Truck towing overloaded kills, driver gets felony charges.

[rich1023]

That doesn't look like a 37k lb boat to me.

Here's a 35k lb boat

Journalism continues to live up to its usual high standards

It's powered by two 8.3 QSC Cummins --

Was she (the white sport fisher w/ two 8.3's) built in Central America? Looks a lot like a boat I remember from Pto. Calero.

 

[Fallon]

What are max acceptable brake temps generally?

2014 F350 pulling a 12k lbs 35' toy hauler over some of the Colorado back country passes has been a bit fun. I engine brake hard, but still pull over a bit part way down some of the steeper passes. IR temp gun on one this summer had the front rotors at almost 500F. I dug out the leaf blower to help cool things down on that one.

 

[ruffdog]

I pulled a four axle trailer for years and all of them had at least one axle that turned, some spring loaded on king pins, some some with a front turntable. When they didn't due to mechanical failure they resisted turning quite a bit. None of our 3 axle trailers had a turning axle but all of the four axle did.

If that trailer had no steering axles, I wonder if a 1500 truck could even turn it on pavement?

 

[timswi]

If that trailer had no steering axles, I wonder if a 1500 truck could even turn it on pavement?

Well. At 37k with 10% tongue weight it probably would have put the 1500 on the back bumper or destroyed the whole rear of the truck first. I'm sure someone tried this though, that's why there are warning labels on shampoo lol.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

What are max acceptable brake temps generally?

2014 F350 pulling a 12k lbs 35' toy hauler over some of the Colorado back country passes has been a bit fun. I engine brake hard, but still pull over a bit part way down some of the steeper passes. IR temp gun on one this summer had the front rotors at almost 500F. I dug out the leaf blower to help cool things down on that one.

I was pulling a 10K trailer with my gasser over passes all summer. One grade varies in amount of grade, but drops 2600 feet in 12 miles. I was taught that service brakes are for emergency stops on a down grade, not for controlling speed except for the occasional minor slowdown for a sharp corner. Speed control is a matter of engine compression and gearing. I rarely touched my brakes in 10,000 miles of mountain pass driving, but saw a lot of people who rarely took their foot off the brake pedal.

 

[the old grind]

There's a difference in surge couplers too that not all are aware of. Most (Bulldog, Dico) operate on forward surge alone. As the brakes grab they ease up on actuation and let the truck's brakes do their share. I always preferred Atwood that actuate on downforce as well as thrust. As the trailer brakes cause the load to 'dive' like any vehicle would they maintain a strong grip and do more overall.

The most times I noticed this was with a 20' boat I towed with a Buick '78 Regal. (tho' never more than 80 mi each way, 20-30 usually) I was in the nabe close to home and used-to how the car's brake's worked on the gravel streets. I was maybe 3x what the car should tow (2" Class II frame-hitch, 4-row trans cooler) while waiting for my pal to sell me his truck too for towing the Aerocraft Mach II.

Anyway, for two seasons within several blocks of home my car stopped noticeably shorter with the boat on the ball and if I'd paid attention perhaps with less pedal pressure. The difference was surprising and I didn't appreciate why right away. Brake wear remained normal and the car was fine for another 30k mi after I bot the truck. ('84 K 2500 HD 4wd, .373s) Extreme point maybe, but a great hands-on 'demo'. Eventually I heard from others how it's possible. Not everyone will agree.

btw, IMO one big thing I learned about boat trailers is that hubs with brake gear will typically come with doulbe-lip seals but not always the others. I put 'em on all axles that ate bearings w/single-lip's and gave away the Bearing Buddies, the funky 'bras', and the rim blotches. I've only ever greased vs replaced bearings after that.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was pulling a 10K trailer with my gasser over passes all summer. One grade varies in amount of grade, but drops 2600 feet in 12 miles. I was taught that service brakes are for emergency stops on a down grade, not for controlling speed except for the occasional minor slowdown for a sharp corner. Speed control is a matter of engine compression and gearing. I rarely touched my brakes in 10,000 miles of mountain pass driving, but saw a lot of people who rarely took their foot off the brake pedal.

This is where I first really appreciated a Diesel Excursion vs a 1500 series gas pickup towing over Siskiyou on I5

Never touched brakes or over-reved with Excursion...

Can't say the same with 1500 gas pickup... although both had more than enough pull it was the stopping and especially motor braking on the long downhills...

 

[Fallon]

I was pulling a 10K trailer with my gasser over passes all summer. One grade varies in amount of grade, but drops 2600 feet in 12 miles. I was taught that service brakes are for emergency stops on a down grade, not for controlling speed except for the occasional minor slowdown for a sharp corner. Speed control is a matter of engine compression and gearing. I rarely touched my brakes in 10,000 miles of mountain pass driving, but saw a lot of people who rarely took their foot off the brake pedal.

I definitely agree & that's how I cross the Ike gauntlet on I70 along with other mainstream passes here in Colorado. My 2014 PowerStroke does pretty on engine braking with a bigger camper. The 2015s & newer do a significantly better job though I hear.

However the main issue I had was Cottonwood pass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonwood_Pass_(Continental_Divide). Hairpin turns with a posted speed limit of 15mph all the way down at a 10% grade. Many sharp enough I couldn't avoid hitting an inside or outside line with tires. Luckily there isn't much traffic there at all.

Limits aren't an issue under normal circumstances, but I'd like to know where they are for abnormal circumstances. Easy enough to check with a temp gun periodically in those abnormal circumstances, but you need to know what an acceptable range is to get value.

 

[billypumper]

Any boat with that width would need a over dimensional permit and an escort possiblity front and back to be allowed on any road, beam meaning width, it was more than likely over height, since he didn't possess a CDL he didn't know the laws or guidelines for hauling such a load, 5000 ticket for him and who he was hauling for, if the company he was hauling boat for or an individual they are liable too for not checking drivers creditials.

 

[billypumper]

After finally getting the picture to come up the trailer might be 44 ft but the boat may go 36 ft. as far back as the boat was on that trailer one would assume hardly any tongue weight, which could have been a factor in not stopping and for making for an uncontrollable situation, the truck looks to be SRW configuration which would be 14.000 max on trailer weight, 22,000 gooseneck which is not part of this equation.