Haven't been that startled since I was driving on I-40 about 15 car lengths directly behind a over loaded 1/2 ton pick-up pulling a really nice Ranger Bass boat.... at approx. 60 MPH. The driver hit a bump and the trailer dropped off the bumper hitch ball and began dragging on the highway. The safety chains were way to long and allowed the boat and trailer to snagg on the cracks in the highway and start flopping around on the highway like a big bass on a dock.
The truck was in the middle lane and the back-end of the boat / trailer was flopping in 90 degree angles from the far left lane over to the far right lane.. bam bam bam bam.... and that got the truck to riding up on 2 wheels at a time as it rocked and weaved... Scared the hell out of me! I sucked half the front seat cover up my butt! I got so tense that my muscles hurt for days.
I'm sure thankful that the boat was tightly strapped to the trailer and didn't come off. It lost a lot of gear / parts. I highly suggest that when pulling a boat or trailer.. that you shorten your safety chain so that if the trailer does drop off the ball.. the chains hold the trailer hitch end up off the highway so that the trailer will still be following you and not snagging on the highway pavement.
The truck was in the middle lane and the back-end of the boat / trailer was flopping in 90 degree angles from the far left lane over to the far right lane.. bam bam bam bam.... and that got the truck to riding up on 2 wheels at a time as it rocked and weaved... Scared the hell out of me! I sucked half the front seat cover up my butt! I got so tense that my muscles hurt for days.
I'm sure thankful that the boat was tightly strapped to the trailer and didn't come off. It lost a lot of gear / parts. I highly suggest that when pulling a boat or trailer.. that you shorten your safety chain so that if the trailer does drop off the ball.. the chains hold the trailer hitch end up off the highway so that the trailer will still be following you and not snagging on the highway pavement.
