Components that Connect Your Truck and Trailer

by Howard Katz To connect our truck to our trailer, we back our truck up to our trailer, run the trailers jack down so that the trailers coupler drops over the ball on the truck, snap the coupler closed, attach the trailers safety chains and break away system cable to the truck, and connect the trailers electrical systems to the truck by inserting the trailers electrical plug into the trucks electrical receptacle. And to disconnect our truck from our trailer, we mindlessly do the same steps, but in reverse. Normally, we do not think much about the components of the truck and trailer that connect together. However, we should pay much more attention to the connection of our truck and trailer because our safety and the safety of our horses depend upon the connection. The first thing to do before connecting your trailer to your truck is to perform a visual inspection of all components that connect your truck to your trailer. If you use your trailer infrequently, you should establish a regular periodic inspection schedule and adhere to it.

Truck Components
Bumper Pull Hitch A bumper pull hitch is mounted to the rear end of the frame of your tow vehicle. The hitch exits the rear of your tow vehicle below the bumper. The hitch has a hollow square tube into which is inserted a draw bar. There is a hole through the hollow square tube for inserting a draw bar pin. Inspect the tightness of the bolts that attach the hitch to the frame of your tow vehicle. Inspect the hitch for cracks and the condition of the welds holding the pieces of the hitch together. Inspect the hollow square tube for cracks and the hole for the draw bar pin for wear. Bumper Pull Draw Bar There are two types of draw bars: 1) dead weight; and 2) weight distributing. A dead weight draw bar is a square hollow steel tube or solid steel bar with a flat steel

plate welded to it. The hitch ball is attached to the draw bar through a hole in the flat steel plate. The draw bar pin goes through a hole in the square part of the draw bar to hold the draw bar in the hitch. Inspect the square steel and flat steel parts of the draw bar for cracks or brakes and check the condition of the weld between them. A weight distributing draw bar is a solid, lshaped, square steel bar with a spring bar assembly and ball mount attached to one end of it. The other end is inserted into the square tube of the bumper pull hitch. The draw bar pin goes through a hole in the end without the spring bar assembly to hold the weight distributing draw bar in the hitch. Inspect the l-shaped square steel bar for cracks or breaks. Inspect the spring bar assembly and ball mount for cracks, breaks, loose bolts, and the condition of its welds. Bumper Pull Draw Bar Pin The draw bar pin is a hardened steel pin with a 0.625 inch diameter. One end is bent or has a loop welded to it and the other end has a hole or slot in it for attachment of a clip. The bend or loop and the clip on opposite ends of the draw bar pin keep it in place once it is inserted through the square tube of the hitch and draw bar. Inspect the draw bar pin for wear, cracks, and the hole or slot for wear. Bumper Pull Hitch Ball A bumper pull hitch ball is the focal point of the connection between your tow vehicle and your bumper pull trailer. The ball is sized appropriately for the class of the hitch. A Class I hitch requires a 1 7/8-inch diameter hitch ball with a 3/4-inch shank. A Class II hitch requires a 2-inch diameter hitch ball with a 1-inch shank. A Class III hitch requires a 2 5/16inch diameter hitch ball with a 1-inch shank. A Class IV hitch requires a 2 5/16-inch diameter hitch ball with a 1 1/4-inch shank. Inspect the ball for wear, it should be round not elliptical, and it should not have any cracks or breaks. The nut holding the hitch ball tight to the draw bar must be tight. Ideally, it should be tightened with a torque wrench to at least 120 lb-ft of torque. Also, it is extremely important that the shank of the hitch ball is the same size as the hole in the draw bar. If the shank is smaller than the
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hole, no matter how tight you get the hitch ball, it can move in the hole and create a dangerous situation. Gooseneck Hitch A gooseneck hitch is mounted through the bed of your tow vehicle and attached to its frame by welds, bolts, or both. A gooseneck hitch has two basic parts: 1) a mount for the hitch ball; and 2) base rails which connect the ball mount to the tow vehicles frame. Inspect the ball mount and base rails for cracks or breaks, loose bolts, and the condition of its welds. If the ball mount moves, has a mechanism to fold the ball into it, or move the ball under the bed, inspect the mechanism for proper and easy operation. Gooseneck Hitch Ball A gooseneck hitch ball is the focal point of the connection between your tow vehicle and your gooseneck trailer. The ball is 2 5/16-inch in diameter with at least a 1 1/4-inch shank. Inspect the ball for wear, it should be round not elliptical, and it should not have any cracks or breaks. If the hitch ball is held to the ball mount with a nut, the nut must be tight. Ideally, it should be tightened with a torque wrench to at least 120 lb-ft of torque. If the hitch ball is tightened directly into the ball mount, it should be tightened into the ball mount with a similar amount of torque. If the ball is held in the ball mount by another type of mechanism, be sure the mechanism is functioning properly and holding the ball firmly. Electrical Receptacle A receptacle with seven pins that accepts a 7-pin plug from a trailer. The receptacle and plug contain a pin connection to link the trucks ground with the trailers ground. The other six pins connect six electrical circuits: 1) tail lights; 2) brake lights; 3) left turn signal; 4) right turn signal; 5) electric brakes; and 6) backup lights. The trucks receptacle is normally located either next to the rear license plate or under the rear bumper next to or on the hitch. Electrical Wiring The trucks electrical wiring for a trailer connection is spliced into the six circuits mentioned directly above. If the truck has anti-lock brakes, the electric brake circuit must be integrated with it and work with it.

Trailer Components
Jack Assembly The jack assembly lifts the trailers coupler off of the ball attached to the truck. Jacks are either manual or electric. Both require lubrication to work smoothly, lightly apply water pump grease or penetrating oil like WD40 on the part of the jack that extends and the mechanism that turns to extend the jack. Landing Gear There are two types of landing gear: for a gooseneck trailer and for a bumper pull trailer. Gooseneck trailer landing gear looks similar to a large steel foot. Its function is to provide a solid, flat end for the jack so that the jack does not cut into the ground with detaching the trailer. The landing gear should be a considerable distance from the ground when the trailer is in motion so that it will not come in contract with the ground and cause serious damage to the trailer. Bumper pull trailer landing gear is normally a removable wheel that slips onto the end of the jack when the trailer is being detached from the truck and is removed from the end of the jack when the trailer is attached to the truck. The wheel should not be left on the jack when the trailer is attached to the truck as it may come in contact with the ground while the trailer is in motion and may cause serious damage to the trailer. Coupler The coupler is attached to the end of the tongue of a bumper pull trailer and to the lower end of the gooseneck of a gooseneck trailer. The coupler closes around the ball on the truck to lock the trailer to the truck. The most important thing about a coupler is that it must be the same size as the ball that is being mated with it. If the ball is smaller than the coupler, the ball will move within the coupler and may come out of the coupler. If the ball is larger than the coupler, the coupler will not close properly around the ball and may come out of the coupler. Safety Chains If for some reason a trailers coupler fails, or the coupler opens and comes off the ball of the tow vehicle, safety chains maintain a connection between the trailer and the tow vehicle. Without safety chains, if a coupler failure occurred, the trailer would be

loose and be hazardous to other vehicles and to its contents. Safety chains are normally welded close to the coupler on the tongue of a bumper pull trailer or the connecting post of a gooseneck trailer. Safety chains should be sufficiently strong to hold the trailer to the tow vehicle. The welds connecting the safety chains to the trailer should be solid and free from cracks and rust. Breakaway Brake System The breakaway system is comprised of three elements: 1) the connection cable; 2) the breakaway switch; and 3) the breakaway battery. The connection cable attaches the trailers breakaway switch to the tow vehicle. The connection cable usually has a loop on one end that is placed over the ball on the tow vehicle before the trailers coupler is lowered onto it. The breakaway switch is normally attached to the tongue of a bumper pull trailer close to the coupler and on the gooseneck post on a gooseneck trailer. The breakaway battery is attached to the breakaway switch and to the trailers brake circuit. If the trailer separates from the tow vehicle, the connection cable will remain attached to the tow vehicle and will pull a pin out of the breakaway switch. When the pin is pulled out of the breakaway switch, a circuit is completed between the breakaway battery and the trailers brakes causing the brakes to be applied and stop the trailer independently of the tow vehicle. Electrical Plug The electrical plug connects all of the trailers electrical circuits to the appropriate tow vehicles electrical circuits. The electrical plug has seven pins, one for each of the trailers six circuits and a ground. Refer above to the trucks Electrical Receptacle and Electrical Wiring. Electrical Wiring The trailer normally has six circuits and a ground. Refer above to the trucks Electrical Receptacle and Electrical Wiring.

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