Do you know how to recover when towing?

A margarita and a good nights sleep !

Sorry, I couldn't resist it !

Jack L

Not quite a towing veteran, but have towed in some very "trial-by-fire" situations of my own when I was younger. Biggest things are proper loading and having adequate braking, but even bigger, being cautious and reducing speed. Yeah it can still happen even if everything is theoretically perfect. But most of the incidents I hear about, and a lot of what I've seen on the road is excessive (negligent) speed.

How many people have had a huge brodozer pickup pulling an even bigger TT, fly by them in the left lane, following the next car at less than 2 seconds (which isn't adequate following distance even at 2 seconds). I see it all the time here on the mountain passes.

Skookum said:

How many people have had a huge brodozer pickup pulling an even bigger TT, fly by them in the left lane, following the next car at less than 2 seconds (which isn't adequate following distance even at 2 seconds). I see it all the time here on the mountain passes.

Click to expand...

Or those towing a trailer that is in a constant sway, speeding by at a a constant speed and the trailer wagging along looking like the next one is going to be the one that tips.  They seem to just accept it as if it's normal.  Sadly, I've seen this more than a couple of times.  I give those folks a very wide berth.

I have had the pleasure of towing a toaster shaped TT (18ft 1984 lynx) with a toaster shaped TV (2000 Astro Van)....

The wind felt like I was constantly fighting the rig to stay on the road, which caused me to tense and made control harder.... Hwy wind and passing tractor trailers were a nightmare....
My policy was slow and steady.  If I felt like things were getting out of control I took my foot off the gas and prayed. (no trailer brakes)

As I was headed home from a rabbit show 4 hours out of town (I was about half way home) I pulled off at a rest stop to rest... I was really feeling fatigued... I'm headed into building and heard squealing... turned around and watched a pick-up (pulling a long "car trailer" style setup that wasn't loaded except for some garden equipment on the tail of the trailer) spin all the way around and stop in the median facing the other direction.  Scared the bejesus out of me.... I rested longer than normal to get my shaking to stop. 

I have a new rig with a 2003 dodge ram and a 2017 Jayco Flight
My new rig setup has a WDH and sway arm, plus dual axels on the trailer and trailer breaks.... I will be doing some practise runs mid Feb as my first rabbit show of the season is beginning of March 2 hours from home.

Skookum said:

...huge brodozer pickup...

Click to expand...

Hahaha - this is definitely my new favorite word! We live in a small, rural town and there are tons of them around!

SarniaTricia said:

I have had the pleasure of towing a toaster shaped TT (18ft 1984 lynx) with a toaster shaped TV (2000 Astro Van)....

Click to expand...

To us, "toaster" means Airstream. When my kids were young, one of them saw an Airstream and said "that camper looks like a toaster"...and it stuck!

Joezeppy said:

Hahaha - this is definitely my new favorite word! We live in a small, rural town and there are tons of them around!

To us, "toaster" means Airstream. When my kids were young, one of them saw an Airstream and said "that camper looks like a toaster"...and it stuck!

Click to expand...

My toaster/toaster combo!

Great thread here. Our new 14-foot cargo trailer is getting fitted to our MH as I type this ? we pick it up tomorrow ? and this will be my first time towing anything ? especially behind a motorhome. My wife though has towed horse trailers with her truck for many years so at least we have some combined experience doing this. An out-of-control trailer with $35,000 worth of motorcycles inside is not something g I want to see in my rear view mirror...

Sorry, Airstreams are not toasters....DW calls them iron lungs.  ;D

BruceinFL said:

Sorry, Airstreams are not toasters....DW calls them iron lungs.  ;D

Click to expand...

I used to call them that until I bought a rebuilt Avion.  I called it WINNER because that is what that shape was.

Bill

I once (recently) investigated a crash involving a 2015+ Cadillac Escalade (the short wheelbase version like a Tahoe) towing a 25 year old 26' TT loaded to the ceiling with personal belonging.  This TT was being lived out of and the owner was moving from Texas to Arizona.  Based on how much was in the trailer and what was loaded where, it was obvious most of the heavy items were loaded in the very back of the trailer to keep from overloading the TV too much.  The driver got the dreaded sway at about 70 MPH on busy IH35 and decided it was best to floor it and "pull out of the sway".  Needless to say it only took a few more seconds before the trailer overturned causing the Cadillac to overturn and slide off the road.  Luckily no injuries and no other involved vehicles.  They were using a WD hitch with anti sway but it wouldn't have mattered.

SarniaTricia said:

As I was headed home from a rabbit show 4 hours out of town (I was about half way home) I pulled off at a rest stop to rest... I was really feeling fatigued... I'm headed into building and heard squealing... turned around and watched a pick-up (pulling a long "car trailer" style setup that wasn't loaded except for some garden equipment on the tail of the trailer) spin all the way around and stop in the median facing the other direction.

Click to expand...

Yep, gotta keep the trailer's Center of Gravity ahead of the axles.  Here's a short video showing what happens when you load a trailer tail-heavy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

Lou Schneider said:

Yep, gotta keep the trailer's Center of Gravity ahead of the axles.  Here's a short video showing what happens when you load a trailer tail-heavy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

Click to expand...

Great demo Lou

I've seen this demo... thankfully before I ever pulled a trailer!!

From my previous post