# The Worst Case Scenario



## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

I was driving my truck south on I-85 about sixty miles above Atlanta this afternoon when I was confronted by the results of too much trailer and speed and not enough truck or common sense. The results were spectacular and darn near catastrophic.

I was buzzing along at about 70 in my truck. I didn't have my trailer attached so I was just cruising. Traffic was pretty heavy but a nice open space had appeared in front of me. The next pack of cars was about 150 feet ahead.

Suddenly I saw lots and lots of break lites and tire smoke. I saw a very impressive plume of mud and grass flying and in middle a truck and trailer spinning toward the Northbound lane. Luckily there was a relatively deep depression that slowed the rotation and the truck and trailer stopped in an "L" shape with the back of the trailer sticking about a foot out into the fast lane of the Northbound side. Everyone northbound kept their cool.

I was the first to stop, mainly because I was so far behind the action. I ran up to the truck and opened the door. The driver was OK but scared out of his wits. He had a grip on his steering wheel and was looking dazed. He told me he was OK and nobody else was on board. I ran around the trailer which was an enclosed car hauler (race car) and was pretty sure it would roll. I ran back to the driver and asked him to try to pull forward. He managed to restart the truck and pull forward about 20 feet.

Now that the trailer and truck were clear of the traffic the driver and I walked around and looked at the damage. It looked like the trailer had whacked the left side of his late model Chevy pickup. The trailer itself was twisted pretty good.

Now the commentary. He had about a 30 foot trailer behind a shortbed pickup without either trailer brakes or a load leveling hitch. Needless to say, he didn't have anti-sway. It had been raining and he was moving pretty good. In my experience I occasionally I can get jostled by Tractor-Trailers passing me by. He did it in reverse. He got jostled by passing a Tractor-Trailer. Once the oscillations started he was no longer in control. He might have saved it but I think he freaked out and let it go. I wasn't in the car so I don't know.

I drive a smaller truck (a Tundra) and pull a bigger trailer (a 28 BHS). I have both load-leveling and anti-sway. This was a REAL eye-opener about speed and overconfidence. Not to mention poor setup.

When the cops came they sent all of us that had stopped on our way. I have not idea what they did with the guy.

Reverie


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

I have no idea why a smiley is appearing in the fourth paragraph. Please forgive the nonsense.

Reverie


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## hyewalt34 (May 9, 2004)

I've noticed that most trailers, that is non travel trailers, do not have sway control. They seem to just plop the trailer tongue down on the ball and off they go!

Walter


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Another issue of TRAILERS GONE WILD! Scary. We had one this winter that did essentially the same thing and caused a chain reation pile up.

This has been a really weird Winter around here!
An aquaintance of mine got into a wreck with a tractor trailer on the interstate the other day. The truck was carrying a tanker trailer loaded with Premium fuel. It burst into flames, burned all afternoon, and closed the interstate for over 4 hours. He is clinging to life in critical condition after being extricated with the Jaws of Life. Be careful out there folks!

Explosions, plane crashes, weird wrecks....it just seems strange.


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## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Reverie,

Quite a story to tell. It amazes me to see TT & TV cruising at 80 mph. I'm sure that they think they are being safe and nothing is going to happen, but as we have all heard or seen, once things start going bad often its impossible to get them going right! Fortunately no one was hurt by this lack of good sense in towing, however I'm sure that that is not always the case. That is why I think the TT and utility trailer dealerships should be required to be more prudent with the set ups they allow to leave their lot.

I'm with hyewalt34, also. I bought a boat in 1991 and owned a 4 cylinder Nissan Hardbody pickup. That truck could tow the boat, but shouldn't have. The boat nearly equalled the weight of the truck and was quite a bit longer. I often fought that sway issue with Tractor Trailers passing and had to be cautious with speed as well. I never even heard of a weight distribution hitch until I bought my Outback!

I'm with Jolly, seems like a lot of this weird stuff happening these days!!

Jason


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

As I have enjoyed the luxury of time to analyze this (I posted my story as soon as I got home) it seems to me he made a series or mistakes, any one of which could have caused this. What is scary to me is that I think he could have pulled out of it pretty easily HAD HE NOT BEEN BESIDE THE TRACTOR-TRAILER when the oscillations started. What scares me is thinking "How many times have I been next to a Tractor-Trailer and started a little oscillation?". About a thousand times, I guess. Now, I do have anti-sway but that is only good to a point. I suspect it could happen to me, just not as likely.

The one paramount lesson I am taking from this is to drive sanely. I am sure that guy thought he was. I have to make sure I am.

Reverie


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I just came back from a week in South Carolina, without the Outback







, but spent an awful lot of miles on the I-95 corridor. I was amazed at the number of trailers out there that didn't appear to have sway controls. I make it a point to glance at the hitch set ups of rigs that pass me...I was averaging 75, and was being passed more than I was passing. I agree, that the anti-sway set ups are more prevailant on the campers, then on the utility trailers. Many boat trailers are not able to accept a WD Hitch or a sway control, and they are the really big ones out there. I passed one boat trailer on SC 278 being towed by a F350 dually. The boat had to be 30' long, and must've weighed over 12,000#, not counting the trailer. Granted, that TV was up to the task, but I saw quite a few explorer/S-10 blazers towing 26 to 28 TT's.

I just know that I don't like to tow my 26RS over 70, and usually stay around 65. If I'm in that much of a hurry to get there, then I will fly instead.

Tim


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The word "a c t i o n " is the command for the waving Icon. It got me before also.


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## Morrowmd (Feb 22, 2005)

I'm with you, Tim. I might drive a bit to fast on the commute but with my trailer in tow I become ultra conservative. 62-65 mph seems to be a safe, controllable speed while towing and if something happens in front of you it gives you more time to react.

Remember, your on vacation. Take your time, drive safely, and get there in one piece.

-Matt


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## Parker Outbacker (Dec 17, 2004)

Wow!! Makes you think.

In a previous life when I had a little Starcraft pop-up we stopped at a KOA, and I was talking with an older gentleman with a 5er. The best advice he gave me was 'Make sure your tow vehicle is big enough to stop your trailer if your trailer brakes go out' I guess he had an experience when he was pulling a TT and the trailer brakes went out, and he didn't have enough truck to stop the trailer by itself, and plowed right thru a stop sign, luckily no one was around, but it coud have been bad









Like everyone else has been saying, don't over drive your limits, both roadway and vehicle. It's just not worth the risk to save what, 30 minutes on your trip?!?

Be safe out there folks!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

REVERIE: Yeah but if you start to have oscillations you can pull the trailer brake by hand and straighten it out. That is....if you have a trailer brake! What was this guy thinking. Truly ignorant and thankfully not deadly. I'm glad you were only a witness and made it home safely.


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

I'll admit that I'm susceptible to 'gofast' pressure from other motorists. I really hate it when I get passed and an angry gesture of some sort is made (not necessarily the usual one either). It makes my foot heavier and is something I'm learning to control.

Have to take on a different attitude than the one I use commuting (match the flow). I'm still learning how to change my attitude when towing and slow down.

BBB

Side note: Summit of I-90 about 15 years ago I saw a trailer (old single axle job) swaying along the road to the point where it came off the hitch to start its final journey off the shoulder through the air and into the trees. The sudden release of the trailer sent the car in the other direction and into the guard rail. A lot of the trailer (after the 'explosion') came back onto the road and there was a lot of squealing and smoking as people tried to stop. This was a return from a holiday and the traffic was intense. Apparently, not only did he not have any sway control but he hadn't even chained it to the tow vehicle. People can be unbelievably foolish.


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## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

Hey guys, thanks. I'm reading all this with great interest as I bring my 21RS home TOMORROW!!!








Can't wait. I was wondering what an average speed was. Dry, and test drive I was about 60 and was happy there. But folks were flyin past me looking







. OH well, I"m in no hurry if towing. It is for fun, not transporting an organ to transplant.
Mark
Outbacker2b


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

campntn said:


> Hey guys, thanks. I'm reading all this with great interest as I bring my 21RS home TOMORROW!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't think I've ever gone over 65, with 60 to 65 being the norm. I couldn't really care less who I'm holding up on the road- I pull over often to let faster drivers go by. Besides, we spend waaaay more time stopped for bathroom breaks (wife, 3 year old, 5 year old) than we lose by driving a littler slower.

Kevin P.


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## our2girls (Jan 26, 2005)

I always say " The vacation starts when we leave the driveway" in other words "no hurries".

Take your time.....you'll get there!

Mike


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I'm guilty shy . I would regularly tow my 20' Bayliner wieghing about 5000lbs no trailer brakes with a Jeep Wrangler rated for 1500lbs. I only would go about a half mile to the lake never on a main road.The best part was trying to quess when to hit the brakes on the ramp to prevent the boat from dragging the jeep into the water. Jeep and boat are gone no more strange looks from people. 
John


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

A co-worker of mine had a 25' ProLine that he used to tow regularly to the Cape (Cape Cod for you folks out west). He told me once that he figured with full water and fuel tanks in the boat, and the trailer, he was towing about 10,000#, and all he had was surge brakes. I guess the salt water wasn't/isn't good for the electric brakes.

Tim


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

John,

When you say Jeep and boat are both gone, do you mean *gone*, or do you mean _underwater?_









Mark


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

John,

Would that be "gone" as in "gone to the bottom of the lake"?









Just wondering...

Reverie


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

No I sold them. In one month I sold the Jeep,boat, and motorhome.Bought the Outback and the old burb. My insurance agent couldn't keep up with all my policy changes.

Now I have another Outback fever coming on.
John


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

Considering Georgia state law requires trailer brakes on any trailer over 1500lbs. I bet he never got a ticket.
Most police officers don't know the law.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

In the immortal words of Clint Eastwood...

"A man's got to know his limitations."

As far as speed is concerned, I've learned to:

1. Leave earlier on trips. Plan on an average of about 45mph. I always beat that time, but if my eta is further out, I don't feel like I need to hurry.

2. I pull off a lot. Give the people behind me a chance to go around. Bathroom breaks, check the lugnuts, what ever.

3. I usually wave back to passing motorists, but try to use all my fingers.

4. Slow down at dark, during weather, or congestion.


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