My friend has just come back from a trip through the South of NSW, VIctoria and SA. He was told in Adelaide by a man he met at the van park that Police are booking people who do not lock their coupling lever in the closed position. By locking, he meant that the coupling must have a pin in it to prevent the latch lever coming undone whilst on the move. Apparently Police in SA, Vic and NSW are booking people. Probably Qld as well if the truth be known...
Anyone here had this one picked up yet?
-- Edited by erad on Monday 27th of November 2017 05:39:38 PM
I've never been questioned on it - but I do have a small $2.00 padlock on mine when using towball coupling - I do it mainly to deter kids from unclipping it. Belt and Braces perhaps? I am personally unaware of any Legislative requirement to do so.
__________________
Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
SNIP~~~ Police are booking people who do not lock their coupling lever in the closed position. ~~~SNIP
Gday...
Do you mean that police are booking people because the area circled in red is not "locked in position" with a pin etc. ? ?
I would politely challenge the police and ask for the regulation/ADR/legislation under which determines this is an offence.
I doubt very much there is such a regulation/ADR/legislation.
Or this is just another "He was told in Adelaide by a man he met at the van park" ... 'my neighbour's 2nd cousin's brother's uncle who was talking to someone in a van park' sort of story.
Cheers - John
__________________
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
There are a fair few Urban Legends reported on this board.
I only consider any of it to be true If more than one person says This happened to me on this date in this location.
For example there are lots of stories about bad things happening to campers but when I started a thread asking for any person who had actually had a first hand bad experience to come forward there was none !
I have done a bit of research and cannot find anything in 'regulations' to back this up but I was of the opinion that it was illegal to use a PADLOCK on that part of the tow hitch as it would severely hamper emergency personnel if they (or the owner) needed to quickly disconnect the van from the tow vehicle in event of fire or accident etc.
If the key is not immediately available it would be extremely difficult to disconnect the van and vehicle - eg owner not in attendance, owner unconscious in accident, owner injured and unable to access key etc etc.
For the bit of added security to ensure the spring doesn't allow the hitch to come loose I simply insert this in the hole -
Cheers - John
__________________
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I have done a bit of research and cannot find anything in 'regulations' to back this up but I was of the opinion that it was illegal to use a PADLOCK on that part of the tow hitch as it would severely hamper emergency personnel if they (or the owner) needed to quickly disconnect the van from the tow vehicle in event of fire or accident etc.
If the key is not immediately available it would be extremely difficult to disconnect the van and vehicle - eg owner not in attendance, owner unconscious in accident, owner injured and unable to access key etc etc.
For the bit of added security to ensure the spring doesn't allow the hitch to come loose I simply insert this in the hole -
Cheers - John
Hi
I have no real information to offer on this, other than to say all urban myths !
In any case of emergency services needing to unlock/unchain/detach things they have "universal tools" eg bolt cutters or more that they use without hesitation. They just cut them off. Evidence the water services valves and fitting at major buildings which are all chained and locked to prevent tampering. They come and cut them off so they can use them along with the gate locks etc.
Just the same as they will not go looking for the the key if they need to get into your car in an emergency, they just break the windows. As they rightly should do if it was you that needed it.
Cheers Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Tuesday 28th of November 2017 09:05:14 AM
I lock the safety latch on my 5th wheeler every time I hook up. It only takes one fool to pull the release and it may end in tears. The hole is there for a reason. I am not sure of the regulations, but for my own piece of mind, any extra security is a good thing.
As far as the padlock goes I am sure you will find that it IS ILLEGAL to use a padlock, some time ago (in Vic at least) it became illegal to use the old screw-down type coupling because they could not be disconnected quickly.
Cant see how a padlocked coupling would be legal due to above .....
__________________
"life is too short to spend it with people who suck the happiness out of you"
I use a small shackle, put the pin through the latch and screw it into the shackle.
The only reason I do it is that it has become part of my Hitching Up routine and if I go to do that it will alert me if I have not released the spring loaded catch that holds the coupling catch up.
Often find when I go to put the shackle on that I have missed it, mainly as I do not release all the weight onto the ball so it makes it easy to connect the Weight Distribution Bars without tension on them.
Hello, my friend picked up his brand new van the other day from a dealer in Adelaide and halfway home the tow bar pin came out shortly after doing 90km on South road. Fortunately the chains prevented the draw bar from digging into the bitumen and only caused some minor damage. Even though the dealer hitched up the van for him and should take full responsibility its still up to the driver to check and double check in my view so its a lesson to us all.
I use small pieces of red painted bath plug chain to attach such things as the locking pins for the WDH spring bars and a LYNCH PIN that I put into the padlock hole of the trailer hitch.
One of the main functions is that if I forget to complete any of these hook up tasks (& I have forgotten every one of them over the years) then my attention is drawn to the bright red chain hanging down,. Or at least that's the theory. The pins don't get lost either.
-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 29th of November 2017 04:36:41 PM
