Uncoupled trailer at 60 MPH...

[SkiGuy1980]

Today was a first for me... I was on 65 in Nashville and traffic was moving along even though it was a bit busy. This guy in a large Toyota truck passed me pulling an empty jet ski or dolly trailer (forgive me... I didn't initially pay him much attention). Anyway... he pulls back in front of me a couple hundred feet ahead... then hits a rough patch on the interstate and the trailer starts dancing (one wheel into the air then down... then the other one launches)! I slowed and thankfully so did those around and behind me. After whipping sideways left then right several times the coupler had had enough and the tongue pops away from the truck breaking both chains from the force. Now, there's a runaway trailer careening down the interstate spinning and whipping from one gaurd rail to the other. I felt like an Indy car driver weaving through the bolts and busted crap from the trailer. It looked like the trailer finally stopped with the back up to a bridge railing.

I've had a trailer or 2 feel a little squirrely on me in the past and today was a good reminder to take it easy when towing. You never know what the road surface might present (or what sudden stop you may have to make). Be careful out there.

 

[Tassie 1]

Scary stuff,
you never know when the wheels... or something else... are going to fall off,

 

[Old Ironmaker]

That sure is scary stuff boy's and girl's. I had my trailer tongue uncouple from the ball, which I am told by everyone is impossible. The latch was down and the lock was on and locked, nothing is impposible. Lucky I was going about 25 MPH and the chains did their job but it sure put a nice scar in my new Silverado's tailgate to the tune of $1500.00. Man you are lucky.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

I've heard of people having trailers come uncoupled but their outcomes were far less violent than what I witnessed. Of course, none of them were trying to pull a small empty trailer at 65-70 mph. After it finally paused at the side of the road I could laugh at the piroets that it did (tongue up, spinning like a top standing straight up). I know the fella that was towing it looked like he'd just been whooped. Probably smacked the back of his truck pretty hard.

 

[Tassie 1]

That sure is scary stuff boy's and girl's. I had my trailer tongue uncouple from the ball, which I am told by everyone is impossible. The latch was down and the lock was on and locked, nothing is impposible. Lucky I was going about 25 MPH and the chains did their job but it sure put a nice scar in my new Silverado's tailgate to the tune of $1500.00. Man you are lucky.

I had the same experience in my earlier post, which l edited coz it was giving War and Peace a run for it's money lengthwise,
The unrated safety chains saved the day for me after the cast coupling and safety catch broke after hitting a small dip in the road with a empty 6 x4 trailer,
wasn't far from home so did the naughty thing and crawled home, pulled up once for cars to go past etc
quiet country road..

 

[Scott Danforth]

years ago we had a race car on the trailer coming home from the track. felt a tug at the trailer, turned to look to see the trailer coming around to pass in the other lane. coupler came off (turns out jaw had broken), and the tug was the chains letting loose.

so we did what anyone could do to prevent an accident...... we nudged the trailer off into the ditch to watch a spectacular nose-dive of the tongue into the dirt....flip... and watch the race-car get smashed.

 

[Grub54891]

^^Ouch!^^!

Several years ago, a friend was riding the motorcycle with her husband, a truck went past them, she said it didn't look right.
She looked back and the car came off the hauler, zig zagged down the highway and hit another oncoming car.
Luckily she was an emt, and helped the people till the ambulance arrived. Nobody seriously injured but it could have been much worse.

Another time my boss was cruising the interstate, and saw a cloud of dust in the medium, what emerged from the cloud of dust was a double wide snowmobile trailer, flipping through the air. It shot right over the hood of his truck, bending the antenna, not touching anything else as it flew in to the ditch across both lanes of traffic. To dam close for me!

 

[Harritwo]

Years ago, with a 1/2 ton ford, i was towing a 16' tandem axle utility trailer with a 55 Dodge Pickup on it. Towed it 400 miles. THe last 20 miles or so, everytime i would take off or stop, i felt some slack. When i got home and ready to unhook, the trailer ball i was using was in 3 pieces. It was the old style U-Haul ball with a carriage bolt in the center. The bolt was still there, the ball was in pieces but held sort of together in the coupling. Have always used a 1 piece ball since then. Wont even consider using a multi ball or anything like that.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

I have to tell you that this experience has me double checking my hitch when I hook up and when I stop for gas while on the road. I just can't imagine how much damage a 5000 pound boat and trailer could do to oncoming traffic!
The sticky's have an interesting video or two about tongue weight and the impact that has on stability of the rig.

 

[racerone]

Many things are regulated, and some appear to be over regulated.------When a 3 year old vehicle is sold in my area it has to looked over and " safety checked " at a licensed facility.----But if someone owns a vehicle for 15 years it does not need a periodic safety check.------Cars are equipped with all kinds of safety do dads.------Cars are now equipped with electronic toys / controls that are difficult to operate by feel or in the dark !------Camper trailers appear to be shoddily built with few safety standards.----When a trailer is factory built it has to meet certain standards.-----Many trailers are registered as " home built " and nobody inspect the thing !!-------Built a tandem axle with my neighbor 33 years ago and it is still around.------I asked the neighbor if he wanted to do and learn the welding.------He said ---" no you are doing just fine " and did not want a shoddy weld on a trailer for his 1966 Chris Craft 23" boat.----Saw some folks load free boat on an undersize trailer a few years ago at a shop.----It looked like a disaster waiting to happen.------Shop owner did not stop them.----I think th4ey did make it home some how.-----Around here roads are closed in the winter for safety concerns.-----Anybody can take their rotten $1000 boat out onto Lake Huron on a warm stormy day with no certificate of boat condition or operator ability at all.--------Safety is sometimes a much misunderstood concept !!

 

[jbcurt00]

racerone please avoid posting to old inactive topics.

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