Towing an RV trailer...

[johnboy]

... can be hazardous to your health!

The Missus and I, with another couple in their own rig, headed up north yesterday for our annual week long trip to a place called Cluxewe ( a real nice campground right on the water north of Port McNeil on the Island). All was fine, warm, sunny but pretty breezy with big gusts that were moving the rig around some. I've got my old 2500HD hooked to my 26' Terry which I have hauled up the same stretch of road many times.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we crashed. Sort of. We were coming down a long hill section with a gradual left hander at the bottom when we hit a big swale or heave in the road that set the trailer to wiggling then swinging violently side to side. It was pushing my truck all over the road, side to side with no control on my part. The trailer actually flipped on its side at some point (and maybe the other side as well, don't know) but came back up and I managed to bring everything to a halt - in the middle of the road and facing the other direction. Did a 180 with a big, heavy truck and a trailer. Trailer stayed attached to the truck which amazed everyone who saw it.

Thankfully there was no traffic coming the other way or I think we all would be dead. Lots of logging up that way and these trucks are monstrous. Would have squashed us like a bug.

As it was, both of us shaken but no serious injuries. Trailer is a total write off and my poor truck has a couple of big dents in the pass side of the box where the trailer came around and hit it. I'm still not sure how that part happened but think it was when it was on its side trying to pass me.

Seriously scarey shit guys! And it all happened in the blink of an eye. So fast from fat and happy to sitting in the cab wondering what the hell just happened.

Don't really know the cause (bumpy road, big gust of wind? all of the above) as we were not speeding (90kph) and all equipment was in good shape on both units -tires, shocks, hitch etc. all pretty new.

One comment from one of the attendees (tow truck guy) said we were pretty lucky to have a heavy 1 ton rated truck - heavy frame etc. A lighter 1/2 ton would have flipped with the trailer and who knows from there.

So all youse trailer towing dufes check your rigs and make sure you have enough truck to pull AND stop the load.

[Sunshine]

Holy Toledo!!!!! Dang!!!
Sorry to hear this, but sure glad you all made it!!!

[Captain]

Good Lord man. So glad y'all are OK. Sorry to hear all your stuff is torn up. Sounds like y'all took one hell of a ride. And are VERY lucky!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Buckrub]

My gosh, John. You are lucky to be alive. Wow.

I have enough truck.......finally........but I'm still slightly porpoising. 65mph is my max, but the truck is such a beast it creeps up if I don't pay attention. I'm no expert towing, but I've done it enough to know that it's squirrley and can change in an instant, and go south.

So, now you have to start over. Here are some things I'd consider if I was starting over.........just food for thought.

http://www.totalloadcontrolsuspensions.com/

http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Blue-Ox/BXW1500.html

There are pure 'no sway' WDH's available. Blue ox is one. Anderson is one. There is another that is expensive but is the best, and I can't find my saved URL for it, still looking.

http://hensleymfg.com/

http://www.andersenhitches.com/Catalog/andersen-nosway-weight-distribution-hitch.aspx

http://www.propridehitch.com/pages/Hensley-Arrow-Hitch-Reconditioned-Price-Match.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwuYOeBRCy3pLljpjDkDcSJAAhA 4mt4n2aTc_e_x-lc9r_ro6aScAq1OprA3rwo9hdU8MyARoCvJnw_wcB

Still shaking a bit just re-reading this........wow. Thank God y'all are ok..........

Also, tires matter. Big discussion on truck tires vs. trailer tires (sidewall construction is the big difference).

Oh, also..........I don't know if your TT manufacturer has a "Owners Forum" but mine (Forest River) does, and the experienced guys at that site are way more help than any dealer, or in fact, anyone. They've done it all, and know it all. Even if you don't own that brand, this site is absolutely essential..........

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/

[Thumper]

Wow! Glad all turned out as well as possible. I'm just wondering ... are you running a 5th wheel on your rig?

If not, get yourself a Hensley Hitch for the next one. Back in the day we towed race cars (on trailers) we'd have a heck of a problem with sway. I think most of it was weight distribution on the trailer. Once we went to a covered trailer, those side forces really kicked in at times to make things even worse ... many times all it took was a passing semi .. it can really get spooky!

Man-o-man Johnboy ... again, it's good to hear you and Bev are ok ... it could have gotten real nasty.

[Thumper]

Ooops! Looks like Bucky beat me to it. I'm a slow hunt-n-peck typist.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Whooooooie! You didn't mention the stain on your seats. Do you run anti-sawy bars on your trailer? I remember Gary telling a story about his boat passing him once. Hard to imagine almost 40 feet of vehicle and trailer swapping ends. Man.

Glad you're safe!

BKB

[Thumper]

Sway bars help ... sometimes ... but they really don't address the real problem ... they just mask it. BUT ... they're better than nothing.

There's a ton of physics and geometry that enters the picture when towing. As long as everything is close to being in good shape ... you can get by. But add some oddball forces in the equation and things can go to shit in a heartbeat!

[Buckrub]

John, I don't have your email. Email me and I'll send you a white paper on sway by Hensley.

But if I had your money, I'd get a Pro Pride. :)

[johnboy]

Thanks guys and girl. Yeah, we really are lucky to be alive. If we had hit the steep, deep ditches on both sides of the road we would have flipped the truck for sure. If any poor soul had been coming the other way.... Im still running this through my mind looking for something I could have done but it all happened so damm fast! All I was concentrating on was keeping the truck on the pavement by the time it really started to swing around.

Bucky, please, please check your rig if it feels even a little squirrley or is porpoising at any time. It is unbelievable how fast this shit happens. You have a great tow truck so maybe a little tweaking is all it will take to get it just right. A question - does your trailer suspension include shocks? Some do but most don't. I'm convinced that a good set of trailer shocks would eliminate a lot of the porpoising that we get.

Believe me I really though everything was in great shape as I'm really particular about that stuff. The morning before we left I checked EVERYTHING. All the tires air pressure on both units, sway bars setup for optimum ride - everything was fine but something bit my ass for sure.

I think the downhill movement coupled to the big whoop just upset the trailer balance to the point it started bouncing and swaying and there was no coming back - too quick.

Not sure I ever want to haul another trailer ever again.

[Chicken Dinner]

Wowzers! Glad you guys are okay.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'd stay puckered up for a long good while.

I think sometimes there is nothing you can do to avoid those things from happening. I think I'd seek some real professional advice before I arrived at that conclusion, but it really and truly might end up being just one of those things.

BKB

[Buckrub]

Lot of variables. I'm curious what brand of hitch you had, the weight of the trailer (true weight), what type of truck (same one as when I was there?? surely not!??), whether you were "loaded to the gills" with firewood or whatever............ and what kind of road you were on. Why was it bouncing? Good paved road? Interstate (or whatever you guys call them)??? Backroad? What?

$2400 is crazy for a hitch, but.........the ProPride supposedly stops all this type thing..........

And I forwarded the email on sway..........I just got it, and I need to go read it in depth.

Oh, and my last trip was a very short one, only about 40 miles, mostly 2 lane slow driving but good roads. I got lazy and didn't re-air the tires to 75 lbs (they are down to 60 when driving in town to keep from bouncing me all over in city driving). I think if I'd have aired them back up, it would have been fine. Which I'd do for a trip of any length......or probably ANY trip next time I pull it. If that solves the problem, fine. If not, I'll investigate changing washers in the hitch, etc.

[DeputyDog]

Man-o-man, glad to hear that everyone made it through ok. Too bad about the rig though. I'm with you, I don't think I'd be in any hurry to pull any type of trailer for quite awhile.

[johnboy]

Bill, got that paper in email. Thanks for sending it. We were using the standard sway control hitch set up. Not sure of the brand name but it seems like a pretty heavy, sturdy piece of equipment. Did notice that one (or both?) of the sway control bars are bent upwards a bit after the accident. I think they did the job as best as possible but were just overwhelmed. The hitch on the truck looks a bit bent as well and I would never use it again to tow anything. Will be replaced.

Not sure of the actual, loaded weight of the trailer but the sticker on the side says GAWR of 3500lbs (per axel) so could go to 7000lbs total. There must be something somewhere that tells you the real, empty weight of the unit but I don't remember seeing it. Anyway, we were loaded for a week of camping, full water tank which is in a stupid place in my opinion being at the rear of the unit and making for a great pendulum as I found out.

Yup, same truck. Big Brown, now almost 14 years old but in perfect shape and was looking good (just washed and shined her up for the trip). New rubber (running 50 front, 75 rear), new hd shocks, front end tight, brakes all replaced a few years ago. Running great. Box was pretty much empty.

Road is a two lane, twisty, lots of up and down sections and pretty whoopy in places. Lots of heavy truck traffic so it has some wheel indentations in some parts and lots of patches. Pretty standard secondary road that sees a lot of heavy truck traffic at times (only way to get up north Island). Was speaking to the tow truck driver and he commented that he knows that piece of road and has had issues there himself when towing a loaded flatbed - whoop in asphalt at bottom of hill upset his rig and he almost lost it there so I guess it wasn't just me.

The article comments on not using the trailer brakes to control sway (using manual brake on controller?) and I was thinking after that maybe I should have tried that but it happens so fast that I really don't see how you could do that anyway unless you have reflexes like a fly. Anyway, at that point all I was concentrating on was keeping the truck upright and on the asphalt and let the trailer look after its self.

Heading back up there tomorrow to get some small stuff out that we never thought about like phone chargers and special memento items. It's amazing the amount of crap you have loaded in a trailer you've been using for years. Bev was walking down the highway afterwards picking up silverware and kitchen stuff. Did find my favourite cast iron frying pans laying in the ditch. That was good.

Have to go through all the insurance bumpf tomorrow so I sincerely hope not to get screwed too badly.

Take care truckin!

[BarryBobPosthole]

Maybe that cast iron cookware shifted in the trailer and caused it to go haycod!

BKB

[Bwana]

I can only imagine how scary that event was but glad you came out if it without any major problems.