Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[3930dave]

Big problem with campers is they are made to be lightweight, and lots of the internal storage is up high. Once people get them loaded up and start traveling they're quite top-heavy.

Bingo.

Marble counter-tops don't help either.

Rgds, D.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I might be wrong, but seeing that combination upside down with the trailer still in line with the Cadillac, I suspect he had tried to eliminate sway and had adjusted his hitch with the sway adjuster too stiff and with too little weight on the rear tires. I think he was going so fast that he swerved when he reached a gentle curve. He was lucky there was no impact, just a lot of grinding on the roof of the trailer and against the center divider as he slid to a standstill. He was still aimed neatly downhill when I came upon him.

Here's the location - (static photo. That live webcam is at Magnifeye.com - Traffic Webcams for the Truckee/Tahoe area). Cars run 75+ down that grade because they expect there is nothing but open road and gentle curves ahead, trucks 20 mph because its so steep.

I defer to your local knowledge of the area.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Good buddy of mine lost control on black ice in a K5 Blazer. He was doing about 40 miles a hour and hit a cement culvert. He just had the spare tire laying behind the back seat and a 2" trailer ball. The ball went through the front window. The spare tire folded down the back seat, broke the passengers seat from the floor, and pushed the dash into the firewall.

He was lucky, both of those objects could have killed him.

Chris

 

[California]

I defer to your local knowledge of the area.

Well, 20 years with the hwy department. Here's a similar photo of the grade a few miles west.

Related to towing that went wrong - here's my story of a brand new truck escape ramp. I went out to review the contractor payment records for the project. Nothing special, just the routine review to meet a Federal requirement to verify that funds they contributed, were actually spent as intended. (Some places, not California, I've heard that these reviews occasionally catch real money that went for imaginary projects.) I walked in to the regional construction office and learned the new escape ramp had just served its first customer. A fully loaded moving van, cargo 40k lbs, went in and most of the way to the end. No injury, maybe dented fuel tanks. A big wrecker went to drag him back out and on the first try all he did was pull down a light pole. The engineers were discussing an addition to the project for anchors that a wrecker could pull against. The atmosphere was a mix of humor and the realization they may have just saved a trucker's life.

 

[sixdogs]

Big problem with campers is they are made to be lightweight, and lots of the internal storage is up high. Once people get them loaded up and start traveling they're quite top-heavy.

I live near a very windy stretch of highway and it is a common sight to see a couple of campers a year get blown over in high winds. Semis, too and every now and then the high winds will blow over an empty semi that's going too fast. Sometimes even loaded. Happens once or twice a year.

 

[California]

When towing goes wrong ...

 

[4570Man]

Today I saw a s10 with a load of scrap metal in the back towing a trailer with a lawn mower and more scrap metal on it. The bumper was a few inches off the ground and of course none was tied down.

 

[fordmantpw]

and of course none was tied down.

Pfft! It's all scrap, why tie it down? :laughing:

 

[4570Man]

Pfft! It's all scrap, why tie it down? :laughing:

It was mostly old engine blocks and transmission housings. They aren't going anywhere. Especially since he was only going 40 mph down the interstate.

 

[LouieJunior]