Opinions on this trailer damage, please

[digger242j]

Ok, here's the background...

This is a 20 ton tagalong trailer.

A couple of years ago, it was laid on its side with a 65' Genie manlift riding on it. I wasn't around to see the damage, but I'm told it was pretty badly bent--to the extent that it pulled about 2 feet out of line with the truck.

The owners had it sent to a shop that straightened it out. I'm told it pulls pretty straight now, or at least it did on the trip back from the shop. It's been sitting around, and nobody has bothered to put the deck back on it. (They ordered lumber, but everybody was too busy. The lumber got used for something else... )

Anyway, I was looking it over the other day, and noticed that the front of the tongue, where the pintle eye attaches is mis-shapen. I'd have thought a good shop would have noticed something like this at the time it was being evaluated for repair. Maybe they did?

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, and leave the resulting discussion open-ended.

Opinions?

[hvy 1ton]

Run? You already got your running shoes on.

[digger242j]

Run? You already got your running shoes on.

Yeah, but I changed into my boots before I went to work.

[King of Obsolete]

that is not a big wow to repair. just replace the front plate where the hitch goes and you will be good to go. make sure the welder does an uphand weld.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

[stumpjumper83]

what do they want for it. I'd base my offer upon its weight.

[digger242j]

I'm not looking to buy it. I'm just afraid they'll put a deck on it, as it is, and expect me to pull it.

[bill5362]

If there aren't any visible cracks in the front plate or around the pintle eye I wouldn't be worried about the plate. I would be more concerned about the treads on the pintle eye or the nut itself and the stress it took more than the plate.

[rabbit]

that is not a big wow to repair. just replace the front plate where the hitch goes and you will be good to go. make sure the welder does an uphand weld.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

I agree with your assessment, sure wouldn't want to use it the way it is.

[JeremiahSr]

I wouldn't pull that thing on the road for sure. It's already stretched the iron. Them type of hitches take a beating with a solid plate and stretch out like that often. Won't take a half a day to re-fab a new plate and secure the pintle eye on somethin a little thicker. It's your license up for negotiation for Failure to Secure Load if it comes loose. Also your conscience if it comes loose and takes out a school bus.
Then again.....if it's just for moving things around on a job site or the yard and it does finally pull through (which it will!) it will just hit the dirt.

[jake1234]

i would be more worried about the pintle itself breaking than the steel its bolted to

[digger242j]

i would be more worried about the pintle itself breaking than the steel its bolted to

That was certainly one of the things I had in mind when I posted the thread. I have to wonder if there's hidden damage to the eye and the threaded shaft that holds it to the trailer. If it were removed, and put on a straight surface, might it still fail at some point in the future? On the other hand, if a new eye was to be mounted to that curved surface, I can see side to side stresses causing it to fail at some point as well. Obviously, the whole thing should be replaced to remove any doubt. And again, I have to wonder how a reputable shop could've let it leave the premesis in its current condition.

Thanks, all, for the thoughtful replies.

[bobcatmechanic]

it may have been a boss's decision to say no just make it pull straight not worried about that at this time. Had a rosco ra 2000 patcher machine that had been pulled by one county then us. I was in it went down town about 25 30 miles one way. When i got to the oil supplier went to back up to fill the tank and heard a pop. Got out to find it had sheared a bolt off ripped out the top holes of the plate and was about to completely fall off. Got it back to the shop welded up the hitch plate to reinforce it moved the hitch down 1 hole and ran it like that. about 6 months later it sheared off the bottom bolt on the pintle ring had the mechanic run a bolt out finished the road and eased it back to the shop. When i got their pulled the hitch off dismanteled it set it on the service corridinators desk and said we need a new hitch plate made and a new ring. everyone in the shop b**** about me taking it apart and said they will get it fixed soon. I said this way someone else can not take it out and most guys wont put it back together because they are lazy. also it will bring up the question of why is it off 3 days latter we got a new one made and a new ring. That was the second time it had broken on me and i was not going to try for a third time and hope to get lucky it was not a bad one. Personally i would take it apart or make sure they know its messed up. I would lean more towards take it apart and start repairs its a safety issue. If it comes down to it tip off the local osha or dot to unsafe working conditions / faulty equipment. I know its not the best practice off getting repairs made but when your wife kids mom dad or best friend are killed because of someones neglect to repair a problem its worth it to me.

[digger242j]

Personally i would take it apart or make sure they know its messed up. I would lean more towards take it apart and start repairs its a safety issue.

It's not roadworthy right now in any respect. It doesn't have a deck on it, but there is a steel street plate laying on it. I'll use it once in a blue moon to move an excavator a hundred yards or so, where it has to cross a concrete curb or sidewalk, but it hasn't moved over 5mph since it got back. I pointed out the damage to the owner, because I'm not always around there, and I wanted to be sure they just didn't decide to deck it and put it on the road if I wasn't around there for a longer while.

To be pefectly honest, I was originally looking at it because I knew things were going to be slow this winter, and I thought I might keep busy for a few days putting the deck on it myself. I decided that my time would be better spent playing around on HEF, at least until somebody else fixes that problem...

[cat980]

i would not trust it with a machine on it. if you were pulling it to the shop i would risk it but with and weight i wouldnt use it. i would bring it up to the boss and see if he says fix it or not.

[will_gurt]

It's not roadworthy right now in any respect. It doesn't have a deck on it

You mean they never completed the reconstructed title on this? It had snapped webs in front of the axles. How is that holding up? I would never pass this hitch area in a inspection.