This is why you never use a trailer ball as an attachment point for a snatch rope or strap!

[patoz]

Man dies trying to tow car from ditch in rural Rice County

Posted FEB 25 2019 03:32PM CST

MORRISTOWN TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man died after he suffered a severe head injury while trying to tow his car out of a ditch Sunday in southern Minnesota.

According to the Rice County Sheriff's Office, around noon Sunday, deputies were dispatched to a medical situation in Morristown Township. Officials say a man stopped to help another man, identified as Travis Pineur, who was stuck in a ditch on the 2400 block of Iona Avenue.

The two men were using a tow strap to attempt to free Pineur’s stuck vehicle. Officials say the receiver hitch from the other vehicle broke while they were attempting to remove Pineur’s truck, "causing the partial receiver hitch and trailer ball to propel towards Pineur’s vehicle."

The fractured hitch then broke through the rear windows of the topper and truck and struck Pineur in the back of the head.

Pineur was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

http://www.fox9.com/news/man-dies-t...RZi707IMC-N21-99eopMd2slRI70vXMGLModkHsrG-eOI

 

[Superduty]

It would be interesting to know more information. Did they attach to the ball only? Article talks about the hitch fracturing. Bad bolts, rusted hitch, cheap hitch, what class hitch, smaller vehicle trying to get much bigger vehicle unstuck, not using a snatch strap.... I guess it could be many things.

Typically acceptable to use a frame mounted hitch, not the ball, as an attachment point. Assuming its a class 3 or better hitch.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[patoz]

Superduty, I would like to have more details myself but that's all there was.

I think this is one of those situations where experience and good common sense would go a long way. As in any towing situation, a thorough inspection of all equipment and anchor points is mandatory! However, I have seen ropes and straps come off of the ball and snap back on their own.

I have one of these Shackle Inserts for my 2004 F250, and would not have any problem with using it. I know the condition of my receiver and I would try to keep the pull as straight as possible.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

I have the same receiver shackle.

 

[krick3tt]

My vehicle comes standard with welded in tow points front and rear. Although I have a winch in the front bumper.

 

[patoz]

I didn't realize it at the time I made this post, but there is already one on this subject.
The Danger of using the wrong recovery equipment

Tow Ball recovery goes wrong slow motion, part 1



Flying Tow Balls vehicle destroyed in slow motion, part 2

 

[Metcalf]

I'm not saying do it, but the 1st ball went through a crazy amount of abuse before it failed.
The entire hitch was deformed. The strap didn't appear to have much stretch at all.
The tow ball also came loose in the mounting hole sounds like.

 

[patoz]

I'm not saying do it, but the 1st ball went through a crazy amount of abuse before it failed.
The entire hitch was deformed. The strap didn't appear to have much stretch at all.
The tow ball also came loose in the mounting hole sounds like.

He mentioned in both videos that all of the balls, with the exception of the first one, had been cut 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through so they would intentionally break. They were not testing trailer balls, but demonstrating what can happen IF one does break.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Those Ronny Dahl videos required obviously compromising the tow ball. When you consider that they are pretty abused, left to rust, get backed into, etc., it's probably not a stretch to imagine most do fall on a spectrum from ideal down to the equivalent of partially cut and knowing just how bad isn't something worth risking you life on.

 

[johnnyrover]

Be careful...hooked up to stock bumper, shackle and strap hit him in the shoulder and flew through window. A few inches to the left and it could have killed him...

 

[Metcalf]

He mentioned in both videos that all of the balls, with the exception of the first one, had been cut 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through so they would intentionally break. They were not testing trailer balls, but demonstrating what can happen IF one does break.

Right....so should we cut the hitch pin through half way or an anchor shackle too?
Anything steel and or heavy metal in a rigging system is bad.
That is why I don't really love this test.

Weight in bad in a rigging system. Extra parts in a rigging system is bad.

That is one of the reasons I have been using soft shackles and synthetic winch line whenever possible for years.

 

[Metcalf]

Those Ronny Dahl videos required obviously compromising the tow ball. When you consider that they are pretty abused, left to rust, get backed into, etc., it's probably not a stretch to imagine most do fall on a spectrum from ideal down to the equivalent of partially cut and knowing just how bad isn't something worth risking you life on.

I'm not defending the trailer ball tow concept....

.....but we will hook 10-20Klbs of trailer to one and run it down the road at 80mph?

 

[patoz]

But we dont shockload the fück out of it either, And on the off chance something does give up, safety chains keep things together.

Right, and that 10-20K weight factor is the weight of the trailer itself and not the rolling load on the trailer hitch, which is no where near that.

 

[Metcalf]

Right, and that 10-20K weight factor is the weight of the trailer itself and not the rolling load on the trailer hitch, which is no where near that.

It's not about what happens when backing it down your driveway, it is about what can go wrong when you get into an accident at 80mph. The safety chains might catch it if you have issues, but they might not as they are typically connected to thin flimsy brackets with hooks or even snap links.

I have actually sheared a hitch pin off in the receiver and broken the chains. It wasn't any fun watching the trailer pass me on the left with my jeep on top headed for a 20 foot drop. I still thank my stars it didnt go into traffic. All it took to shear the pin was a 1 foot ledge in the pavement due to some road construction that caused the jack to get caught on the ground. The ball was just fine......pin and chains both let go.

As I said, I wouldn't recommend hooking to the trailer ball of at all possible. I don't however think that is the only problem with using a hitch for recovery.

 

[s.e.charles]

are these gadgets okay to use? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WLMF23...5accde249a3&ref_=pd_luc_rh_bmx_02_04_t_img_lh