UPDATE POST #23 Question about GN hitch safety chain fastening

[Jarpur]

I would love to be able to hitch/unhitch my GN trailer from the ground. I never had an issue when I had older 8 ft. bed trucks, but the late-model trucks with their deeper and shorter beds (I’m driving one with a 6.5 ft. bed) are more of a challenge for smallish me.

Previously, with older trucks and trailers, I simply stepped on the top of the tire to boost myself up and down from the bed. Now, the relationship of tire to bed to hitch to trailer no longer works for me. My truck has a retractable step either side of the bed, near the cab, and I can get myself into the bed using that, but it’s tougher to step down, as I can’t reach the step without a leap of faith.

I can do it, as I’m still fit and flexible, but I’m not thrilled about it and am looking for an easier, safer way, preferably one that keeps my feet firmly on the ground. I’ve seen this product: https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=bad7122d-ef1c-49be-9d2b-738dad7be3bb#tab-review. Or, there is this product, if I want to invest in a different style of coupler: http://www.trailergear.com/

But what about fastening the safety chains? My truck has a B&W turnover hitch with the retractable loops to hold the chains on either side of the ball. How can I fasten and remove the chains from outside the bed?

UPDATE Post #23

[Heart_s_Journey]

I use a folding step stool, but do have to get into the back of the truck when hitching the chains and securing the ball hitch. When unhitching, I am able to lean over and unclip the chains and hitch thingy… but I then have to walk around to the other side of the truck to do that side.

[Jarpur]

Lucky you to be able to reach the chain and hitch while leaning:).

Normally, I use my husband (he’s a foot taller than me), but I prefer to be able to do everything by myself. I’ve thought about carrying a folding step stool in the trailer dressing room, but wondered if there was some fix, other than that, which hadn’t occurred to me.

[SLW]

I took the tailgate off my truck. Easy in, easy out.

[i_3dogs]

even my 6’2" tall boyfriend has to crawl in the bed of the truck to hook up chains, if there is a better way please share.

[Jarpur]

Ha Ha, my husband took the tailgate off our first truck with our original gooseneck trailer, too, but not intentionally!

When we’d picked up that trailer from the manufacturer (it was a custom), the factory owner’s wife came running after us as we began to drive off to warn us about remembering to always drop the tailgate before unhitching. One day, during an veterinary emergency, he was moving so fast he slipped up. Poor guy felt terrible. Oh well, at least our gas mileage improved.

[Tom_King]

Weld some lightweight steel rods to the hooks, and make something to depress the keeper to take them off. While you’re at it, weld some keepers up under the deck over the hitch to store them on so they’re in reach. I’ve thought about this, but never done it.

[Jarpur]

Tom, if I understand you correctly, my trailer already has keepers for the safety chains up under the nose. I get what you’re saying about the rods welded to the hooks - then the rod could be used to move the hook into position. I need some way to lift up the retractable loops (for want of a better word) on the hitch meant to hold the safety chain hooks. If I could pry those up and snap on the hooks, while outside the bed as opposed to hunched down in it, that would be perfect. Ditto on removing the hooks from those loops.

I’m going to look at my hitch some more and think about possible solutions, but I was hoping that someone here already had a functioning work-around they could share.

[allons-y]

Beloved haystrings! Tie to those retracting safety hook loops. Just pull to lift, they stay attached to loop always. I too have a step stool in the trailer to hop in and out of the bed. Haystrings are soooooo useful around the farm, house, whatever.

[Jarpur]

I am so gonna try the hay string idea for raising the loops! Thanks:).

[WasthatC]

I end up in the bed of the truck for the safety chains, the emergency disconnect brake clip and for the electrical plug. I can’t even picture how any of you are doing all of that from outside the bed without 4’ arms.
When I’m finished w the electrical/brake plug I’m in the bed underneath the g/n on my butt and I just pivot and sort of slide out the tailgate. Very lady-like (not) but then I’m on the ground from the tailgate and not climbing over the wall to the tire.

[GotMyPony]

[QUOTE=allons-y;8484656]
Beloved haystrings! Tie to those retracting safety hook loops. Just pull to lift, they stay attached to loop always. I too have a step stool in the trailer to hop in and out of the bed. Haystrings are soooooo useful around the farm, house, whatever.[/QUOTE]

Same idea but we use a couple of short cable ties made into a loop on each of the retracting hook things. The benefit of the cable ties is that they’re a little rigid so they stand up and are easier to grab hold of; I’m thinking the hay string loop might just flop down and have to be fished up with something in order to grab it. But whatever works!

[saje]

If you have the room to hitch up at a 90 deg angle you have much better access to the bed. Still have to climb in, probably (or at least I do w/ an 8ft bed), but it’s much easier than climbing the tire and bed rail.

[Doctracy]

I always keep a step stool in the pickup bed. I also switched my gooseneck for a 5th wheel hitch. So much easier to hitch and rides nicer,too. I can hitch it in about 1-2 minutes and I’m not very good at backing into a hitch.

[Fred]

I always keep a step stool in the truck bed too.

[Jarpur]

Well, I’ve been researching trailer safety chain regulations further in my state, looking to see if it would be allowed to change out the clevis hooks with latches on my trailer’s chains for ones without latches. My thinking is that those would be easier to remove from the retractable loops (my small hands with super-bendy fingers have trouble with those big clevis hooks with latches, anyway).

So, I went to the state transportation code section that mentions safety chains, thence to the state administrative code that lays out the rules for them and, come to find out, the exceptions, definitions, and specifications make it pretty clear that they are not even required for fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailers! That would sure solve this particular problem. My first GN, built back in the dark ages (in-state if that matters), didn’t have chains, but I figured the rules had changed by now, as my last two GN trailers (manufactured out-of-state) have come with them.

The administrative code seems most concerned that the draw bar not drop to the ground and contact the road surface which, of course, is an impossibility with a GN trailer.

[i_3dogs]

many states do require chains to be there and hooked up and you get a ticket if you get caught. just keep that in mind when traveling across state lines. every state has different rules and regulations.

[beau159]

I always crawl into the bed of the pickup to hook and unhook my GN horse trailer. I can’t reach otherwise.

[cnvh]

I keep a stepstool in my trailer which gets used for all sorts of things-- climbing into the deck, getting on my horse, and getting into my truck bed. It’s the one thing in my trailer which gets used probably more than anything else!

[Guilherme]

Replace the regular bed with a flat bed and all you’re problems are solved!!!

If that’s not a practical solution then I suggest a short stepladder. That will allow a person to get easily into the bed for hookup or unhook. It’s been my experience that crawling in from the tailgate is not fun. The young and agile just use the tire as a step to enter the bed; I’m no longer either.

G.