Gooseneck hitch disconnect while heavy loading?

[brhynard]

1995 K2500 HD w/ 6.5. Just installed a Curt below bed gooseneck hitch. Had a gooseneck trailer attached on the hitch, verified it was seated and latched....connected pin into latch. Attached safety chains.

Backed on a 12-13k lbs off road forklift onto beaver tail of trailer and as I was getting up onto the trailer it obviously started pulling up hard on the truck while the back of trailer began to squat. Before I knew it, the whole gooseneck connector was off the ball and up in the air, just dangling around, and only the safety chains were holding the trailer in place and keeping the whole thing from doing a giant wheelie!

With some directions from my dad who was standing nearby, I gently moved the forklift back toward the ramps some to better balance the trailer and keep the latch from slamming down into my truck bed. Then I was able to lock the forklift brakes and back the truck up a bit so the ball was under the hitch again and we put some weight on the front of the trailer to seat it back down and latch it.

Seems the upward force from all that weight on the very back of the trailer was able to just flat out lift the front of the trailer and disconnect the gooseneck from the ball. Something I never would have imagined possible. Anyone ever have this problem? Maybe trailer latch needs replaced or is no good? Ball was correct size at 2-5/16 and was brand new. I can confirm hitch was latched and not sitting overtop of ball.

Anyway made for quite the scare, and now I make sure to put big wood chunks under the trailer to limit the squat on the back of the beaver tail trailer, and haven't had a problem since! Curious to hear if anyone else has had this problem when loading at all.

 

[Will L.]

Put up close up pics of the hitch. Ball also.

Something is wrong and you need to fix it before someone dies, plain and simple.

If you can’t find it, replace them. A couple hundred bucks aint worth Dead people.

 

[dbrannon79]

It could be the type of latch on the trailer. I’ve seen some that there design will keep a trailer from coming off the ball under normal bouncy conditions but would not hold under that kind of upward pull. The latch could have flexed just enough to allow the ball to slip through where other types of hitches kinda encapsulates the ball with heavy steel or cast iron like a glove

 

[schiker]

Hook it up and use the landing gear to lift up and see what happens. Mine can lift my ‘97 2500 rear off the ground.

I have heard and seen you tube videos of loading equipment where the trailer lifts rear truck wheels off the ground and truck and trailer roll.

Yes, if your ramps don’t have “feet” good idea to crib the tail to discourage lift up and loss of truck wheel grip. You should chock trailer wheels etc. depends don’t crib so much squat hangs up trailer or have ability to jack up tail or truck can take extra pin weight go forward then adjust.

 

[schiker]

Looks like your ramps are triangles big feet.

But something on the loading was a tad off. Maybe a little nose down a little uneven ground etc. Did the ramps try to fold back up? Were the ramp pads or feet too far off ground or the angle of feet didn’t “ bite” . Mine when level are have a “locking” fulcrum but if backed up to a hill can load at a different angle and if excessive fold back up. You experienced one of those lessons of what all can happen loading heavy. Glad you had help. I’m not criticizing you. Just friendly reminder step back and think through loads and try to anticipate squating, bending, and center of gravity paths weight distribution etc etc.

 

[SnowDrift]

The hitch should hold. That connection has a problem somewhere and the trailer is no longer road worthy until it is corrected, chains or not. As mentioned, the hitch should lift the truck right up off the ground, without issue. If it slips off by any method aside from human hands unlatching, then it has failed.

Are there folding support legs behind the trailer axles? There might be folding legs unless that is the intent of the ramps. If so, then you've obviously found that the ramps have to be fully touching solid ground to be effective.

The backhoe I've hauled on occasion is 9 tons and if the rear legs are not folded down when loading or unloading, it doesn't take long for the truck to be dangling in the air. If forgotten, it can claim the top of a tailgate.