# Overweight Trailer Caused Fatal Crash: Police



## jt-mt-21rs

Overweight trailer caused fatal crash: police

Two surviving Smith girls could leave hospital today

July 01, 2008 
By Dan Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
Virginia State Police have determined a fatal crash that took the lives of three members of a Hamilton family was caused by their overweight trailer.

William Smith, 33, his wife Sandra, 35, and their daughter Kaylee, 7, were killed last Thursday night on I-77 when their vehicle and trailer went out of control and struck a oncoming tractor-trailer in the northbound lanes. Two other children, Madison, 9, and Genna, 3, are in stable condition at the Wake Forest University Baptist Centre in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and might be released into the custody of their grandparents as early as today.

"It's been determined the weight of the trailer did cause the crash," State Trooper O.J. Lilly said last night, adding it was a "terrible and tragic" accident. "It was fully loaded with all camping gear and bikes and everything you would haul. The camper was longer and heavier than the vehicle it was being hauled by."

Smith, an HSR bus driver, and Sandra, who worked in the accounting department of Turkstra Lumber, were driving a 2005 Dodge Durango and it was pulling a 35-foot trailer that was built in 2004. The family, who had left their east Hamilton Mountain home Thursday morning, were on their way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with two other Ontario families. The accident occurred about 5.6 kilometres from a camp site where the three families were planning to spend the night.

Lilly said investigators have determined the vehicle and trailer were travelling down a four to five per cent incline on the Wythe County highway that stretches for about a mile.

"There was the down hill incline and in combination with the weight and the down hill . . . he hit the brake and the trailer started swaying on him. Once it lost control, it went into the median strip and then into the northbound lanes. Once the trailer started swaying . . . the further out of control it got and he just couldn't hang on to it."

Lilly said he spoke to the grandfather, John Poulton, and was told the two surviving girls may be released from the hospital today. Poulton and his wife Jane moved to Florida after retiring and travelled to Winston Salem after being contacted by police.

Lilly said the two other couples were "mentally in shock" after the crash, but assisted police with the two girls who were injured. They stayed with the girls at the local community hospital and then at the hospital in Winston Salem until the grandparents arrived.

Lilly said the Smith's trailer weighed about 8,000 pounds when empty.

"Once you start throwing in bikes, camping gear and portable water tanks and sewage tanks, and propane tanks, that makes it heavier." he said.

"This is something that happens, not everyday, but it happens from time to time," he said. "It happens a lot especially during the summer months."

Meanwhile, a trust fund has been set up by friends and family to help the Smith family pay for ongoing expenses such as medical bills, transportation, funeral costs and the long-term needs of Madison and Genna. The Smith Family Trust Fund has been set up at Hamilton Community Credit Union which has branches at 698 King Street East and Mohawk Road. The account number is 3196800, Branch No. 828, Transit No. 21152.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

[email protected]


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## 1jeep

Thats sad to read, but a reality check for those of us that are near the top of our vehincles ratings, although it sounds like they were way over weight.

35' of trailer is a lot behind such a small wheelbase vehicle, it also sounds like his brake controller wasnt working since they claim he hit the brakes and the trailer started swaying.


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## Reverie

That was incredible. A truck with a 109 inch wheelbase pulling a trailer over 30 feet long? Theoretically, if the brake controller is set right and given some degree of skill and anticipation he should have been able to handle it but that is ugly, no matter how you look at it. I wonder what the bright-eyed trailer sales weasel said to them when asked if it was an appropriate setup?

Reverie


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## Scoutr2

Very sad. My heart goes out to those little girls and the rest of the family.

Unfortunately, I'm sure the driver probably felt secure pulling that big trailer with a Durango because "he'd done it many times before, with no problems." It's easy to get a false sense of security from that scenario. It has been discussed at length on this forum, about ensuring that your TV is up to the task of handling your trailer. Just because it will pull it down the highway with plenty of power, doesn't mean that the suspension, brakes, etc can handle a situation like the one described. That Durango was probably only capable of safely handling a trailer halh that size (length and weight). In this instance, when the "tail wagged the dog," the results were catastrophic.

I don't mean place any blame on the driver, because he probably felt he was OK, or he would not have placed his family in such great peril. I just hope that this news will cause those in the same situation to think a little harder about their own rigs.

Mike


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too

Be Smart Everyone, and Be Safe








This is so heartbreaking...


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## MaeJae

This story is very heartbreaking to me!
I have a friend that has the same set up!
A Durango with an "older" 35ft TT (has a door in the front and back)
I've said things to her about the size of her camper and Durango 
combination, the weight, the length, wheelbase...
Her reply is DH bought a Hensley!!!! and we don't travel far...
Well, as you can see from the article it doesn't matter where
you are and accident _CAN_ happen and...
Hensley doesn't cure stupid! that's for sure.

Very sad,
MaeJae


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## OutbackPM

A very sad situation that did not need to happen.

I can't imagine what a 35 foot 8000+lb camper would look and feel like on a Durango. My brother in law had an issue with a 2500 lb pop up and his Durango.

This is where a forum like this really helps to prevent this kind of problem. Its easy to do a little on line research and ask questions here before you end up with a monster you were unaware of.


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## PDX_Doug

Scoutr2 said:


> Very sad. My heart goes out to those little girls and the rest of the family.
> 
> Unfortunately, I'm sure the driver probably felt secure pulling that big trailer with a Durango because "he'd done it many times before, with no problems." It's easy to get a false sense of security from that scenario. It has been discussed at length on this forum, about ensuring that your TV is up to the task of handling your trailer. Just because it will pull it down the highway with plenty of power, doesn't mean that the suspension, brakes, etc can handle a situation like the one described. That Durango was probably only capable of safely handling a trailer halh that size (length and weight). In this instance, when the "tail wagged the dog," the results were catastrophic.
> 
> I don't mean place any blame on the driver, because he probably felt he was OK, or he would not have placed his family in such great peril. I just hope that this news will cause those in the same situation to think a little harder about their own rigs.
> 
> Mike


Very well said, Mike.

This was a terrible, tragic and altogether preventable 'accident'. Please be careful and smart out there everybody.

Doug


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## Justman

It's stories like this one that make me glad I've spent as much as I have to have some degree of comfort and peace of mind when towing...and I'd still like to spend some more!!!

I've got the Hensley, but I certainly don't treat it as the "cure all" solution. I would never, ever tow a 35 foot trailer with short wheel base vehicle. Of course, that's because of what I know now, gathered from the wonderful people on this forum.


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## Airboss

I agree that this is very, very tragic. We'll say a prayer for the family!


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## Dreamtimers

When we bought our outback, we had a 2005 Durango with the 4.7L and the tow package. When we checked the tow rating was 4400 lbs. Needless to say, we traded before we hooked up to the TT. We were told that a different setup on the Durango would tow between 5600 and aprox. 7K based on exact configuration. Best config possible, they would have been way over the weight limit with the TT empty. The length of the TT was still another issue.

Our prayers are with the girls, they have so much yet to face.

Dave


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## Mgonzo2u

Another sad story of a family vacation gone awry.

Btw, to correct a comment from a prior poster, 2004 and newer Durango's have at least a 119.2" WB, not 109". But the fact is, that was way too much TT for a Durango, even those that have a Hensley attached.

As my signature indicates, we pull a 21RS (properly loaded well under spec) with an '04 Durango.

I am 100% comfortable with the weights and capability of my set-up.

The only fear I continue to have and the one fear that keeps me vigilant behind the wheel is a tire blowout.

All of us are susceptible to tire blowouts.

Be aware at all times and stay alive.


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## Sean Woodruff

Unfortunately, if I've heard one of these stories, I've heard 100 or more of them in my 10+ years in the business.

Everyone looks for singular blame, or singular causes, and there isn't any ONE FACTOR that is the singular cause.

A 1 ton dually can be rolled by an 8000# trailer. I know at least two people that had a dually that was flipped by a 30' Airstream. A large truck didn't help.

The same two people had towed for 25+ years. Experience towing certainly wasn't a factor.

An 30' Airstream is a pretty balanced trailer. Trailer design must not have done it.

Once a trailer starts to go, ALL of the factors multiply in magnitude very quickly.

Now, I'm sure you all know where I'm going next... change the pivot point and all of those factors have much less of an impact. There are a lot of smaller vehicles towing with a pivot point projection design and none of them have ever been flipped by the swaying of the trailer.


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## Mgonzo2u

Sean Woodruff said:


> There are a lot of smaller vehicles towing with a *pivot point projection design* and none of them have ever been flipped by the swaying of the trailer.


Care to expound on the bolded statement above for those of us that have ZERO idea what you are talking about?


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## Sean Woodruff

Mgonzo2u said:


> There are a lot of smaller vehicles towing with a *pivot point projection design* and none of them have ever been flipped by the swaying of the trailer.


Care to expound on the bolded statement above for those of us that have ZERO idea what you are talking about?
[/quote]

By changing the effective pivot point of the trailer (i.e.- 5th wheel design or a TT hitch that changes the pivot point (ProPride 3P, orange or Pull-Rite)) the entire rig becomes much more stable and is much less affected by sudden changes in the steering of the tow vehicle. The weight of the trailer v. the weight of the tow vehicle is still a factor but controlling a trailer that is not violently pivoting on the hitch ball is much easier to do.


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## Scoutr2

Sean Woodruff said:


> A 1 ton dually can be rolled by an 8000# trailer. I know at least two people that had a dually that was flipped by a 30' Airstream. A large truck didn't help.
> 
> Once a trailer starts to go, ALL of the factors multiply in magnitude very quickly.


Sean, you are 100% correct - well, maybe 99%. Any truck can be rolled by a trailer that gets out of control. My point, though, is that it is less likely to happen on a TV that has a suspension designed to handle those kinds of loads and stresses. And for a lot of us, who are not professional truck drivers, the likelihood of this type of horrific accident lessens if we do everything we can to help prevent them. That includes a good WD hitch with sway control, which Sean has designed and sells (for an answer to Mgonzo2u's question), AND a TV that is built to handle the loads and stresses exerted on the suspension from a large TT at highway speeds. If a tire blows out - if someone cuts you off - if you have to brake hard and/or make emergency maneuvers - that is what can make a difference between a "close call" and "disaster," as in this thread's opening story. But as Sean pointed out, it does not ensure that tragedy will never happen.

Sean's hitch looks to be as good as it gets - and probably better than mine (Equal-i-zer) or most others out there, from what I've seen, as I have followed Sean's accounting of design, marketing, etc. I'll bet that if you send him a message, he could probably get you set up. As for me, though, I feel confident that my experience, my TV and WD hitch, and proper maintenance (tires, hitch, etc) will help me through most situations.

And we will never know exactly what caused the tragedy reported here. We can only learn to pay a little closer attention to the details of safe towing.

Mike


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## Sean Woodruff

I agree with all of what Mike posted.

I walk a fine line between being able to offer what I know to be true, based on doing this stuff every day of my life for 10+ years, and looking like I am just attempting to promote my hitch. The catch 22 is that what I know to be true always goes back to the design of the hitch so it is difficult to do and have anyone listen.

That said, if you pay attention and control all of the factors mentioned, towing with another hitch can be safe.


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## Tyvekcat

They had pics on the local news of what was left of the trailer and the Durango. A witness said that it looked like the Durango just made a left turn and went across the median. The helicopter landed on 77. Its truely a miracle the two girls survived after seeing the durango. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the surviving children. Only thing recognisable was the bicycles on the end of the trailer. 
Here is the link to the Local newscast:
News Channel Ten


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## MJRey

A very tragic and sad story. They probably thought they were okay based on the "tow rating" of the truck didn't appreciate all of the other factors that go into a safe towing setup. We just got back from a long trip, without the Outback, and I noticed several dubious tow setups. Each one I saw made me wonder if the people knew what a gamble they were taking. Thankfully most people who push the limits, whether intentionally or not never end up with such a terrible result.


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## N7OQ

Sean Woodruff said:


> I agree with all of what Mike posted.
> 
> I walk a fine line between being able to offer what I know to be true, based on doing this stuff every day of my life for 10+ years, and looking like I am just attempting to promote my hitch. The catch 22 is that what I know to be true always goes back to the design of the hitch so it is difficult to do and have anyone listen.
> 
> That said, if you pay attention and control all of the factors mentioned, towing with another hitch can be safe.


Sounds like a promotion to me!


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## hatcityhosehauler

N7OQ said:


> I agree with all of what Mike posted.
> 
> I walk a fine line between being able to offer what I know to be true, based on doing this stuff every day of my life for 10+ years, and looking like I am just attempting to promote my hitch. The catch 22 is that what I know to be true always goes back to the design of the hitch so it is difficult to do and have anyone listen.
> 
> That said, if you pay attention and control all of the factors mentioned, towing with another hitch can be safe.


Sounds like a promotion to me!
[/quote]

Actually, I read that as Sean is promoting a safe hitch design, as Sean mentioned all 3 brands of Pivot Point projection hitches (Pro-Pride, Hensley (orange), and Pull Rite). Yes, he happens to sell one of them, but he did mention the competition also.

If you check the archives here, you will see that many times in the 5 years, I too have recommended pivot point projection hitches when asked, and I don't sell any of them, and will make no money if you buy one. So, I'm promoting a product, or is it products, too...guilty as charged.

Stay safe everyone.

Tim


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## H2oSprayer

Sean Woodruff said:


> Once a trailer starts to go, ALL of the factors multiply in magnitude very quickly.


What a sad story. I wonder if this is a case of the sales person saying "sure the Durango can pull this camper"? As most of us head out for the very busy 4th of July weekend, please keep in mind, your vacation starts when you leave your home. The quote above sums it up very well. Slow down and remember, when you are towing, your vehicle weighs several thousand pounds more then normal.


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## Sean Woodruff

N7OQ said:


> I agree with all of what Mike posted.
> 
> I walk a fine line between being able to offer what I know to be true, based on doing this stuff every day of my life for 10+ years, and looking like I am just attempting to promote my hitch. The catch 22 is that what I know to be true always goes back to the design of the hitch so it is difficult to do and have anyone listen.
> 
> That said, if you pay attention and control all of the factors mentioned, towing with another hitch can be safe.


Sounds like a promotion to me!
[/quote]

Clearly, you are on the other side of that line...


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## bentpixel

So sorry to hear this tragic and sad news report. It does appear that the truck/trailer brakes were being applied instead of pushing the red button for trailer only brakes. It might not have helped in this case, but it points out to me that I need to practice on a "good" day.

My heart goes out the survivors.

Scott


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## battalionchief3

My neighbor pulls a tri-axle toy hauler with a F250. He says hes with in the tow rating of the turck but that is a big camper. He installed air bags to help. I just raised an eyebrow and suggested a 350 Dulley but he says its all good, I worry when he leaves.


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## N7OQ

A guy I worked with 3 jobs ago bought a 18' trailer and was not happy with the 1/2 ton truck he pulled it with. He would complain that it was slow pulling steep or long grades and hated it. All he talked about was buying a big Diesel truck. Well finally he bought the truck a nice f250 Diesel, so now he could pull that trailer like it was not back there. Well on a trip to the coast going through the mountains on a 2 lane highway he came to a passing lane and floored it. Well he passed everyone and made to the top first. Only problem he was going really flying and right as the passing lane ended the road made a sharp turn, He hit the brakes but it was to late and to much speed that little trailer threw that big truck into the ditch. He was lucky he and his wife come out of it alive but he totaled the truck and trailer. Now he has a new truck but no trailer, the wife said she would never go camping with him again, so no need for a trailer. I don't know what type of hitch he had but I really don't think it would have mattered.

I can't stop thinking how those children are feeling, I really feel for them.


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## Carey

battalionchief3 said:


> My neighbor pulls a tri-axle toy hauler with a F250. He says hes with in the tow rating of the turck but that is a big camper. He installed air bags to help. I just raised an eyebrow and suggested a 350 Dulley but he says its all good, I worry when he leaves.


I have been paying attention to that also.. From what I see about 1 in 10 people who tow these 13=15000lb toy haulers use a dually..

A 3/4 ton has about a 6000 lb max on the rear, from its suspension and most important, tire ratings..

I tow these trailers often... My rear axle weight is in the upper 8000lb range..

Yes I worry for these people.. They are ALL towing these big models while being over weight..

They are every bit as unsafe as any Durango towing a 35 footer.. Just less of em so we see less accidents.

I feel for the family involved in this mishap.

Carey


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## kyoutback

N7OQ said:


> A guy I worked with 3 jobs ago bought a 18' trailer and was not happy with the 1/2 ton truck he pulled it with. He would complain that it was slow pulling steep or long grades and hated it. All he talked about was buying a big Diesel truck. Well finally he bought the truck a nice f250 Diesel, so now he could pull that trailer like it was not back there. Well on a trip to the coast going through the mountains on a 2 lane highway *he came to a passing lane and floored it.* Well he passed everyone and made to the top first. Only problem he was going really flying and right as the passing lane ended the road made a sharp turn, He hit the brakes but it was to late and to much speed that little trailer threw that big truck into the ditch. He was lucky he and his wife come out of it alive but he totaled the truck and trailer. Now he has a new truck but no trailer, the wife said she would never go camping with him again, so no need for a trailer. I don't know what type of hitch he had but I really don't think it would have mattered.


You can't fix stupid!


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## shaela21

Thank you for posting the newscast: what a horrible accident that could have been avoided. I guess all accidents can be avoided using the "if only". If only he knew about towing limitations. If only someone had told him he was towing in an unsafe condition (maybe someone did). This is why it is so important that we educate ourselves on towing and weights and ratings. I have a friend at work that was looking at towing a 30 foot trailer with his Ford econovan fully loaded with kids and wife. He was going to be way over his tow rating, but he figured that it would be safe as he would never carry water or firewood etc. And he would get a larger hitch (class 5) for his van and it should be good. I did up tow calculation charts and explained all the ratings WRT towing to him till I was blue in the face. In the end he decided to not get this trailer.

I feel sorry for these kids and the extended family, but I fear that it will happen again as people want to tow large trailers, but will skimp on tow vehicles as they are not willing to buy the gas guzzling trucks that are designed to tow these rigs. You cannot safely have one without the other.


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## N7OQ

kyoutback said:


> A guy I worked with 3 jobs ago bought a 18' trailer and was not happy with the 1/2 ton truck he pulled it with. He would complain that it was slow pulling steep or long grades and hated it. All he talked about was buying a big Diesel truck. Well finally he bought the truck a nice f250 Diesel, so now he could pull that trailer like it was not back there. Well on a trip to the coast going through the mountains on a 2 lane highway *he came to a passing lane and floored it.* Well he passed everyone and made to the top first. Only problem he was going really flying and right as the passing lane ended the road made a sharp turn, He hit the brakes but it was to late and to much speed that little trailer threw that big truck into the ditch. He was lucky he and his wife come out of it alive but he totaled the truck and trailer. Now he has a new truck but no trailer, the wife said she would never go camping with him again, so no need for a trailer. I don't know what type of hitch he had but I really don't think it would have mattered.


You can't fix stupid!
[/quote]

Yep you got that right


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## outbackgeorgia

Just for the record, the 2005 Durango has a 119" wheelbase, not 109.
Longer than a Tahoe, but pretty short for a 35' trailer.
I personally would not tow anything that large without a high-tech hitch.
The tow rating varies greatly with the Durango, depending on rear axle and engine.
It's sad to hear of this tragedy.
"Sounds like" from the reports braking the trailer was at least one issue.
I have found the drum brakes overheat quickly going downhill and really would like to investigate a disk conversion, but don't know of an electric disk for the Outback.
Any ideas?

Dave


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## kjp1969

outbackgeorgia said:


> I have found the drum brakes overheat quickly going downhill and really would like to investigate a disk conversion, but don't know of an electric disk for the Outback.
> Any ideas?
> 
> Dave


Would you elaborate on this a bit? How do you know they overheat- do they fade away?

I have always found adequate braking with wind resistance and engine compression.


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## outbackgeorgia

Yes,

The primary evidence is fade on long downhills. I too use downshifting for engine braking, and slower speed to work OK, but am concerned if I really had to stop quickly, would they be enough? It is just something that could use some additional margin. The disk brakes on the Durango are excellent, and I have never felt or put myself in a situation that I could not stop with TV brakes alone, but it would not be quick.
Disk brakes are inherently resistant to fade (not fade-proof). Just thought someone might have heard of a electric disk brake system to investigate.

Dave


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## kjp1969

outbackgeorgia said:


> Yes,
> 
> The primary evidence is fade on long downhills. I too use downshifting for engine braking, and slower speed to work OK, but am concerned if I really had to stop quickly, would they be enough? It is just something that could use some additional margin. The disk brakes on the Durango are excellent, and I have never felt or put myself in a situation that I could not stop with TV brakes alone, but it would not be quick.
> Disk brakes are inherently resistant to fade (not fade-proof). Just thought someone might have heard of a electric disk brake system to investigate.
> 
> Dave


Brake fade is caused by heat, and will be accompanied by strong smell or even smoke. Not that you're doing this, but if you were riding the brakes on a long, steep downhill grade, you could easily overheat them. Next time you're experiencing what you think is fade, pull over and give a sniff. If they're truly fading, the smell will be unmistakeable.

You might want to find a lonely stretch of road and practice repeated panic stops- basicly overheat them on purpose and force them to fade away - just to see what happens. Better to practice so you know what to expect if the real thing ever occurs. Doing this helped me to tune our Prodigy brake controller- I now run 11v of max power, B1 on the street and slow roads, and B2 on the highway. Even with a fairly heavy setup, I've panic stopped pretty well. I've got no qualms pulling up and over 8000 passes, which we do often. I wouldn't upgrade the brakes on our rig at all.

Drum brakes are so universal on trailers that I'd hesitate to mess around with anything different. Probably best to start with a good brake shoe adjustment and controller tuning, and see what that does.

I've never even seen disk brakes on trailers, but I've never looked much either. On sports cars/race cars (which I do have a bit of experience with) upsizing the brakes themselves is only really done when you've already optimized the existing system, upgraded the pads, installed cooling ducts, ect. Simply jumping to monster rotors is usually not warranted.


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## Nathan

outbackgeorgia said:


> The primary evidence is fade on long downhills. I too use downshifting for engine braking, and slower speed to work OK, but am concerned if I really had to stop quickly, would they be enough? ...


On our trip this summer, we were driving out of the Bighorn Mountains (headed east). It's one heck of a downgrade with large sweeping switchbacks. I was towing with tow/haul engaged and almost never had to touch the brakes. Then a guy with a similar sized trailer and a GMC 1500 truck came up behind me. After a mile, I pulled off to let him pass because he was way too close to the OB for my comfort. Well, as we pulled back out behind him, the smell was incredible. DW's first comment was "That's not us is it?" I assured her that the first time I had touched the brakes in the past 5 miles was to stop to let that person by. As he disappeared around the curves, I never saw the brake lights turn off... he just rode them the whole way down. I can tell you I was acutally relieved to hit the bottom of the hill and not have come across where he lost control. I really didn't want to see that accident scene.


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## BoaterDan

I'm probably just repeating comments already made, and I haven't read every one of them.

First, no matter what this is a horrible horrible tragedy for two kids who now have to grow up without a mommy or daddy. As a parent I'm completely heartbroken and mourn for them.

Second (and everything else is a DISTANT second), the ignorance of this trooper is interesting. I wonder if he was the one doing the investigation.

...State Trooper O.J. Lilly said last night, "... The camper was longer and heavier than the vehicle it was being hauled by."

Thirdly, FOR GOD'S SAKE, GET THE APPROPRIATE TOW VEHICLE. They had NO business towing in the mountains with their rig.

Finally, if this description is accurate it would suggest that his brake controller was probably set a little "soft". I can say from experience that the Prodigy at least comes with some fairly specific instructions about how to set the gain properly, and it's NOT just "this feels about right."

"There was the down hill incline and in combination with the weight and the down hill . . . he hit the brake and the trailer started swaying on him. Once it lost control, it went into the median strip and then into the northbound lanes. Once the trailer started swaying . . . the further out of control it got and he just couldn't hang on to it."


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## Fanatical1

I travel down 77 through that area about once a month and there are a number of "steep grades" and twistys in the general section that
makes me pay close attention to my driving and that's without my camper. In my own experience going down grades with a camper requires
a good deal of common sense and care along with the proper TV and equipment. We often talk about the ability of a vehicle to pull up the
hills but going down safely is just as critical.

What a horrible tragedy to that family!


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## Fanatical1

Nathan said:


> The primary evidence is fade on long downhills. I too use downshifting for engine braking, and slower speed to work OK, but am concerned if I really had to stop quickly, would they be enough? ...


On our trip this summer, we were driving out of the Bighorn Mountains (headed east). It's one heck of a downgrade with large sweeping switchbacks. I was towing with tow/haul engaged and almost never had to touch the brakes. Then a guy with a similar sized trailer and a GMC 1500 truck came up behind me. After a mile, I pulled off to let him pass because he was way too close to the OB for my comfort. Well, as we pulled back out behind him, the smell was incredible. DW's first comment was "That's not us is it?" I assured her that the first time I had touched the brakes in the past 5 miles was to stop to let that person by. As he disappeared around the curves, I never saw the brake lights turn off... he just rode them the whole way down. I can tell you I was acutally relieved to hit the bottom of the hill and not have come across where he lost control. I really didn't want to see that accident scene.








[/quote]

As you know, overheating your brakes to that extent will cause significant loss of braking ability because of the brake fade. Just when he may need
his brakes going down that grade they might not be there for him. Also sounds like he might be in the market for a new set of rotors to replace the
ones he warped on that trip.


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## mountainlady56

This certainly is a tragedy......anyone losing life is that, in my opinion. I certainly feel sorry for the two remaining children who have lost their parents and a sibling. A lot of survivors of this kind of accident often end up feeling a "guilt" because they weren't killed and the others were. I can't imagine being that young and losing life as they knew it.
No one will ever know the true cause of this accident, unless an intensive study is done on the remains of the trailer and vehicle, even though, to us, it seems obvious that it was the size of the TT in relation to the TV. 
Just saw this for the first time. Will send up prayers, even though it's a long time after the fact.
Darlene


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## W4DRR

We were just through there about a week and a half ago. You can still see the marks where they went through the median. They had just gone through the Big Walker Mountain tunnel, on a downhill stretch with a fairly sharp turn. When you emerge from the tunnel southbound you come out into a large, long, valley, so strong crosswinds could have been a factor.
The sad part is, they had already made it past the worst part of I-77...the WV Turnpike.

Bob


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## BoaterDan

W4DRR said:


> The sad part is, they had already made it past the worst part of I-77...the WV Turnpike.
> 
> Bob


Yeah, and were 5-6 miles from the end of a trip of like 1,000 miles. Sad sad sad, anyway you look at it.


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