True dat!
Realize too, there is an adjustment for the tightness of the ball. It's on the underside. If determined enough, loosened all the way and the ball will fit, then replace the hex nut and components to readjust the tightness of the hitch connection. This when latch has a lock on it
You should consider that when padlocking the rig down.
I was told, when very young, that locks, are for the honest thief. Where there's a will, there's a way!
Just this weekend I've put all of these weaknesses to the test!
Hitched my boat the the RV and drove three hours away. The RV site isn't big enough so I needed to unhitch the boat trailer. It was then that I realized I'd left my keys at home in the garage...yeah, the ones for the hitch pin lock and the cable lock I have "securing" my trailer's spare tire. Rookie mistake #1. My first thought was to just leave the thing coupled to the ball and pull out the drawbar... because luckily I'd opted to not use my locking pin for that on this trip. Sadly that wouldn't work unless maybe if I'd tied the trailer to a big tree and tried to drive away.
So I went for my toolbag. No socket set..rookie mistake #2....but I went at that adjusting nut with my channel locks. It was rusty and not turning easily. Buggered the nut up but yeah, I got the trailer uncoupled eventually, it took a while in the dark. All I wanted to do was park the rig, not lie in an ant-infested field on my back, and try to get the coupler loose! Oh well, no problem, there's an Ace hardware up the road, I can go in the morning and get tools and a replacement nut. That was yesterday.
This morning we go to Mass, then to Ace. Luckily I brought the hole latching mechanism along with me. On the way to Ace I decided to mess with the hitch pin lock..yeah the one that I don't have a key for. Wishing that I had some tools so that I could try what I'd seen in some of those lock-picking videos online. I thought I'd try my other keys. The one for the padlock to my RV storage lot is for a master lock. It fit the keyway but of course, is not even close to working... but I jiggled it and the lock came partway loose. A few more jiggles and I had it off. Probably took about 30 seconds. Ugh, should've tried that last night! rookie mistake #3
So got a 3/4 inch socket and a new nut at Ace. Had the trailer fixed in pretty short order.
A few hours later my son was digging around in my toolbox on the boat and came out with a folding 4-way lug wrench that I keep onboard for the trailer tires. Sure enough, one of the ways is 3/4 inch. No need to have spent the money on that 3/4 socket! rookie mistake #...oh, I've lost count!
