# We Crashed



## kjp1969

First of all, no one was injured. Not a scratch.

We had big plans to take our new trailer to Sequoia National Park over Memorial Day weekend- we had only had it out camping once before, and this was to be the first big trip. My wife had packed it well for our 5 day trip, and the whole family was having fun â€œplaying houseâ€ with it. We hitched up at around 7:00 a.m., and left at around 7:30. Typical of Los Angeles Traffic, it took us around 2 hours just to clear the county.

During those first two hours, I was paying particular attention to the truck and trailer- this trailer was the first I had pulled with brakes, and the largest and heaviest by far. I had had it on the highway 8-10 times by then, but only fairly short trips. On our first shakedown trip (only around 30 miles away) there was no sway. It pulled well, if slowly with our V6. This trip I was more wary because the I-5 grapevine is a real test for vehicles and drivers- thereâ€™s steep grades, at least a 5000 foot elevation gain and wind. We joked beforehand that if our little Explorer could pull our trailer on this trip, it could pull us anywhere.

We were heading up the Grapevine when all hell broke loose. It didnâ€™t seem that way at the start, though I noticed a little more sway than normal in among the big rigs. I had never driven the trailer in traffic like that, so I knew this would be a learning experience. Although I knew what trailer sway was, the sway control system on our hitch seemed to keep everything in line. I recognized it when it a truck passed us, but it seemed (to me) that the sway control was doing itâ€™s thing and straightening us out.

With this lead-up you can probably guess what happened next, and it wasnâ€™t pretty. We came out from some hills and out into the open and got hit with a cross wind. The sway began. Thing is, it didnâ€™t go away like before- it grew and grew and before I knew it we were REALLY swinging back and forth. I tried holding the wheel straight, giving it gas, holding it steady, even giving it trailer brakes only, but nothing helped- no matter what I did, the sway just kept building and building. At some point, I lost control entirely- I was no more in charge of that truck than I would have been on a roller coaster, though I kept trying, hoping to God that it would end well.

Finally, after what seemed like 10-15 seconds of increasing violence, I ran out of ideas and good luck all at once. The trailer jacknifed and struck the driverâ€™s side of the Explorer. The sounds coming from behind us were awful. The truck and trailer went sideways, and if I had the presence of mind to watch the rearview, Iâ€™m sure I would have had quite a show. Before we stopped, I did catch a glimpse of our brand new trailer on its side.

We came to rest blocking the two right lanes of I-5, perpendicular to traffic. By the grace of God, we were â€˜shiny side up.â€™ Fortunately, everyone behind us must have seen this unfold, because they all slowed down and there wasnâ€™t much risk of anyone broadsiding us.

After a quick â€˜blood checkâ€™ (me, my wife and two kids) I tried to open the driverâ€™s door. After I realized that no one was hurt, my overriding concern was to get out of the car and get my family as far away from that powder keg as possible. All I could think about was damaged electrics, the gas tank and the propane. But a speedy escape wasnâ€™t to be - my door was jammed shut. I unbuckled, turned sideways in the seat, and used both feet to kick the door open, but it wouldnâ€™t budge. I abandoned the effort and bailed out the passenger side after my wife.

You have no idea how long it takes to unbuckle 2 toddlers from car seats when you really want to do it fast. After what seemed like minutes rather than seconds, we were all out an a safe distance away. I have no idea how long it would have taken to get out if all of the doors were jammed or it we were on our side.

You meet the very nicest people on the side of the road. One woman who immediately stopped turned out to be a preschool teacher. She stayed with my wife and children for a half hour or more while I dealt with the mess. Several other people stopped to see if we were all right, including a nurse and an off duty cop. 3 highway patrol cars were there within 20 minutes, and 4-5 CDF fire trucks arrived when reports of â€œan overturnâ€ came in. They even scrambled a life-flight helicopter on the assumption that there would be major injuries.

The tow truck drivers righted the trailer and loaded it onto a flatbed. The Explorer went onto another, and we strapped the kids into a tow truck, and headed off for the purgatory of the wrecking yard- youâ€™re not in heaven, but youâ€™re pretty far from home, too.

Hereâ€™s the damage- the Trailer: As it turns out, the trailer popped off the ball mount and tumbled onto its driverâ€™s side. Thereâ€™s a bunch of road rash, and itâ€™s obvious that it slid down the highway for a while like that. At some point, the tires must have dug in and tumbled it over onto the passengerâ€™s side, because thatâ€™s where it finally came to rest. The safety chains kept it attached to the Explorer, but if the ball mount hadnâ€™t uncoupled Iâ€™m sure it would have pulled the truck over with it.

The trailer is absolutely destroyed. Thereâ€™s not a straight line or right angle or intact panel left on it. All of the interior panels and cabinets are broken and dislodged. The rear slide tracks are broken. The sofa is smashed. I found the CD player under one of the bunk beds, ditto parts of the cooktop. Strangely, the fridge stayed latched, though it was dislodged from the cabinet. A very nice French beaujolais survived unscathed, as did my 25 year old 3D maglight (that thing WILL NOT DIE). The trailer looks as if it had been dragged down the highway behind a car like a can behind a newlywedâ€™s car, which of course is exactly what happened.

The Explorer has a big dent on the driverâ€™s side back door, enough that you can see the side impact bar inside. The door was shoved far enough out of whack that it jammed shut, and the driverâ€™s door along with it. Both passenger side wheels are ground down, and the tires are deflated and dismounted. The rear driverâ€™s side tire also deflated, but I donâ€™t know why or when. The rear hatch is also out of whack, and once opened, wouldnâ€™t close.

So what happened? I had a brand new trailer, a Reese straightline dual cam hp hitch, professionally set up and adjusted. The Explorer was 6 years old, with 70k miles, new tires and nearly new shocks. I had checked all tire pressures the night before. I truly have no idea what when wrong, but Iâ€™m going to have a good sit-down with the folks who:
1. Recommended the hitch equipment, 
2. Installed the sway control, and 
3. Adjusted it all.

As I said before, no one was hurt. We didnâ€™t hit any other cars. The Explorer didnâ€™t overturn, and damage to it was fairly minor. My parents live about an hour away, and they came over right away to collect us and our stuff.

Our 2 Â½ year old has talked about it, but doesnâ€™t seem very affected by it, though she is telling everyone â€œwe crashed.â€ Our 4 Â½ year old, however is pretty shellshocked. Sheâ€™s coloring a lot of pictures of our trailer and talking a lot about it. We kept them away from the wreck, and photos we took, especially the inside of the trailer. Itâ€™s clear that sheâ€™s traumatized (as are all of us) but she keeps saying she wants another one, so. . .

All said, it was a pretty harmless way to wreck a car and trailer, if you can say such a thing. All the stuff was insured and can be replaced. Iâ€™ve already been to the dealer, who can (of course) sell us another trailer. But weâ€™re going to think about that pretty hard- especially what tow vehicle and hitch to use. One step at a time, I guess.

Be safe out there, and double check that hitch!









Kevin


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## NWcamper2

A huge WOW!










Your Angels were on the job that day sunny

Glad everyone is okay.


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## hpanion

God bless you, or should I say, Blessed You. Very glad you and your family are fine. The material stuff can be replaced, however.


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## hatcityhosehauler

Thank goodness everyone is ok. I'm heading outside right now to double check my hitch set up, I have what amounts to the Straightline myself, although it was purchased ala cart.

What model Outback?

Tim


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## summergames84

Thank God you are all OK. Your guardian angels didn't take the holiday off! I got chills just reading about it. Be careful!


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## Y-Guy

Wow Kevin my thoughts and prayers go out to your family. I can say, been there done that too, though thankfully no family and it wasn't with my camper just 25' flatbed full of bookshelves. I am thankful that everyone in your family came out okay.

After that you may want to consider a Hensley Hitch, might help you to feel for comfortable towing after the accident. I know I was nervous as *ell the first time I towed after my sway accident. Any idea what may have triggered the sway? I know in my case it was a blown tire. I'm surprised that the trailer brakes on full didn't calm the sway, what type of brake controller did you have? Hearing this always makes me rethink things for my own setup.

Sorry you had such a wild experience your first trip out, I hope that you can replace everything and get back to the reason you bought the trailer in the first place. Please keep us appraised how things go for you and your family.


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## fixjet

Glad everyone is ok and could walk away. I wonder if the short wheelbase and soft supension of the Explorer was a factor. I don't know how many explorers I have seen with the front ends up in the air with even small boats or 2 place snowmobile trailers on them.


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## camping479

I'm so glad you all are okay!!!!!!

Mike


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## Firefighter2104

Kevin, I just read you letter and I am speechless. I am glad everyone is safe!!

I am leaving on vacation this coming Sunday. I will be thinking about what happen to you on my trip and being a little more concern.

Everyone STAY SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## NDJollyMon

Good to have you all back!









Thanks for posting your story. It will maybe save someone else from the same experience.

Once again...glad you are ok.


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## KAMPINIT

Kevin, so glad everyone made out with no injuries. Thanks for sharing your story. We should all take note of your unfortunate accident. I hope the kids are okay.









Please keep us updated on what you find to be the potential cause. I'm always asking hubby about the hitch setup wondering if it is all "okay" and properly adjusted. I don't know too much about how it all works. Although, I can say that the Prodigy brake controller we have really slows the trailer in a pinch. We were traveling through busy San Fran Bay area and a little car who was stopped in traffic one lane over just darted in front of us giving almost no time to react. The controller reacted immediately and we were able to avoid an accident.

So glad you are all okay. I hope you are back on the road soon.

Take Care,

lisa


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## kjp1969

Thanks everyone- I knew I would get a sympathetic response here!

We were only going around 50mph or so- we had a Prodigy brake controller, for what its worth. We came out from between a couple of hills when I felt a cross wind from the left- that's when it all began. I hit the trailer brakes, but it may have been "too little, too late." How you guys handle sway, once it begins, anyway?

I'm thinking that the setup of the sway control was a big factor. When I undertake something complicated, dangerous and new (like towing), I often do *all* the work myself and learn how everything works in the process. I'll spend 10x the time a "professional" would take, but at least I learn all about it in the process. This time, I was pretty busy with work and other stuff, and hired someone to set up the hitch for me. I *thought* that was the smart thing to do- no trial and error, professional work, etc. But now I'm not so sure- I really wish I'd taken my time and done it myself instead.

My wife is pretty concerned (as am I) about getting back out there with a trailer. A Hensley or a Pull-rite are probably in our future. Does anyone know if Outbacks (ours was a 21RS) have any tendency to sway more than any other brand? Its a long shot, I know, but it would help to know whether or not this was an anomoly.

Thanks again, everyone! I'll let you know how the insurance works out (it started off badly: "we're not showing a policy for that trailer. . ." but I straightened that out right-quick.)

Kevin


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## Guest

Kevin,
Just read your post. I thank God that you're all safe. Sounds to me like you did everything that you could have. I know that you will, but I've got to say it anyway: take care of the little ones. It's a fine line between comforting them and reinforcing their fears. Hope that this doesn't keep you from enjoying camping with your family in the future.

Love and best wishes,

Gary


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## borntorv

Kevin,

Our prayers and sympathy go out to you and your family. Thank God that you all came through without injury.

All to often we focus so much on the details of the our camping experience that we tend to forget the big picture. In the end what's important is the safety of our family so that we can enjoy our time with them. As with the others here, I truly hope that you have many happy days with your gang be it in a camper or elsewhere.

Happy trails,

Greg


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## Twins Make 4

Kevin,

Praises that you & your family were unhurt, first & foremost. I had my wife read your post & she couldn't stop asking questions & talking about it all last night.

Thank you for your willingness to share your experience in such vivid detail, that couldn't have been easy to do. What a great lesson for all of us that take our families out on the road each day. Please keep us posted as to what your dealer & 'hitch experts' have to say about potential causes. You've got me doing a lot of thinking about hauling my Outback over the Grapevine for a trip to DisneyLand later this summer.

Best wishes to your family from ours.


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## jgerni

Thank goodness you are all safe.

I really wonder what caused that type of sway to become uncontrollable. It looks like you had a good setup. How did you have the trailer loaded? I always try to load my trailer heavy at the front and as low as possible since I know the rear slide is quite heavy.

You may want to look at getting a little more vehicle or one of those $2000.00+ hitches.

I had a 25ft Aerolite camper and it would sway if I didn't load the suit cases up front.


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## aplvlykat

Kevin and family

Wow, what an experiance. It's good to hear you and your family are all OK. Family support is important and it sound like your folks were right there to help you in your time of need. I know that section of road well it can be very rough with all the cross winds and down hill slopes. When the swaying started it sounds like you did the right thing by applying the trailer brakes, that should have straghtened you out. 
What bothers me is the fact that you said the trailer came off the ball. When we did our walk through on the hitch the person showed us how to hook it up and one of the steps was to put in a snap pin in the ball lock hole on the slider mech. He said this would keep it from coming loose and unhitched under certain conditions.

Anyway God bless and hope to see you on the road in the future. 
Kirk


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## polygraphpat

Kevin -

What a story. Glad everyone is physically okay. What happened to you is something I'm always concerned about. We have only made three trips with the Outback and luckily have not had a sway problem. We did go out this weekend and one of the trailer tires had a blow out. Not sure what caused it, unless tire was defective. Anyway, hope all works out for you and your family.

Pat


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## Lostboyinva

Kevin,

I'm glad you and your family are ok.

On the towing issues and the sway, I'd like to say I just moved up from a 97 Moutaineer to 04 Expedition. I have a 25RSS and my Moutaineer had a V8, but let me tell you towing the 25RSS with the Expedition compared to the Moutaineer is like night and day. I never felt unsafe in the Moutaineer, but maybe I didn't know what I was missing. I know I now feel much safer towing with the Expedition. I towed with it from VA to Disney World and never once felt unsafe, but as you found out that can change quickly. I knew I would have issue with steep grades (going up them not the sway issues you had) so I avoided them. I was getting sway issues, a sort of push pull from the are forces they put out, evertime a Truck passed me at highway speeds. Not unsafe I felt, but something I had to constantly watch. It is now non-existant. I'm able to keep much safer, more consistent highway speeds and I'm getting better gas mileage when towing then with the Moutaineer. The Moutaineer preferred 60MPH and did 65MPH max while towing. The Expedition can hold 65MPH easily while towing (the speed limit in VA) and will do 70MPH when you need it. The Expedition will tow in Overdrive which I always had to lock out on the Moutaineer. The Expedition (4WD, but with a 2WD setting for every day use) even get better gas milage around town then the AWD Moutaineer did. Probably won't beat a 6cyl Explorer, but as good as or better then my V8 Moutaineer.

I have always been the guy who said if the trailer is within my tow weight and feel safe with it then it is safer. But hearing your story with a smaller trailer and having just experienced the huge difference a heavier vehicle with a longer whell base really makes in towing, I'd have to say to you if you are going to replace the 21RS then you really should consider a new tow vehicle as well. Ford and other car manufactures are offering 0% financing on new vehicles. I know even with 0% financing a well equiped Expedition or Suburban is a lot of money, but in the end you and your family will be safer for it.


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## hyewalt34

Kevin,

I also am glad you and your family are fine.

I am pulling my 21 RS with a Toyota Tacoma Double-Cab TRD. I am within all specs for pulling a 22 foot trailer. However, I certainly know it's back there. I plan on getting a bigger truck in a year or two. I have a Reese weight equalizing hitch with one Reese friction bar. The only time I have felt sway was in a moderate wind without the friction bar on. Also, the fresh water tank was full or nearly full. With the friction bar and the water tank empty the most I've felt is a bit of a push on the whole rig and that was in high winds on a two lane road with trucks passing in both directions

With the rear slide, the 21RS trailer may be heavy in the rear and a bit light in the front. That's why I'm keeping the water tank empty and using the under bunk area for a lot of my storage.

Take Care!


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## California Jim

WOW







My heart is still pounding after reading your story. Like everyone else I am SO glad you and the family are OK.

I'm all set to make our very first long trip as well and will be driving the exact stretch of highway in the very near future (6-11-04). Needless to say I'm a little scared. I'm also a newcomer to towing, and have 2 and 4 year old girls. I will be on red alert the whole trip now.

My thoughts on your uncontrollable sway lead me to four main issues:

1. Reese dual cam system. I believe this system is reccomended when a hitch weight (tongue weight) is at least 500#. The Reese system is dependent upon the hitch weight to help the system function. The listed hitch weight of your 21RS is 360#. It's possible that your factory accessories and loaded trailer could have bumped you to 500#, but to me it seems like the wrong system for your particular trailer. The Equal-i-zer brand set-up is not dependant upon hitch weight and would have likely been a better selection.

On Edit: Your/our dealer does not really push the Equalizer system. All they have on display and offered us were Reese products. It was evident that this is what they want to move.

2. Reese system installation and set-up. I too had my Reese system set-up by my dealer and let me tell you it was a total mess. Everything that could be adjusted, needed to be adjusted. If you did indeed have too light a tongue weight, then an improperly adjusted set-up would have really aggrevated the situation. To properly adjust this system your installer would have needed your truck at the same time. Also, when you lifted the sway bars in place it should have been difficult and felt very tight, not loose or easy to lift at all.

On Edit: I just realized that you bought your trailer from the same dealer as I. The one who totally screwed up my installation. Was he the one who set-up your Reese system? If so and you need any legal testimony on my part please send me a message.

3. Trailer loading. It's possible that if factors 1 and 2 above were indeed causes to the trouble, then a trailer that was loaded with too much weight to the rear of the trailer axles would further aggrevate the situation by making the trailer tongue even lighter. Also, I don't know where your fresh water tank is located or if you were carrying water or not. This could help or hurt.

4. Ford Explorer. I know your trailer is on the short side, but I'm a little leary (more so now!) of towing with such a short wheelbase. I could be totally wrong about this so please don't take offense. I really don't think this was likely one of the main contributing factors, but the situation would have likely been less dramatic with a longer wheelbased tow vehicle.

One last thought, you mentioned that the trailer came un-hooked from the tow vehicle. Perhaps this is what caused the problem, and not as a result of the crash. I don't know how likely this is but it sure would explain alot too. I guess you would have heard an awful sound from the trailer dragging on the pavement if this were so.

Your situation was likley a combination of things that when combined added up to "the perfect storm". I'm by no means an expert and others here at Outbackers have far more real life experience than I. My opinion is from the extensive reading I have done and learned from the experience of many others.

I truly wish you and your family the best and hope this doesn't stop you from getting back on the horse so-to-speak. There is such a rich and wonderful experience to be had while camping that can really bring a family together and create memories that will last all of you a liftime. God bless you as you endure this difficult time.


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## MikeyM

Holy Crap!! Glad to hear you are all well. For what it's worth, we didn't know anything about hitch setup when we got our trailer, either. We towed it over 700 miles home from our dealer (got it out of State to save about 4 grand) only to find out from research on rv.net, etc. that our entire setup was way out of adjustment. The nose on the Grand was hi, the rear was low, the springbars were not level, they were angled upwards, and the trailer was nose high about 3-4" but worst of all, they set us up with what they had rather that got us what we needed which was a drop shank which would have dropped the hitch head about 4-5" more. Only after learning about proper setup did I tear it all down and re-do it all and the difference in towability was immediatly noticable.

I feel for you and your family and if you need any assistance please do let us know. I wish there were a law that mandated the inspection of a hitch setup upon the sale of an RV to the common buyer. Also, it would be nice if the "technicians" would be certified in the brand of hitch they install or a saftey class or something.

Anyway - glad you are all well. Maybe you could describe how your hitch was set I(like angle, were both vehicles totally level, etc.) and one of the more knowledgable Dual Cam guys can tell if it was set up by your dealer correctly.

Bless you and yours.

Mike n' Jen.


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## JimWilson

A completely remarkable -- and frightening! -- story you have to tell. The fact that everyone came through completely unscathed speaks volumes on how you conducting yourself during that crisis, for most would not have remained calm enough to insure their families safety as you obviously did. Incredible luck you had to, if luck is a word you can use in such a situation.

FWIW... you might want to keep an eye on your 4 year old. When I was about 5 or 6 we got t-boned by a garbage truck that ran a red light. Spun the car around about 2 full turns and scared the carp out of the entire family. To this day I can still remember it vividly. Some memories you wish would go away, but much as you try they don't. From personal experience I can attest to the fact that some things stay with you a long time, and they aren't necessarily over shortly after the incident occurs.


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## bulldogfamily6

Kevin,

Praise God y'all are okay! I had chills as I read your account of the accident.

We are still negotiating for our new 23RS and trying to decide on the towing equipment. We had thought we had decided on the Equalizer and the Prodigy. After reading your post, I'm not so sure. However, the most important thing is the safety of your family. Hope everything goes smoothly with the ins. co.

Take care,


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## kjp1969

Here's an update- our insurance totaled both the 21RS and our Explorer, no word yet on how much they're going to pay us. We are already shopping for a Sequoia, and a Hensley hitch is probably in our future- cost be darned. (Pullrite tells me they may not ever make hitches for 2003-4 Tahoes- go figure!)

I'm pretty sure the hitch was either set up wrong or not the proper choice for our trailer- not enough tongue weight. CAJim- no, MT didn't set up the hitch. Smart guy that I am, I went to a recommended hitch place to get it done *right*







I wish I'd done what you did and checked all the settings myself. Lesson learned- there's no substitute for taking the time to learn it yourself.

The family is handling it pretty well- our 4 year old is talking about it a lot, and coloring pictures of trailers, etc. Pretty heartbreaking to see how its affected her, but talking about it is obviously the best thing to do.

I hope I didn't spook anyone too badly- I keep telling myself that thousands of families take thousands of trips every weekend of every year without incident. Hopefully we'll be among them again soon.


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## Thor

Hi

I cannot even imagine the effect that type of an experience would have on you and your family. I glad that no one was hurt







Someone was watching out for all.

All by best wishes to you and your family. sunny

Thor


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## chprout

Kip:

Is the Sequoia bigger than the Explorer? I'm sure you're going for something bigger this time.

Have you started your trailer search yet, or are you going right back to get another 21RS? The Outbacks seem to be such great trailers. I have called many dealerships and inquired about trailers, and we go to RV shows every spring. They seem to have trouble keeping Outbacks on the lots. Outbacker fans even have this own website.









You know, if a model is popular, there's going to be more of them on the road, which then increases the chances that more people who own that brand, will have had accidents. I don't think it was your trailer. Sounds to me like it was your Explorer/hitch combination. That's a pretty small truck for a trailer. Just goes to show that we should never get TOO comfortable when pulling a trailer. When things go wrong, they go wrong in a hurry.

In any event, so glad you and your family are all okay, and hope you get out camping very quickly. sunny


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## California Jim

Kevin - Just sent you an email.


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## DANJOGAVINMO

All I can say is WOW, I am glad to hear you are all OK and that the kids are handling it as well as they are. We went from portland to disneyland last summer and still had friction bar at that time, needless to say I was a nervous wreck (no pun intended) by the time I got there, going down some of the grade near shasta was scary and through the grapevine was challenging also. That is the toughest stretch of road that I have ever driven, it took me days to unwind from that. When we got home I immediately upgraded to dual cam and my white-knuckle driving has totally gone away.

Setting up the hitch is quite tricky to get trailer level, right tension on the bars, the right angle on the bars, etc. I definitely recommend doing it yourself, and it sounds like you have the knowledge to do so but just didn't have the time, which is understandable.

I originally towed with a Dakota quad cab and it took about 3 trips for me to figure out I was under-trucked, the camper pretty much had it's way with the truck, plus I could overheat a little bit on very hot days. I almost went to F250 but opted for F150 given my trailer weights, I did spend quite a bit of time debating this. Even so, such a big difference. Checking toyotas website shows sequoias published tow capacity is at 6500 for 2WD and 6200 for 4WD and seem to produce their HP and torque at pretty high RPM's so be prepared to wind the engine up a bit.

I have heard rules of thumb to only tow ~75% of your vehicle capacity, that is what also led me to my combo. I don't want you think I am totally poo-poo'ing your possible new vehicle choice, and there might be some that say I didn't buy big enough, but my advice is to make sure if you are getting a new rig, make sure it has more than enough extra towing capacity to do the job for the trailer you intend to tow. Also do some searches on that vehicle on the forums to hear other's takes on that rig and what size trailers people pull with it.

Personally i don't think the rear slide is an issue, the trailers are designed with that in mind and produce the typical ~10% tongue weight even with the rear slide.

I hope you guys are able to get back on the road and put this past you!
Best wishes
danny


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## jallen58

WOW!!! Scary I'm glad you and your family are ok and thank GOD there are Angels. (IMHO) I to would look at a longer wheel base. I have herd of many situations like yours involving Explorer's. Some people my wife knows bought thier fist trailer (a pop-up) and towing it home both the Explorer and pop-up rolled on the freeway at 50mp. short wheel base is not a good combo for towing any thing. My quess is your problem was hitch setup and maybee tt loading. Dealers don't take the time to setup the hitch properly because it takes a few hour's to do it right. After adding Reese Dual-Cam and doing the whle hitch setup on mine i don't hardly know the trailer is behind me. Before i reset the hitch i light cross wind or a semi passing would cause sway. Again i glad you are all ok and don't let this keep you from geting back on the horse and have a great time rving with your Family.

Jim


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## campingtom170

Kevin,

Please allow me to add my heartfelt gratitude that you and your family have survived this accident.

I have towed over that same road myself many times and know that the weather can be treacherous and unpredictable. Further, as I have mentioned in another post, I have noticed that the sway in the Outback that we tow, 28RSS, is a little more noticable than I am comfortable with.

Your courage to post the account of this harrowing event has caused me to get off the bubble and do somthing about my current hitch set-up before our next outing.

I am sure that many others are also considering theirs. You have no doubt prevented future accidents, injury and possible death.

God Bless,

Tom


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## edt

Hi,

Glad you all are ok.

I tow a 21RS with a GMC Envoy. Its not a long truck. I do not have a fancy hitch (it does have torsion bars) and use a simple friction bar for sway control. In several thousand kilometers of towing I have only once had any sort of swaying problem - it was not major either, slowing down fixed it.

I have been lucky in that my dealer seems to have setup the hitch correctly. The lines between the Envoy and 21RS are even and the Envoys load balancing/leveling system does not do much (nor does it have to). I can toe easily at 100km (60mph) and in good conditions feel safe at 110 (65mph) . I have power to go faster if required, but do have to tow in 3rd. The Envoy uses an inline 6 with 275hp and 275lbs torque and can put 5600lbs. It gets along with the 21RS just fine. I do not think I would want to put anything larger behind it though.

I would tend to think you are right in thinking you hitch was not setup well.

Luck
Ed


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## KellerJames

Kevin,
Naturally, I am SO glad to here that your family is PHISICALLY ok from the traumatic event that you have all survived. Thank GOD for that, and that your vehicles unhitched from each other. It would probably have been a whole other outcome had they not separated. And please, be patient with the little ones when it's time to get "back in the saddle",,,,,, and you will.







Take care and be safe.

KellerJames


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## Ymryl

I'm very sorry to hear about your accisdent. It really strikes home the fact that we need to be very careful and dilligent when towing these apartment on wheels. I'm pulling a 21RS with a 4-runner which isn't so very different than what you had (although I have a friction sway bar and not the double sway thing you had). To hear that your 21 swung around like that really makes me concerned that the same is possible for me (and that I am very happy I didn't go with a larger TT whioch would have been even worse).


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## kjp1969

Update: 
Our insurance has declared both the '98 Explorer and 21RS total losses. Although we haven't yet agreed on value, we will soon.

Weâ€™ll probably get another trailer (likely another 21RS) and a Toyota Sequoia, as well as a Hensley Arrow hitch. Many of you are getting by just fine with other setups, but we're looking for something along the lines of "complete overkill" in the hitch department. Since my wife will be driving our kids around in the TV, she got to pick the Sequoia over a Tahoe/Yukon, and she didn't want to tool around in something as big as a â€˜burb. For a little trailer like that, we're going to be well within all the rules of thumb.

Anyway, the excitement over the accident is turning to excitement over a new car and trailer. Our older daughter (4 1/2 yrs.) was pretty shaken up, but she seems to be dealing with it well. She's talking about it and drawing lots of pictures. I autocrossed my old Miata last weekend, and the jitters are going away, slowly but surely.

Thanks for all the kind words, everybody. Itâ€™s been great to share this experience with like minded folks like you who can understand (or imagine) what we went through. I didnâ€™t mean to scare anyone, though if everyone who read this goes out and double checks all their hitch equipment, all the better.

Kevin


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## hatcityhosehauler

I don't think you will be disappointed with the Hensley. I have spoken to several Hensley owners, and all say they will never tow with any other hitch set up again. I wanted the Hensley, but the cost moved me towards the Dual Cam HP. The Hensley is still on the wish list, as soon as funds are available though.

Good Luck, and glad your sticking with it.

Tim


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## California Jim

Glad to hear things are going well Kevin. Perhaps when you get back on the horse we can hook-up sometime since we're both in S.Cal. I recently joined a Good Sam camping group called "Young at Heart" who is nothing but families that camp with kids. Alot of them small like ours. They camp once a month at a convenient location that allows us all to make it a weekend trip w/ no days off.

Best of luck and wishes to you and the family.


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## kjp1969

Jim,
Sounds like fun. That's our goal- to get out once a month even if its just a short local trip.
Kevin


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## California Jim

Correction on the family camping group which is actually called "Kids at Heart". I'll send you the current newsletter that is already packed full of good stuff


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## Twins Make 4

Hey Jim,

Copy me in with the info if you don't mind, I've been considering Good Sam & this sounds pretty interesting. Is it strictly limited to travel in So. Cal? Thanks in advance.


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## California Jim

Hello TM4:

And I'll send you a copy as soon as I get home (at work now of course!). This group is centered around the southern California area so that is where they primarily camp. Although families from any area are welcome so long as they can make it!







I think you do have to be Good Sam members though.


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## kjp1969

Update:

Weâ€™ve had our new Toyota Sequoia for a week or so now and love it. Today I put a deposit down on a new 23RS, and Iâ€™ll go to pick it up as soon as our hitch equipment arrives next week.

Our insurance treated us well- I was up front about the purchase price of $16.5 for our 21RS, but they still valued it at $19k and paid us that plus sales tax. Likewise, they paid us basically full retail value for our â€˜98 Explorer, perhaps the vehicle with the fastest depreciation on the planet.







They've promised to issue a separate check for the hitch equipment lost in the accident.

The family is doing as well as can be expected- my wife and I are apprehensive about towing again, but weâ€™ll be super cautious from this day forward. Our 4 year old (almost 5) talks a lot about the crash. She says that spinning was fun, but the rest of the crash was scary. Sheâ€™s also talking a lot about crashing in general, tire squealing, etc. Weâ€™re encouraging her to talk about it, talking to her about what went wrong and what weâ€™re doing to make sure it doesnâ€™t happen again. Itâ€™s hard not to â€œpromiseâ€ to her that it will never happen again, but thatâ€™s obviously something we canâ€™t do, and shouldnâ€™t.







Hopefully with a little more seat time and conversation, the bad memories will be replaced with good ones.

I explained to her that my autocrossing is something I do, partly, to become a better driver. Now she wants me to quit my job and become a full time race car driver so that Iâ€™ll be an "even better driver and we'll never crash again!" Hmmm. . .









Kevin


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## Twins Make 4

Kevin,

First & foremost, glad to hear everyone is doing well. Good news as well about the insurance settlement & that you are jumping right back in to RV'ing. Just think of the campfire stories you'll be able to tell over the years. Thanks again for sharing, sounds like it was mutually beneficial. Have fun out there, your family has been blessed.

TM4


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## Mac

What kind of insurance do you have. Sounds like a good recommendation for them.

MM


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## kjp1969

We have State Farm Insurance on house and cars and personal umbrella. My wife and I both work in the insurance industry (she, part time) and so we're big on full coverage and using a reputable company, even at the expense of slightly higher premiums. We're happy with their work on our claim. Hopefully they won't use this as an excuse to raise our premiums.


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## camping479

Kevin,

Glad things are moving in the right direction for you and your family.

I'll agree State Farm is good to deal with. Last fall we had a 12" dia. tree branch fall thru our garage roof during a tropical storm. They paid quickly with no problems at all.

Mike


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## Mac

kpj1969,

Are you saying that your TT is covered under your homeowners or car insurance, or do you have a seperate policy with State Farm on the TT. I have a seperate State Farm policy on my TT. I'm curious if I have the same thing that you do.

Curently my homeowners is State Farm too, and my cars used to be. State Farm ticked me off a couple years ago though and I switched my car insurance to AllState. At the time that I had taken out the policy on my pop-up with State Farm, I still had my car insurance with them. When I cancelled my auto, I left the camper with State Farm even though I changed my auto. When I upgraded from the pop-up to the outback, they just changed the TT on the exsting policy. I kept the same policy # and all.

I'm a little interested in your comment on paying a little extra for good coverage. For some reason on mine, State Farm was quite a bit cheaper than anybody else I looked at?

Since you are in the industry, I am interested in your advice.


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## kjp1969

Mac,
Honestly, I haven't compared premium prices that closely- I just assume that I could save a few dollars by shopping or using one of the bargain brokers. We get a discount for house plus cars, (and we aren't getting any younger) so rates are okay. I *think* we have a separate policy for the TT, but since it was so new we haven't received the policy yet.

Regarding paying extra for "good" coverage, I mainly meant higher limits on the liability side, and we also have a personal umbrella. I've seen lots of occasions where even with a moderate accident policy limits of 100/300 look pretty meager. 'Course, that just my business, so that's what I see all the time. I overinsure, and carpenters keep eight or ten hammers in their tool box. Call it peace of mind.

My in-laws kept State Farm for all sorts of coverage for 30 years or more, and it was INCREDIBLE the things SF would do for them. One of their daughters (not my wife!) had around 6 at-fault accidents in 2 years time. SF threatened to cancel her from the policy, as they probably should have, but relented once they reviewed the amount of business that the family gave them. We're with the same agent, so we milk off of that relationship as well








-Kevin


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## NDJollyMon

Don't even get me started on insurance companies!























Let's put it this way...if there were bounties on their heads...I'd take up hunting!

End of rant.


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## Martybeech

Wow, scary story but glad to hear everyone is OK. The material stuff is easy to replace. I can see your justification for over investing in the hitch and sway system and dealing with a reputable dealer for setup.

One other point I didn't see mentioned is type of tires on your tow vehicle. My experience in towing my Outback 28BHS with a 97 Ford EB Expedition is the P275 tires were mushy and the original suspension designed for a soft ride. LT tires and adjustable Rancho 9000HD shocks made a huge difference in stability.

I went a bit overkill myself with my new truck, but we tow about 5,000 miles every summer so felt it was a good investment. Also, I have had no sway with the Equalizer hitch system using both tow vehicles. However I did get a lot of push/pull of the combined unit when towing with the Expy on multi-lane highways. None with the GMC HD pickup.

Good luck with your new setup and I hope your experience doesn't put you off RV'g.


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## Lostcamper

kjp1969 said:


> First of all, no one was injured. Not a scratch.
> 
> We had big plans to take our new trailer to Sequoia National Park over Memorial Day weekend- we had only had it out camping once before, and this was to be the first big trip. My wife had packed it well for our 5 day trip, and the whole family was having fun â€œplaying houseâ€ with it. We hitched up at around 7:00 a.m., and left at around 7:30. Typical of Los Angeles Traffic, it took us around 2 hours just to clear the county.
> 
> During those first two hours, I was paying particular attention to the truck and trailer- this trailer was the first I had pulled with brakes, and the largest and heaviest by far. I had had it on the highway 8-10 times by then, but only fairly short trips. On our first shakedown trip (only around 30 miles away) there was no sway. It pulled well, if slowly with our V6. This trip I was more wary because the I-5 grapevine is a real test for vehicles and drivers- thereâ€™s steep grades, at least a 5000 foot elevation gain and wind. We joked beforehand that if our little Explorer could pull our trailer on this trip, it could pull us anywhere.
> 
> We were heading up the Grapevine when all hell broke loose. It didnâ€™t seem that way at the start, though I noticed a little more sway than normal in among the big rigs. I had never driven the trailer in traffic like that, so I knew this would be a learning experience. Although I knew what trailer sway was, the sway control system on our hitch seemed to keep everything in line. I recognized it when it a truck passed us, but it seemed (to me) that the sway control was doing itâ€™s thing and straightening us out.
> 
> With this lead-up you can probably guess what happened next, and it wasnâ€™t pretty. We came out from some hills and out into the open and got hit with a cross wind. The sway began. Thing is, it didnâ€™t go away like before- it grew and grew and before I knew it we were REALLY swinging back and forth. I tried holding the wheel straight, giving it gas, holding it steady, even giving it trailer brakes only, but nothing helped- no matter what I did, the sway just kept building and building. At some point, I lost control entirely- I was no more in charge of that truck than I would have been on a roller coaster, though I kept trying, hoping to God that it would end well.
> 
> Finally, after what seemed like 10-15 seconds of increasing violence, I ran out of ideas and good luck all at once. The trailer jacknifed and struck the driverâ€™s side of the Explorer. The sounds coming from behind us were awful. The truck and trailer went sideways, and if I had the presence of mind to watch the rearview, Iâ€™m sure I would have had quite a show. Before we stopped, I did catch a glimpse of our brand new trailer on its side.
> 
> We came to rest blocking the two right lanes of I-5, perpendicular to traffic. By the grace of God, we were â€˜shiny side up.â€™ Fortunately, everyone behind us must have seen this unfold, because they all slowed down and there wasnâ€™t much risk of anyone broadsiding us.
> 
> After a quick â€˜blood checkâ€™ (me, my wife and two kids) I tried to open the driverâ€™s door. After I realized that no one was hurt, my overriding concern was to get out of the car and get my family as far away from that powder keg as possible. All I could think about was damaged electrics, the gas tank and the propane. But a speedy escape wasnâ€™t to be - my door was jammed shut. I unbuckled, turned sideways in the seat, and used both feet to kick the door open, but it wouldnâ€™t budge. I abandoned the effort and bailed out the passenger side after my wife.
> 
> You have no idea how long it takes to unbuckle 2 toddlers from car seats when you really want to do it fast. After what seemed like minutes rather than seconds, we were all out an a safe distance away. I have no idea how long it would have taken to get out if all of the doors were jammed or it we were on our side.
> 
> You meet the very nicest people on the side of the road. One woman who immediately stopped turned out to be a preschool teacher. She stayed with my wife and children for a half hour or more while I dealt with the mess. Several other people stopped to see if we were all right, including a nurse and an off duty cop. 3 highway patrol cars were there within 20 minutes, and 4-5 CDF fire trucks arrived when reports of â€œan overturnâ€ came in. They even scrambled a life-flight helicopter on the assumption that there would be major injuries.
> 
> The tow truck drivers righted the trailer and loaded it onto a flatbed. The Explorer went onto another, and we strapped the kids into a tow truck, and headed off for the purgatory of the wrecking yard- youâ€™re not in heaven, but youâ€™re pretty far from home, too.
> 
> Hereâ€™s the damage- the Trailer: As it turns out, the trailer popped off the ball mount and tumbled onto its driverâ€™s side. Thereâ€™s a bunch of road rash, and itâ€™s obvious that it slid down the highway for a while like that. At some point, the tires must have dug in and tumbled it over onto the passengerâ€™s side, because thatâ€™s where it finally came to rest. The safety chains kept it attached to the Explorer, but if the ball mount hadnâ€™t uncoupled Iâ€™m sure it would have pulled the truck over with it.
> 
> The trailer is absolutely destroyed. Thereâ€™s not a straight line or right angle or intact panel left on it. All of the interior panels and cabinets are broken and dislodged. The rear slide tracks are broken. The sofa is smashed. I found the CD player under one of the bunk beds, ditto parts of the cooktop. Strangely, the fridge stayed latched, though it was dislodged from the cabinet. A very nice French beaujolais survived unscathed, as did my 25 year old 3D maglight (that thing WILL NOT DIE). The trailer looks as if it had been dragged down the highway behind a car like a can behind a newlywedâ€™s car, which of course is exactly what happened.
> 
> The Explorer has a big dent on the driverâ€™s side back door, enough that you can see the side impact bar inside. The door was shoved far enough out of whack that it jammed shut, and the driverâ€™s door along with it. Both passenger side wheels are ground down, and the tires are deflated and dismounted. The rear driverâ€™s side tire also deflated, but I donâ€™t know why or when. The rear hatch is also out of whack, and once opened, wouldnâ€™t close.
> 
> So what happened? I had a brand new trailer, a Reese straightline dual cam hp hitch, professionally set up and adjusted. The Explorer was 6 years old, with 70k miles, new tires and nearly new shocks. I had checked all tire pressures the night before. I truly have no idea what when wrong, but Iâ€™m going to have a good sit-down with the folks who:
> 1. Recommended the hitch equipment,
> 2. Installed the sway control, and
> 3. Adjusted it all.
> 
> As I said before, no one was hurt. We didnâ€™t hit any other cars. The Explorer didnâ€™t overturn, and damage to it was fairly minor. My parents live about an hour away, and they came over right away to collect us and our stuff.
> 
> Our 2 Â½ year old has talked about it, but doesnâ€™t seem very affected by it, though she is telling everyone â€œwe crashed.â€ Our 4 Â½ year old, however is pretty shellshocked. Sheâ€™s coloring a lot of pictures of our trailer and talking a lot about it. We kept them away from the wreck, and photos we took, especially the inside of the trailer. Itâ€™s clear that sheâ€™s traumatized (as are all of us) but she keeps saying she wants another one, so. . .
> 
> All said, it was a pretty harmless way to wreck a car and trailer, if you can say such a thing. All the stuff was insured and can be replaced. Iâ€™ve already been to the dealer, who can (of course) sell us another trailer. But weâ€™re going to think about that pretty hard- especially what tow vehicle and hitch to use. One step at a time, I guess.
> 
> Be safe out there, and double check that hitch!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kevin
> [snapback]6929[/snapback]​


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## Lostcamper

We too lost our trailer to cross winds, We are under the impression that these trailers are to rear heavy for cross winds. Any comments on this? We did flip our tow vehicle on the side and I did get hurt. God bless you for not getting hurt


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## kjp1969

Lostcamper said:


> We too lost our trailer to cross winds, We are under the impression that these trailers are to rear heavy for cross winds. Any comments on this? We did flip our tow vehicle on the side and I did get hurt. God bless you for not getting hurt
> [snapback]47552[/snapback]​


I wouldn't blame the trailer- Thousands of them are being towed all over the country without a problem. In my case, I blame a poorly set up WD hitch, and an unsuitable tow vehicle, along with a good dose of rookie-syndrome. Faster and more suitable reaction on my part could well have saved us. Lesson learned.

As I said in the other post, write up all the facts when you feel up to it. Almost everyone I know who pulls a big trailer has had some sort of sway incident, and those who haven't are scared to death of it. The more we share about stuff like this, the better it is for everyone.

Kevin P.


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## Jay

Been there, done that......had a similar experience with a 24' Shasta and 1990 Chevy Van. When sway started, I (inexperienced) tried to "steer out of it, and just made it worse. Ball did not uncouple, and we rolled in the median. Everyone OK, but really shaken up.

Trucker told me that the only way to get out of a sway, is to simultaneously apply gas and trailer brake. I have religiously kept my right hand near the brake controller (and practice reaching it often) whenever I see a truck overtaking me.

As for cross winds, I ALWAYS expect crosswind when emerging from hills or those famous Texas "canyons" where the Hwy Dept cut through a hill for roads.

I am thankful you and family OK....

BTW I use Prodigy and EAZ-Lift hitch (chosen for its built in sway control). I tow a 30RLS Outback with a Chevy K2500 Suburban.


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## Jay

Jay said:


> Been there, done that......had a similar experience with a 24' Shasta and 1990 Chevy Van.Â When sway started, I (inexperienced) tried to "steer out of it, and just made it worse. Ball did not uncouple, and we rolled in the median. Everyone OK, but really shaken up.
> 
> Trucker told me that the only way to get out of a sway, is to simultaneously apply gas and trailer brake.Â I have religiously kept my right hand near the brake controller (and practice reaching it often) whenever I see a truck overtaking me.
> 
> As for cross winds, I ALWAYS expect crosswind when emerging from hills or those famous Texas "canyons" where the Hwy Dept cut through a hill for roads.
> 
> I am thankful you and family OK....
> 
> BTW I use Prodigy and Equal-izer hitch (chosen for its built in sway control). I tow a 30RLS Outback with a Chevy K2500 Suburban.
> [snapback]47618[/snapback]​


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## 76 cougar

Glad all is working out. Im wondering did you ever find out why the other back tire was flat and if it could have been part of the cause?


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## glennsteers

Thank God you were all safe...I hope your family gets over any residual fears of "trailering!"


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## KAMPINIT

Hey Kevin, this is my first post in a long time. Glad to be back. My friends are considering sending me to trailer driving school..........whatever that is...







I am looking forward to learning so my dear friends can give it a rest. Towing the kids and I to all our favorite places that is. My Tahoe trip in June was fabulous. I spent a lot of time reading the manuals.

Hey, did I tell you we had a bear. NO, I mean we HAD a bear. I was sitting in my chair reading one of those trashy magazines, glass of wine in hand, mid day and I heard a snort and a grunt and turned around and there he was. About 15 feet away right in the middle of the campsight. I'll tell you, I thought my heart was going to stop. I knew better than to run, so I just stood up calmly and started backing up very slowly. The dog, Mocha, was standing at my feet, hair on her back standing straight up and growling, wasn't sure what it was. I think because she looks just like a cub bear and her coloring was identical to the bears.

Anyway, I hollered and screamed bear and it did not stop







then, thankfully, it turned it's head to sniff the toothpaste that I had sitting on the wash station which ws basically a tree stump, and at that point I made a run for it. Straight for the trailer I went. The kids were inside playing cards at the time but saw the commotion and were absolutely freaking out. As soon as I hit the trailer the door flew open and I dove in clearing the steps (so I thought).....like head first into home plate. I slid in. The dog jumped on my back and the kids slammed the door behind me. It wasn't until a few hours later that I realized I had smacked both shins on steps when I dove in.







I had bruises for a week.

I have seen bears many of times but mostly in the dark. Never have I had one join me for a cocktail......sheesh!

Well, I'll let you know how trailer driving school goes. Hopefully I'll give it a go before the end of the year.

Talk to you soon. sunny

lisa


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## kjp1969

76 cougar said:


> Glad all is working out. Im wondering did you ever find out why the other back tire was flat and if it could have been part of the cause?
> [snapback]47675[/snapback]​


I never considered whether a blowout preceded the crash, but I don't think so. . . but the trailer was so beat up it was hard to tell what was culprit and what was victim.

Glensteers, yes, we got a new trailer a month later and camped all summer 2004, we had reservations to keep, after all! Actually, our kids didn't show nearly as much shell shock as I did- once I got confidence in the new TV/TT/Hensley hitch, all was well. But I certainly give towing a lot more respect now than before.

Lisa, Zoinks! At least you know your dog was ready to defend you. Bears from a distance are pretty neat, but I wouldn't want one trying to read over my shoulder.

Kevin P.


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## matty1

glad to hear things are OK.. I agree with a lot of the others, my Reese DC was setup all wrong by the dealer, they even used the wrong bolts- they were so tiny. one had snapped which made me notice them.. Dealer overnighted the correct parts, but most everything else was adjusted wrong.


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## cts_alberta

I haven't been able to get online much lately and my mouth just dropped to the floor 







when I read about your experience. The Big Guy upstairs was watching over you guys that day... I too am glad to hear that you all walked away from it. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

... Carolyn


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## RizFam

Hi Kevin,

I have just read about your horrifying experience & cried the entire time








Thank God is right! You are truly Blessed!

I realize 2 yrs have pasted since the accident, & I was wondering how your 6 yr old little girl is now? I give you & your wife a lot of credit to get back out there after such a traumatizing experience.

Tami


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## N7OQ

That is some sobering story. I read it to my wife and she was just as shocked as I was maybe even more. My wife had a experience on the Grapevine so she now hates it. She was driving to Disneyland with my Son and a friend and her daughter (I had to stay home and work) and was heading up the Grapevine. They had come to the top of a hill when they drove into a down pour A car in frond of her went sideways and roller over and a small truck next to her also went sideways and rolled over, it was so close that has she had the window open she could have touched the tail gate. Luckily no one hit hurt and she remembered what I had told her to do in a hydroplane situation. She kept the wheel straight and did not hit the brake, just took her foot off the gas and let the van slow down on it's own. When she called me she was crying and was pretty shook up, my Son thought is was cool, I think he was only 8 then.

We have been on the Grapevine 2 times sense that happened and even though I was driving she was nervous. After I read the story she said she did not want to pull the trailer up or down the Grapevine.

I'm so glad that everyone was OK in this accedent and everything turned out OK. I though real hard about the Hensley Arrow but decided on the Equil-i-zer and so far it has worked out great I just hope it stays that way.

Even thought this happened over 2 years ago it is good to bring up once in awhile.


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## kjp1969

Our kids are faring fine- we've camped so many times since then that I think the good memories have long since overpowered the bad.

Not so for the first couple of months- everyone was so excited to have our "little house on wheels" and we spent the first month or so outfitting it. Our oldest was almost 5 at the time, and is almost 7 now. She drew quite a few pictures of the trailer, some with her crying over it. Yes, she was pretty shell shocked, but then again we all were.

Luckily, that's all in the past. We had the foresight to realize that thousands upon thousands of people pulled trailers all over the country without a problem, and that we just had a one-time bad experience. We bought new stuff, including a Hensley, and forced ourselves to get back out there.

Like I said, all is well. I just hope that everyone who reads this goes out and checks all their nuts and bolts and stays shiney side up.

Kevin P.


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## Reverie

May God bless and keep us all safe and in his loving arms and my you and your family know peace.

Amen


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