What is the best way to bolt tow chains to the camper?

Interesting idea. I didn't consider that one.

On a Shasta it would have to sit back on the curved part of the frame like the second photo. The straight part may block the hitch mechanism. I'll check tomorrow.

I guess most people drill through the frame without lose of strength?

Thanks.

I wondered about the strength of the bolt. Even if the camper weighs only 1000 pound the force of it breaking loose at highway speeds would be brutal. 

Somebody else who owns a Compact said their camper also came with a welded loop under the hitch and a single chain. Maybe it came from the factory that way.  It's not inspiring confidence in me. 

Wow, I'm impressed. Instructions and illustration. Excellent.

I wonder if the crank post can handle the stress?

This is an area that may be controlled by required-equipment laws, which could vary state-to-state, and it may be wise to check with your DMV as to what is required for chains and their attachment.


Personally, and I stress "personally"... I am in the camp that believes the safest way to attach the chains is to have them separate, welded underneath the frame, far enough back to "catch" the hitch, and far enough apart to cross them underneath, in order to cradle the hitch if it ever were to pop loose. That is the only way of guaranteeing the hitch won't nose-dive into the pavement causing complete loss of control.

All of that being said, I too have the "one-chain" predicament with the SC. It was originally 2 chains, welded, and is one chain with a deformed hook, and the remains of one which has been broken off. I plan to have the chains replaced with new, and welded.

But, the fact that the Compacts may have been originally equipped with only one chain is an interesting tidbit. Sometimes it is hard to remember that, when these trailers were built, not everybody on the road was completely nuts, most roads were two-lane highways, and people just did not flip each other off and "road-rage" if you were not pulling a trailer 80 MPH just to get out of their way. Life was different. The lower weight of the Compact makes me believe that if the "normal" was a max of 45MPH or so, one chain would be sufficient.

Not so today of course. Sadly.

Wrapping the chain around the jack does not seem like the safest idea to me, but it should have sufficient strength at that point to support a catastrophic failure, although your jack may never be the same. I would advise lowering the weight of the tongue onto the chains only sometime, just to see how it would support if the hitch became "missing".


I know none of this answers the original question, best way to BOLT the chains on....Sorry if I got off topic.

Here is the original factory location on my SC, just behind the coupler, and just ahead of the jack, welded under the frame at the coupler.



Or there is this.....

On the other side of the equation, where do you guys fasten the chains on your tow vehicle? On my Tacoma, there are just two little openings in the hitch receiver support bracket...I assume you would use a hook or chain loop/bolt and just go through the openings?