Porsche Cayenne factory hitch a potential safety hazard
December 28, 2016
Today I ran into a case where Porsche over-engineering produced a potential safety hazard for the uninformed trailer user.
A Cayenne’s a logical choice to tow a 6X12 covered U-Haul trailer, but not until the rental’s safety chains receive an important modification. The hooks on the trailer I recently rented would not engage the rings on the factory trailer hitch because the steel is too thick to accommodate the triangular safety devices. Jamming the hooks into place wasn’t going to work, so I limped three miles to my shop from the rental depot by a back road. By then, one of the three chains had worked its way loose and was dragging.
I borrowed a pair of hooks from a robust trailer I built a few years ago. The photo shows them in place, pinned into links below the U-Haul hooks. I only had access to two hooks this time but from now on I’ll keep three which I can add on to safety chains to ensure that the robust hitch does not itself produce a hazard.
Update: 29 December, 2016
Grab the chain about 12″ from the hook, stick the CHAIN through the hole, loop the hook around the chain. This worked for me at UHaul.
Another RennList contributor used 3/8″ stainless steel quick-links to do the same job.
According to trailer veteran Tom Stutzman, Toyota has similarly robust hitch dimensions. Pennsylvania mandates simple S-hooks which fit easily. Ontario regulations require the problematic hooks.
the Walnut Diary 
December 29, 2016 at 12:29 am
Good luck suing Porsche. Sue the chain guys and/or U-Haul. Toyota hitches are similarly robust. There is a trick to hooking Ontario compliant chain hooks. Trick requires starting the hook on receiver ring, then pushing chain down and forward to engage safety. Not the vehicle’s fault. Here in PA, we just go with a simple S hook, without safety, and say a short prayer. My trailer chains (Lund trailer excluded) are retro-fitted Ontario compliant, btw.
Sent from my iPad
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December 29, 2016 at 6:28 am
This came from a RennList comment on the topic:
“Grab the chain about 12″ from the hook, stick the CHAIN through the hole, loop the hook around the chain. This worked for me at UHaul.”