MONTANA

Below is just amazing...........

It is my guess that Montana does not have any requirements for trailers under 3,000
pounds.

Look at this!!!
In the past few weeks, I have participated in three separate threads on trailer brake and safety chain requirements.

Here are some links to information from the web on trailer safety requirements, weight restrictions, hitches, lights, towing tips, trouble shooting, etc.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/trailer_brakes.htm

http://www.championtrailers.com/brkart.html

http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm


I found a lot of useful information including a diagram showing crossed safety chains.

The following is copied from the first link:

"Federal law requires all trailers with brakes to have some type of emergency "breakaway" system that will automatically apply the brakes should the trailer accidentally separate from the vehicle that is pulling it. On trailers with electric brakes, this means having an emergency battery backup system that can energize the brakes, and a breakaway switch or pull pin connected to the tow vehicle to activate the brakes if the trailer comes loose. With surge brake systems, a cable or chain connected to the tow vehicle is typically used to apply the trailer brakes in an emergency."

I find this very interesting because I built a 14,000 GVW goose neck trailer last summer.
The trailer was inspected, titled and licensed.

They checked to make sure my trailer had brakes and lights but no one said any thing about safety chains or a brakeaway system.


And yet even more

Originally Posted by Ron Melancon View Post

If you choose to make a homemade trailer or buy one and use the
Wrong size ball...........
Wrong size hitch...........
Don't put on the Safety Chains...........
Don't use reflector tape (My law in Virginia where the companies tried to kill)
Don't maintain it...........
Have bald tires................
Have stuff flying off..............
Use substandard wires............
I certainly agree with you on the need for regulations for all trailers.

When I took my trailer in to get it inspected, it did not have the safety chains or the brakeaway on it ( I had called and the thay said it just needed lites and brakes ).

He checked a little square on his check sheet for lites and and another square for brakes.

He just "asked' me if the axles had brakes. He never checked to see if the lites or brakes actually worked.
He never looked at he rating tag on the hitch.
Never checked the thickness of the frame or how it was braced underneath.
Never checked any of my welds.

As I stated, I built my own trailer.
The axles are 7,000 lb each and the tires are 3,600 8 ply.
All 4 wheels have electric brakes with a battery powered brakeaway system installed.
It has 2 tail/brake lites on the rear and 2 more tail/brake lites on the upright beams for the goose neck hitch.
It also has 3 (2 bulb) side marker lites on each side.
My safety chains are rated at 15,000 pounds.
The trucks ball is rated at 25,000 pounds.
I built my own hitch plate for the ball, and you'll rip the frame out of the truck before that hitch plate will brake loose.

I realize that I'm bragging but the point is, a lot of people just do not build things like I do.

I have built things all my life and I feel you can't make something to strong, you can only make it to weak!

I've seen "home made" trailers that don't have any lites and probably no brakes.

Some of them look like absolute crap and some are bowed over the axles because the frame isn't made of heavy enough material.

Why are these allowed to be on the road?

My cousin built his own goose neck hitch for his truck. He bought a "chrome" 2-5/16 ball for it. That ball is only rated at 7,000 pounds.

I harassed him about it and he says it will work just fine, and besides the 25,000 pound ball cost more!

Originally Posted by jdcrawler View Post
My cousin built his own goose neck hitch for his truck. He bought a "chrome" 2-5/16 ball for it. That ball is only rated at 7,000 pounds.

I harassed him about it and he says it will work just fine, and besides the 25,000 pound ball cost more!

How did he get a ball rated for 7,000 pounds to thread into the base? It is my understanding that only the larger (I think 1.25" shank rated for 25,000 lbs) will work in a gooseneck application.