Started to remove the Blue Ox ball mount from my truck (we're in OKC doing some site-seeing so didn't want it protruding behind the bumper) when I found, much to my shock, the lock at the end (1) of the receiver hitch pin completely missing! It was only due to the way the ball mount was clamped down by the anti-rattle device / ball mount tightener (2) that kept the pin from falling out and the entire ball mount separating from the truck.



A new lock is shown below.



The scary part is I normally attach the emergency brake cable to the anti-rattle device. The safety chains would have kept the trailer attached to the truck, but the emergency brakes on the trailer would never have engaged. That's obviously a mistake--it should be connected to the truck.

Lesson learned. Thankfully NOT the hard way.

Howard

P.S. No idea how or why the lock departed the pin. Either I didn't secure it completely (not sure if the key will come out of the lock unless it's secured?) or the mechanism failed. Either way...not good.