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Miracle from GOD, you know!... I was unhitching my trailer from my minivan, and I stuck my left hand middle finger into the hitch pin to release the clip pressure. BAD MISTAKE! The trailer started to keep increasing pressure into the PIN SMASHING MY FINGER! I should have taken a picture of my severely compressed finger after I got it out, but at least my finger bone wasn't smashed!
Well, anyway, when it was stuck, I was crying / crapping out, OMG, PLEASE HELP ME OUT! Then I just raised the hitch and it unhitched [but I did this several times before, too]! A SHTF moment I'll never forget!
But what is the actual procedure to unhitch? Lift up the thing, but push in the thing in the front insides of it?
I'd love to help, but I can't picture what happened to you. I'm glad you weren't badly broken.
I can try to tell you how I unhitch, but I don't know what the parts are called.
First trailer is parked someplace level and wheel chocks are placed under the wheels to stop the trailer from rolling.
Next, hitch is wound down to the point just before it starts to lift the trailer off the ball.
Then, there is a little lever that releases the grip on the ball. It is held secure by a cotter pin. The cotter pin is removed. That little lever is lifted up and once it is pulled up it hooks in the upward position, which leaves the ball loose. Nobody has to hold it in position. Then the hitch is cranked until the trailer is lifted clear of the ball. Once you are using the crank, nobody should be touching anything on the trailer or car.
After the trailer is loose, the car is moved and the trailer is cranked down until it is level.
I have an electric hitch on my trailer so I don't actually crank the crank. I just push the button.
Not an issue when you pull in and park, but you need to make sure the leveling jacks are all put away before you hitch or unhitch the trailer.
The only time I have an issue unhitching is when backing on an incline....the Hitch does not want to release the Ball. In this situation, after backing into the site, and the camper is level AND WHEELS CHOCKED, I release the Emergency Brake with my foot on the Brake Pedal, and slowly release letting the truck roll slowly forward a bit....this is usually good enough to get the hitch to loosen up on the ball....sometimes will put the truck in Neutral and roll forward using the CHOCKED camper to hold the truck from moving forward....no gas pedal, just a slow roll forward. Once I'm able to get the Hitch to release the Ball, I drop the Tongue Wheel and dig a small Divet for the Wheel to land in, this will help further help in keeping the camper where you want it......I unhook the Breakaway Switch, and 7-way Plug, and start raising.....may see a little movement when the totally unhitched, but not much......once totally unhitched, it is then, and only then, I unhook the Safety Chains......Safety Chains last just to be safe....don't need a runaway camper.....but be sure to CHOCK the wheels
I can't picture what you did, your fingers should never be in a position to get cut off.
Exactly. Also, keep the safety chains attached until the jack is down and the coupler is off the ball. Now, to run the rabbit trail, keep the safety chains criss crossed under the coupler and ball. First, it keeps the chains from binding or dragging.
The reason for crossing the safety chains, if your trailer becomes uncoupled the chains should catch the tongue and keep it from dragging on the ground. Also, it helps control the trailer. An uncontrolled trailer is an uncontrollable head on collision.
Sorry, I never put a picture of my finger on this board, but from the incident, I got a message that you have to be very careful with the way you defend yourself sometimes. Because if you damage others greatly, then great damage will come back to you, too.
So you know, I really think I never damaged other people greatly. Rather, people do it to themselves when they damage others, then that stuff just comes back at them!
Sorry, I never put a picture of my finger on this board, but from the incident, I got a message that you have to be very careful with the way you defend yourself sometimes. Because if you damage others greatly, then great damage will come back to you, too.
So you know, I really think I never damaged other people greatly. Rather, people do it to themselves when they damage others, then that stuff just comes back at them!
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