurance if the thing is safe in a shed, (apart from Fire damage of course). But there is no way I would take to the road without making that call and taking that additional months insurance.
But yes... it is easy to be wise after the fact.
My first concern is the weight on the tow ball or seemingly lack of it. I have seen vans arrive at camp with the van not locked down to the tow ball. They got there simply due to enough weight on the tow ball. Just lucky though.
Me, I would check the A bar and install a new hitch. Also a new tow ball to be on the safe side. Just saying....
Rob, the van has a tare of 620kg and GVM of 750kg and doesnt have brakes or breakaway system.
I like to think that I am very responsible when it comes to road safety and will endeavour to make the van as safe as possible. Once home, there wont be any trips until, well into 2020, due to depleted finances, excepted for a 42km trip to get it registered next month. So, other caravaners wont have to worry about me causing them grief.
J.
It wasnt scary really, as I just thought I had a flat tire. The commodore handled it extremely well. The trip was unplanned, as I got a call to say that my mother was dying, in Victoria. I looked at the insurance and it was right for August when I left. Didnt even register that I would be returning in September. However, I wasnt aware that you could call and add the month if need, so will be on top of it, should it happen again.
Yes, she is light, so not much weight on the ball I expect.
The van could, once again, come off while travelling one kilometre let alone the distance from Narrandera to home or the extra 40 kms to get it registered.
While remedial work to a chain may help if it happens again, it could still happen and you could kill someone.
Regards
Rob
Yes, the links are stamped. The chain was purchased from a caravan parts dealer.
J.
I think this is the best post to date. Thanks Alan.
The van in question has a atm of 750kg, exactly the same weight as my first van I built 2016. The light drawbar down weight of up to 80kg is so light that it makes that mistake of the hitch not getting all the way onto the ball less noticable and very possible. If you have 250kg towball weight the hitch has that weight to help it onto the ball. With only 60 or 80kg its less likely to get "home" and down weight on the ball is the only thing towing the van.!
This is why, when the tow truck guy jacked up the hitched up drawbar the hitch/ball remained attached, the hitch was fully in the ball.
As others have said the hitch, post such an incident needs replacing for piece of mind and getting the chain issue sorted is a no brainer.
This threads most value comes from Jamjars goodwill in making it public. Many readers here will now check their hitch for being faulty, look horizontal to ensure it's all the way into the ball and relocate the chain attachment if located under the drawbar. Such safety can be life saving so thanks Jamjar.
Tony
J.
Thank you Bob. Yes, I agree it must have hit the road to have broken the chain. Its the van carrying on so far that has me confuddled.
Just as the disappearance of my apostrophes has.
J.
Hi Jamjar,
Glad to hear things went well considering.
Just my opinion though, I would never use a padlock instead of a D shackle as I have seen padlocks unlock if you put pressure between the brass housing and the looped pin. They pop the lock.
In respect of your missing quotes, if you are using an iPad or iPhone this is prevalent. To get around it on these devices, hold the quote button down till the sub menu comes up, then select the quote in the middle. It should be ok then.
Kevin
Kevin, no one suggested using a padlock instead of a D shackle, which are required by law to be used.
What was said was that you could put a padlock on the hitch, if there was a hole for one, not a padlock onto the chain. I had a trailer once that had the hole on the hitch. It was there so you could padlock it on to deter thieves.
J.
-- Edited by Jamjar on Sunday 8th of September 2019 08:34:43 PM
-- Edited by Jamjar on Sunday 8th of September 2019 08:35:16 PM
Sorry Jamjar,
I must have misread it.
How did the quotes go?
I'm home now and had an uneventful trip. I sat between 80 and 90 though as the crosswind was extremely strong.
J.