Exceeding Weight Limit Blamed for Accident

[bobcat92]

Sad article on an accident attributed to a tv being over loaded.

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...lice-determine

I wonder what type of hitch was being used and brake controller? They were only several miles from their destination.

Makes you think about your own tv and trailer.

[HOOK]

Recently had a customer shopping for a Toy Hauler 5er. Three axles, 15000 lbs dry. He had a Toyota 1/2 ton p/up, rated at ten thousand lbs. Made him extremely angry when I Told him he needed more truck. He abruptly told me that the trk salesman told him it would tow anything, and if I didn't want to sell him a trailer he'd just go somewhere else.I slept very well.

[DQDick]

That's a horrible story. A Durango is just a Dakota with a little different body on it. Not really built to pull a large trailer.

[HamRad]

quote:Originally posted by bobcat92

Sad article on an accident attributed to a tv being over loaded.

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...lice-determine

I wonder what type of hitch was being used and brake controller? They were only several miles from their destination.

Makes you think about your own tv and trailer.

This is so horrible! The family has been torn apart!

I have read and reread the article and I cannot find any reference to the tow vehicle being overloaded. Everything I could find pointed to the trailer being overloaded. Someone help me. Thanks, HamRad

[Old_Salty]

Absolutely tragic. Long heavy trailer and short wheel base TV is never a good combination. Had that type of combination once - was work to tow and sway was a problem. SUV suspensions are just too soft to make good tow vehicles for anything heavy. Although the article was from 2008, I doubt the newer vehicles are much better in that type of combination.

[1retired06]

Dodge Durango and a 35 foot trailer? Not a good match. Very unfortunate.

[DQDick]

Hamrad, the problem isn't necessary only the weight. We had a Dakota and towed an 18' TT with it, at times in the Kansas wind. The dealer I bought it from told me if I was going to tow it with that light weight truck I needed a top of the line self equalizing hitch and stabilizer bars. He was absolutely correct and mine was only 18' long. Coming down hill with too much weight on the back will not only affect your ability to brake but also your ability to steer. Add to that the tendency of a TT to wag the dog and you have the possibility of a bad situation.

[bncinwv]

The 2005 Durango with a V-8 and towing package was rated to tow 8,650 pounds. The article does not give the vehicle specifics, however. Knowing this road, I would say that the combo gained speed and as a result at the higher speeds swaying of the trailer occurred. We pulled a similar trailer with a half-ton pickup for a couple of years and were borderline on the combo, had a very good equalizing hitch, but even with that swaying was an issue. One of the first things learned is when the tail starts to sway, do not hit the brake pedal, but rather hit the brake controller manual switch to stop the swaying and then learn from the experience and slow down!! That stretch of 77 is heavily patrolled but even then there are many, many driver speeding on the downhill stretches without even realizing it. A sad result, but an entirely preventable situation.
Bingo

[richfaa]

It said the trailer was the cause just not enough truck for the TT and that is a all to common problem with Rv'ers. We towed TT's up to 2006 and we have a fortune tied up in the proper tow equipment.

[richfaa]

quote:Originally posted by HOOK

Recently had a customer shopping for a Toy Hauler 5er. Three axles, 15000 lbs dry. He had a Toyota 1/2 ton p/up, rated at ten thousand lbs. Made him extremely angry when I Told him he needed more truck. He abruptly told me that the trk salesman told him it would tow anything, and if I didn't want to sell him a trailer he'd just go somewhere else.I slept very well.

We had many of the same experiences when Helen and I sold RV's at the Rv shows. I carried the truck tow rating with me on a clip board and told the customer the truth. some walked away and purchased elsewere.

[drsmart]

Very sad. I read that article shortly after it happened since I'm from Hamilton, Ontario.

Some forum members label those of us that preach the importance of the right TV for the trailer, "The Weight Police". More so in another well known RV forum. Most on the MOC know what they're doing considering the weight we're pulling and being versed in Murphy's law.

Dave

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by drsmart

Very sad. I read that article shortly after it happened since I'm from Hamilton, Ontario.

Some forum members label those of us that preach the importance of the right TV for the trailer, "The Weight Police". More so in another well known RV forum. Most on the MOC know what they're doing considering the weight we're pulling and being versed in Murphy's law.

Dave

While there is little doubt weight had a significant part in what happened, I'd be willing to wager there were other factors, like no sway control or load leveling devices used. Years ago, I saw a car with a bumper hitch (remember those?) pulling a flat bed trailer with a car on it, at 70mph. Every pavement seam caused the bumper to flex. When I sped up, may dad asked what was going on. I slowed to show him the car and said I didn't want to be around when everything came apart.

As some folks rightfully say, you can't fix stupid.

[HamRad]

Kudos to those of you who sell trailers and are honest about truck capability. In my younger days I pulled an old TT and if I got going too fast the trailer would try to outrun my truck! No fun! So I just slowed down and it worked fine. Thankfully we didn't pull it too much. Just had it set up and left at CG.

Thanks for extra info about the article. It certainly points out the danger of an overloaded trailer! You can't be too careful. Safe Travels to everyone. Dennis

[Art-n-Marge]

I've never did like the term weight police for those of us who like to remain within specification. It kind of puts the emphasis for something wrong on the wrong party. Actually, it's the ones who don't have any regard for safety that should be called, "Weight crooks" (and I'm being nice) where the label should be.

Since there is so much chance of things going wrong under normal conditions, anyone who willingly goes against safety recommendations are crooked in the sense that they don't want to follow these recommendations. Ignorance to your weights and capabilities is NOT an excuse and continues with the crookedness of their lifestyle.

Salesmen that regard what's NOT right are doing a disservice to everyone around them. Owners who go elsewhere to find that disservice aren't helping either. I don't think there is enough coverage about this problem. When I towed trailers for that brief 3 month period I encountered this all the time, but when you counter with regulations and safety, the arguments ended and sanity prevailed. I quit because I got fed up with the insanity of impatience, ignorance and callousness of what goes on out there.

That's my opinion.

[Ol Tanker]

I really don't mind the term weight police, I was one for real and dealt with commercial vehicles as well as haz mat vehicles. I have been called several kinds of names by RVers when I pointed out that they didn't have enough truck.

Lots of us have rigs that are out of weight specs. I find very few ever even visit a truck scale to find out the axle load and pin load of the combined vehicles much less get the rig weighed for side to side comparisons. The RV manufacturers use the minimum tires and axles to get the rigs out the door. I once saw a Mobile Suites for sale new in 05 that had a total cargo capacity of less than 600 lbs when it was empty. Fill the fresh water tank and it was already overloaded by more than 200 lbs. with nothing else loaded into it.

How many of you with drum trailer brakes have ever gone underneath to adjust the pads? They normally do not come with an automatic adjustment system on them. The magnetic brake system is weak to begin with and if the pads are not adjusted regularly it is easy to find the only brakes slowing you down are the tow vehicle's. That can cause fishtailing and a jack knife. Getting the trailer brakes adjustment checked was a big issue for commercial drivers and almost none of them ever really checked. They just applied the brakes in the yard and if the rig stopped went on their way. Heat the drums, they expand and the pads don't seat firmly any more. Works the same for RV trailers but our brakes are inherently weaker with less force to apply to the pads and less "reach" available to do it with. I check mine a minimum of once a year and adjust them with a regular brake adjusting "spoon".

[richfaa]

weight police, that's us.It is only common sense. We complain about cheap unsafe tires yet have no idea what we weigh.We weigh once a year at one rally or another.

[farmboy]

I totally agree with the tail wagging the dog, but 3 years ago I saw a 3/4t with a 30'+tt on I-65 with the trailer on the guard rail and truck rearend up in the air still attached to trailer. Never found out what out happened. JME.

[bobcat92]

This really hit home. The first tt we had was about the same weight but not the length only 28'. Used the F250 as the TV and purchased an equalizer hitch. It handled really well. The only time I had an issue with sway was when we had a side wind that was gusting up to 45 mph. Just slowed down and it took care of the issue. You have to feel for the two young ones that will grow up without parents. Haven't seen to many small SUVs pulling large TTs which is probably a good thing.

[Art-n-Marge]

Don't come out to California bobcat92. There are so many obvious overloads it's sad. I have my 3/4-1 ton truck that is well within weight specs and while I don't drive 55mph I don't consider myself unsafe since I never drive out of control. Others with the same truck and vastly heavier loads or less truck with obviously too much of a load blow past us at 70 or more mph. The main interstate I use for venturing out has lots of pretty long hills and the poor drivers and errant loads to go with it.

It got so bad, the local police hired an officer that all he does is gets both commercial and private violators. Word is, this guy is VERY busy just catching the ones that stop off in our town. The town's name is Temecula, so watch yourself if you stop here and "don't look compliant". There are real weight police out there now.

You can't fix stupid, but you pray that their stupidity is not gonna affect you!

[JandC]

Sad sad story. I am trying to convince an older friend of mine that he shouldn't pull a 32' TT with a 1/2 ton but some idiot salesmen told him it had a big 8 cylinder engine "that could handle" that much weight!