Re: [A/S] tow hitches...FREAKED OUT!

["Jrnymn" <jrnymn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Sarah, relax.  These towing---truck---insurance---horror story---towing
discussions run in circles frequently on this list.  You just need to
determine right now where you want to jump in on the circle of towing
systems.

The consensus here (if I may say) is to encourage everyone to improve their
towing system. Critical points to check are:
Truck sufficiency and readiness
Trailer integrity and balance
Hitch sufficiency, assembly and inspection
Brakes testing and practice
Driver readiness
Insurance sufficiency to ameliorate losses

In two years on the list, I'm still learning who the top advisors are.  But
I know no one wants to see anyone get hurt.  The big towing discussions are
important because the people enjoying them are most important.

No towing system can overcome driver incompetence.
Some towing systems can help driver competence and safety.
Anti-sway hitches are for dampening the side-to-side and up/down motions of
truck and trailer.
Load distributing hitches are for transferring the hitch forces through more
of the truck/trailer wheelbase system.
They are two separate functions that overlap depending on your hitch.  Both
functions contribute to the overall stability of your truck/trailer system.

Getting a big truck / fancy hitch doesn't absolve you from actually checking
the towing specs for your particular truck and trailer.
A ball hitch alone is sufficient for relatively low demand stresses.

Anti-sway seems (to me) to be a more important issue than load distribution
because it is to reduce the effect of those big semis and winds from kicking
your system beyond control.  Load distribution can be controlled much more
easily by simply arranging the weight inside your trailer properly.

Don't let the constant discussion faze you.  And keep asking questions :-)

Jay L. Griffin               [a.k.a. Jrnymn "Journeyman"]
jrnymn@dave-world.net
http://homepage.dave-world.net/~jrnymn/jrnyindex.htm
http://homepage.davesworld.net/~jrnymn/jrnywebarchive.htm
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