Properly Attaching Trailer Hitch Safety Chains
Dave SolbergDescription
In this free video lesson, RV maintenance expert Dave Solberg shows you how to properly and safely attach trailer hitch safety chains to avoid sagging and binding. You want to ensure that the chains have enough clearance from the distribution bar, but not so much that they sag to the ground, and not so little that they bind when going around corners.
The key to properly attached trailer hitch safety chains is crisscrossing one underneath the other. This is required by law in some states, but it’s also essential for safety. Follow along with Dave’s advice for correctly hooked safety chains, and you’ll be all set for your next towing adventure!
To safely and legally connect your safety chains. First, you want to start out by making sure the chain length is proper and it doesn't sag too much or it doesn't bind when you're going around the corner. Now this one here, we've hooked up this first one and we have the second one here. The next thing you want to do is you want to criss-cross. It means we brought this one from here, over to here.
I'm going to bring this one underneath. And that creates a cradle. And that most States that is a law but it's also a safety feature. And then sometimes there's a difference between towing legally and towing safely. So, you want to create that cradle in case this ever comes out, it has something criss-cross it's going to hold that up rather than two on the sides.
Now this one happens to be the right length. Here. However, if it was too long and it had too much sag underneath here, you only want about an inch or two, so that you can make the corners and it doesn't pull but you don't want it down hanging on the ground. So, I would literally twist this and you see how it gets a lot shorter when I do that. Again, this one's the right height,length.
You get the nice little safety clip on here. Just come onto the backside, clip that makes sure they're nice and good, they're criss-crossed, it's not in the way of any of my leveling, my weight distribution bar, my safety chain, anything. it's nice and cradled underneath. So that's the best way to connect to change, make sure you don't have too much sag underneath but you have enough to make your corners.
Good comment on the crisscrossing of chains but never twist chains since this can weaken them when put under pressure. If too long, cut a link out of the chain.
I see the cross chain tip all the time. Of the four trailers i have owned, they all had the chains attached to a single point on the tongue. That makes crossing irrelevant. What say you to this?
Two things I might point out on the safety chain video. First the chains seemed awfuly light duty for the size of the trailer and second the safety pin on the truck wasn't pushed in far enough. I realize the hitch pin may never come out even if the smaller pin isn't in, but it looks bad. Newbies might think it OK.