ya using a shackle with a cotter pin is a rookie mistake. mine has never failed and if you look up my posts you see a pic of me pullin a frieghtline rv with a double deck trailer and it never snapped. i didnt pay for the shackle tho. my girls dad has a big peice of propert and truckers leave there trailers their and they give him anchor shackle and some times the tie down straps