Trailer Safety Chains, Crossed OR Uncrossed

The chain crossed no there a conversation on its own

My trailer, which is coincidentally the same hammertone green :dry: , has the locking mechanism on the passenger side of the coupling.

If the handle is at 90 degrees , then the coupling cannot be all the way down on the ball. The recess for the coupling to drop down
on to the ball only works when the handle is in correct position. If that's the case the coupling is not fully engaged with the ball,
but sitting on the top of the ball. ? Side view of ball / coupling may confirm this?

All this is totally irrelevant. He made the trip without any dramas and Daddy will educate him before the trip back home. All good and a chance for father - son bonding.

My handle doesn't rotate. It is disengaged by undoing the latch, then lifting.

geoffb wrote:

The chain crossed no there a conversation on its own

Geoff it seems nobody wants to converse with you about that,,, to cross or not to cross?

geoffb wrote:

The chain crossed no there a conversation on its own

Very True..There's no reference to them needing to be Crossed in the Regulations..

www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/...on/files/0-1-3-1.pdf

www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure...n/rvs/bulletins/vsb1

Here's a bit of Interesting reading..

withoutahitch.com.au/crossing-safety-cha...%AC%81tted.%E2%80%9D

I cross mine as I see the logic in doing so, but I don't think it's compulsory. I believe 750kg trailers only require a single chain of the correct rating.
My greatest beef is with those who connect the last link of a long chain. If the trailer became disconnected, the coupling would hit and dig into the road surface.

I have also seen shackles with the pin painted yellow indicating a rated unit without any rating stamped on the shackle - who knows what you are getting in this case. In the picture it looks like one rated and one unrated shackle.

To most people a chain is a chain. Although even a cheap boat anchor style chain from Bunnings is more than likely to be sufficient for a tow ball situation it is nice to have high tensile chain that will probably break the attaching weld or the tow hitch itself before snapping a link.

Lang

On the caravan Forum I visit from time to time this topic of crossing chains and rated chains and shackles has been bought up a few times. One of the Admin boys posts the rules up and it clearly stated that the chains shall be crossed and no rating on the chain until it is over 750kg trailer and yes the shackles are to be rated. All my shackles have the rating moulded into them. I can only guess that the Chinesium ones do not.