[dthogey]

A buddy has installed my dauntless hitch and the wiring harness for my trailer. The used trailer has no safety chains. I have decided to install them to abide by the law. How do those of you that have the dauntless hitch attach the chains to the hitch? Any chance you could post some pictures??

Thanks

 

[saddleman]

A buddy has installed my dauntless hitch and the wiring harness for my trailer. The used trailer has no safety chains. I have decided to install them to abide by the law. How do those of you that have the dauntless hitch attach the chains to the hitch? Any chance you could post some pictures??

Thanks

Mine has a angle bracket to hook the chain to.

 

[hschisler]

Mine has a angle bracket to hook the chain to.

Same here. Here's a side view of the Dauntless hitch, showing where/how the chains are attached.

 

[dthogey]

Thanks guys, I assume that you made the bracket. I'm surprised that the hitch doesn't come with a way to attach chains.

 

[dukey33]

Don't forget, one of the functions of safety chains on trailers it to hold the tongue off the ground in the case the hitch comes undone, so the chains need to be crossed to do this.

Too often I see safety chains hooked up without crossing. If the trailer comes off the hitch, the unsupported trailer tongue can dig into the ground and pole vault the trailer.
I've had a trailer come unhitched before (from a van, not a bike) and that was exciting enough without a flip!

 

[jzeiler]

Don't forget, one of the functions of safety chains on trailers it to hold the tongue off the ground in the case the hitch comes undone, so the chains need to be crossed to do this.

With all due respect a bike is way different than a car. I would not want the tounge being cradled by crossed chains just so it could impale my rear tire. I want it to break away and pole vaule if it chooses to. I fully agree with that approach on a car pulling a trailer but on a bike if it comes loose I want it as far away from me as possible. JMO.

 

[Munmi]

Dave, I used stainless eye bolts, lock washers and acorn nuts......

 

[dthogey]

Dave, I used stainless eye bolts, lock washers and acorn nuts......

Thanks scott. I like the eye bolts.

 

[saddleman]

With all due respect a bike is way different than a car. I would not want the tounge being cradled by crossed chains just so it could impale my rear tire. I want it to break away and pole vaule if it chooses to. I fully agree with that approach on a car pulling a trailer but on a bike if it comes loose I want it as far away from me as possible. JMO.

I couldn't agree with you more John. The cheap clasp on my safety chain would probably break with just half of my body weight standing on the safety chain. If my trailer breaks loose for what ever reason I want it to be gone without me noticing anything happened.

 

[SilverBuffalo]

Guys it's already been said here,
but take it from someone who has crashed while pulling a trailer,

make sure that chain is wimpy enough so that it breaks,
and the trailer goes away, far, far away!!!

I went over the handlebars and rolled like a log,
my wife held on and finally let go when the bike went down,
she would have been run over by the trailer for sure.

What does a trailer do when the bike goes down and stops suddenly?
most likely it keeps pushing and then jack knifes, not a good scenario.

In my case upon impact with the Elk, the front end of the bike went up in the air like a wheel stand,
that's when I flew over, at the same time the hitch and chain broke and the trailer went into the ditch

 

[dthogey]

You guys talked me into wimpy chains. Thank you.

It makes me wonder why they are required by law. It seems chains make it more dangerous.

 

[hschisler]

Thanks guys, I assume that you made the bracket. I'm surprised that the hitch doesn't come with a way to attach chains.

I was scratching my head, wondering what you were talking about, until I remembered that the bracket to which my chains attach is part of the Bushtec "heim joint", or pin hitch, that is bolted into the ball mount on my Dauntless hitch. So no, I didn't make the bracket - it came with the Bushtec pin. That said, there are small holes in the Dauntless hitch just forward of the pin; these are part of the Dauntless ball mount and are OEM.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[dthogey]

I was scratching my head, wondering what you were talking about, until I remembered that the bracket to which my chains attach is part of the Bushtec "heim joint", or pin hitch, that is bolted into the ball mount on my Dauntless hitch. So no, I didn't make the bracket - it came with the Bushtec pin. That said, there are small holes in the Dauntless hitch just forward of the pin; these are part of the Dauntless ball mount and are OEM.

Sorry for the confusion.

got it, thank you.

 

[SilverBuffalo]

You guys talked me into wimpy chains. Thank you.

It makes me wonder why they are required by law. It seems chains make it more dangerous.

The laws are written for and make sense for cars and trucks,
there's probably not enough motorcycles pulling trailers for the law makers to have even noticed us....... yet.

when they do they'll come up with another tax!

 

[CaliDefector]

Sorry for necroposting (raising a long dead thread) but I figured it beats rehashing what was said over and over and there is good info in the thread (I figured out the eye-bolts from a post in here as I was "how do I fit something through my DMC safety chain holes?)

Anyway, on to the real question...

make sure that chain is wimpy enough so that it breaks,
and the trailer goes away, far, far away!!!

If one theoretically wants to use wimpy chain for the alleged appearance of staying within the confines of a nanny state's law, hypothetically what would one use? (Weasel words used to keep anyone from feeling they would be held liable in today's litigious society.) Something like swing-set chain or smaller?

I was thinking about a screw-link on the trailer so if I tow it with a car I can use real safety chains and then allegedly run the MC safety chain through that.

 

[Why aint we riding]

Sorry for necroposting (raising a long dead thread) but I figured it beats rehashing what was said over and over and there is good info in the thread (I figured out the eye-bolts from a post in here as I was "how do I fit something through my DMC safety chain holes?)

Anyway, on to the real question...



If one theoretically wants to use wimpy chain for the alleged appearance of staying within the confines of a nanny state's law, hypothetically what would one use? (Weasel words used to keep anyone from feeling they would be held liable in today's litigious society.) Something like swing-set chain or smaller?



I was thinking about a screw-link on the trailer so if I tow it with a car I can use real safety chains and then allegedly run the MC safety chain through that.

Lamp chain or a small diameter eye bolt at the attachment point. Swingset chains are actually fairly substantial and may not break. Dont use stainless if you want it to break away.
Steve

 

[CaliDefector]

Lamp chain or a small diameter eye bolt at the attachment point. Swingset chains are actually fairly substantial and may not break. Dont use stainless if you want it to break away.

Ah, I didn't even think of making the eye-bolt the weak point. I think that's the route I'll go. Thanks!