No Serious Injuries

[MGfromBC]

It was a busy day on a busy highway and I was the first on the scene.  They could only have been seconds ahead of me.  Four people and 3 dogs.  Two people were taken to hospital, one was for stitches only and the other was to also have a closer look at her ankle.

I can't say for sure what happened.  The road has a series of S-curves in this area.  The woman driving may have overcorrected on one of them.  She said it started suddenly and she just kept trying to stay between the river and the ditch.  She stayed on the pavement.

I don't tow a trailer, but I've read about weight distribution, sway bars and a routine inspection every time you head out.

Don't look to me for advice, I wouldn't know where to start.  I just want to remind people to be safe and have a great summer.

MG

 

[kklowell]

I'm glad no one was seriously hurt in that wreck.
Proper weight distribution makes a huge difference in trailer handling... a lesson I learned the hard way.

 

[RoamerRV428]

wow...scary stuff truly

nightmares of made of this crap

so happy no one hurt!!!

 

[ckelly78z]

Lots of adjustments to make on the hitch, and bars to prevent that. If it is behaving badly, slow down, and don't jump on the brakes. Wind gust, and pavement variations will contribute to the problem, as well as passing semi trucks.

 

[RoamerRV428]

and the driver, who ever knows what goes on inside the vehicle a moment before catastrophe truly? no one....very personal stuff all geared at who is driving truly and reactions.

 

[PeterPiper]

They should make video recording standard on all vehicles. Might not hurt to have basic recording of speed, braking, accelerating and lateral acceleration available too.

 

[66788]

and the driver, who ever knows what goes on inside the vehicle a moment before catastrophe truly?  no one....very personal stuff all geared at who is driving truly and reactions.

Sphincter factor was probably so high that one couldn't drive a straight pin up it with a two pound sledge hammer.

 

[RoamerRV428]

HA HA 'dat true! LOL

you know the **** I see when driving near other drivers....shoving giant amts of food down their throats while driving and holding a phone at the same time or you see people doing all kinds of crazy azz things from trying to put on mascara in the friggin' rear view while driving............are the eyes ever really on the damn road where they belong LOL who knows

 

[crofter]

Here is another stupid award.
-crofter

 

[MotorVation]

A few months ago I was on the Ehrenberg-Parker road headed to Parker. I was doing exactly the speed limit. Some ******* behind me floored his rig and swung around me complete with a dirty look that I acknowledged with my middle finger. Anyway, here's the good part. After he got around me I guess he was trying to impress me with his superior driving skills until his trailer started swaying back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. He didn't flip it but I have to say I really enjoyed the driving lesson and the show too

 

[gizmotron]

I was heading out of Sedona, Az getting back on Interstate 40 leaving Flagstaff west when an undersized SUV was towing a 20ft trailer. It began to weave back and forth. The driver did not slow down and the weaving was getting worse. The trailer pulled the SUV over when it flipped over and the two connected vehicles slip down the Interstate for several hundred feet on their side. It was a clear case of using too short of a vehicle at it's maximin towing capacity. There was not much wind. But when a big 18 wheeler passes by it sucks the trailer over casing the minimal tow vehicle to swerve. The driver appeared to not have much experience as the trailer still had new, off the lot, temporary tags. And he let it keep oscillating back and forth. It looked like a very late model car too.

I was driving an extended bed and cab Ford F-250 diesel towing a 35ft Holiday Rambler that weighed in at 12,000 lbs. The entire setup came in at 57ft long. That longer tow vehicle made it nice when the suck of the 18 wheelers went past. Even with the steering parts all refitted to new it still pulled just a little. That SUV was way too short and lightweight. You see setups like that every once in a while. People try to get by with maxed out tow vehicles. If the trailer is pushing the tow rig around then it might be time to consider a lighter trailer or a longer heavier tow vehicle.

 

[MGfromBC]

Here's a well done video that clearly shows some of the right and wrong things to do when towing.

https://fb.watch/7i_gAO87w5/

MG

 

[TravelingZombies]

We saw a truck pulling a long cargo trailer pass a semi doing about 85 mph who experienced really bad trailer sway but recovered but pure terror look on his face as we passed by quickly. Semi driver saw what was happening and slowed down and gave him room to recover or worse. No anti-sway bars seen on trailer.

 

[TooFarGone]

Goodness. This discussion is so interesting. I've never driven a vehicle towing a trailer, nor had any training in how to do that. I sometimes see some trailers being towed along the highway and kind of cringe - and wonder if the driver has ANY idea WTF they are doing.

I'm hoping to get out on the road as a snowbird in my minivan this winter. As I've explored vehicle options, a small camping trailer has been suggested. My reply is thanks, those are nice but I have no desire to deal with towing a trailer. If I need something bigger than my minivan I'll look at a cargo van. I'm sure that if I'd learned when I was a lot younger about towing and had some experience, I'd be less reluctant, but I'll be traveling alone and just don't want the aggravation and complications, when a single vehicle will do me just fine.