[60man]

After looking some more it probably broke from fatiage ...flexing. It broke at the thinist area...through the ball mount hole. With all the start & stop of heavy loads it would have to flex some by back and forth forces on the ball......over time it says "I quit!!"..Just my opinion..
Get a Class 5 LD hitch and be safe ...It's plenty HD and adjustable (within reason) for height..plus gets rid of a lot of jounch...no bucking bronco..

[David Holmberg]

Not like that, but Keefer had his entire hitch break and lower all the way to the road. Very close call.

[muscle_collector]

actually this mount has very little use (notice the name tags are still clean and readable) and it is the cheapest of the cheap and lightest duty I use. I personally think this is a trend that has something to do with a cheaper quality of steel. I have been towing for 37 years and I do a lot of towing with multiple vehicles. my 42' trailer has over a million miles on it (yes over a million put on by me). I never had any problems with anything breaking until the last few years. as for the fifth wheel and goose neck , I have those also but don't like them because I use my beds.

[justakidagain]

Lost a 18 foot car trailer this spring going down the highway at 65. Safety chains save the day. Lucky the trailer was empty. All my fault. 25/16 coupler, 2 inch ball. Dumb mistake.

[70pontiaction]

I'd theorize that the break STARTED because of one of two facts:

Either it cracked because the hex-shaped, wrench-eliminating impression under the ball had a SHARP CORNER or corners and would not have cracked if there had been NO impression. Cracks, in my experience, practically ALWAYS start from a sharp corner or edge. Like the edge of that hex....

Second is because of the lock washer happening to line up with the thinnest area of the hitch: Take a look at the lock washer on your ball. Was the split right at the edge of the break? Maybe that could have caused the initial damage that then cracked due to stress?

I've many times wondered, when my kids tell me to stop backing up while turning because the trailer is getting too angled, what would happen if I had the power to just keep moving the trailer sideways if/when the rail and the bumper touched. Maybe this type of breakage?

I'm really glad no-one was hurt and that no cars were damaged. I think you're very lucky that it broke when there was no load on the trailer.

I'll be checking ALL my various hitches (half a dozen) this weekend - it's just easier to replace them if there's any question. And, if I replace them, NONE will have that indentation to hold the hitch ball's base while tightening. I'd rather use a big old wrench.

My hitch for the enclosed 24' trailer is one of those big monsters with the load equalizer/stabilizer setup. I better check it, too.

[60man]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

actually this mount has very little use (notice the name tags are still clean and readable) and it is the cheapest of the cheap and lightest duty I use. I personally think this is a trend that has something to do with a cheaper quality of steel. I have been towing for 37 years and I do a lot of towing with multiple vehicles. my 42' trailer has over a million miles on it (yes over a million put on by me). I never had any problems with anything breaking until the last few years. as for the fifth wheel and goose neck , I have those also but don't like them because I use my beds.

Could be a matter of inferior steel for sure...Overkill on a hitch is good...
Your'e no rookie when it comes to towing but I'd be replacing that puppy..JMO
That had to be scary.....

[Sirrotica]

I was in Walmart the other day and they sell Reese hitches, looked at the country of origin and guess where they are made?......................

Same as many other name brands that for the sake of a dollar they're made in China. Reese was a trusted name in trailer hitches, but I'll be looking elsewhere for hitch products for my own vehicle from now on.

I'd be curious as to what their (Reese) opinion is of why the hitch broke.

And one more thing about 5th wheels and using your bed, mine have an inverted 5th wheel and the only thing in the bed is a 2 inch pin the fifth wheel is on the trailer so the bed is fully usable. They also make a pin that will recess flat into the bed when not in use, so there is a way to haul with a 5th wheel and still use the bed fully. You just have to mount the 5th wheel to the trailer.

Here's an article on how a guy changed over his camper to an inverted 5th wheel and a picture of the pin in the bed: http://rvtravel.com/blog/jerry/label...l%20hitch.html

[60man]

This baby is made in the USA....if you blow up pic 2 you can read label..
Been toating a 9K loaded trailer around for 10 years now..now cheap steel here..damn thing weighs about 25 lbs or so..

[GT182]

I've got 2 Reese 2" ball mounts like that and never have had a problem with them. Had them for 15 years.

[Oldeboy70]

I bent an ACME brand hitch when I was stopping at a stop sign with my unloaded boat trailer. Definitely opened my eyes....

[muscle_collector]

what a lot of you are saying kinda validates my point. you mention having them for many years, yes back then the steel was better quality and probably made in the usa. I am convinced the quality has been reduced in the last few years.
I replace my ball mounts on my heavy stuff at least once a year as I worry about them getting reduced in size from wear and letting the trailer pop off of it.
as for the inverted ball, yes I have that on my trucks that I pull the goosenecks with, but when I say I use my bed, I mean constantly there is not room for a hitch in it.

[60man]

I hear ya on cheap steel. My point is there is no bent plate steel to make a dropped ball mount in my hitch.
This is forged/cast item. No flexing.
Believe hitch would bust off truck first before this breaks.
Just saying.