Tail Wagging The Dog

[MtnGuy]

Even though this is from "that other forum", I thought it would be worthwhile to post the video link and the comments with a bad sway problem. The consensus is that this is a Ford Super Duty or Excursion in the video, showing that it can even happen to heavy duty tow vehicles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmSKX...=youtube_gdata

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/23968584.cfm

[EdJunior]

Yup. Definitely looks like an Excursion. Sure would be nice to know "the rest of the story". You know...was he using WDH/Sway control? Did he have a blow out? Did he fall asleep? Pretty scary to watch though for sure!

[MtnGuy]

It would be nice to know the rest of the story, especially whether he was using a WDH and sway control, and how his trailer was loaded (too much weight in the back ??).

My point is posting this is that even with a heavy duty towing rig, things can still go wrong. Last summer I saw an Excursion pulling a 30 foot plus camper without any kind of sway control or WDH. There were 2 adults and 3 kids in the vehicle, and it was sagging in the back. That was scary.

I think this video also points out that people pulling a long (or any) camper, especially those that pull with lighter and shorter wheelbased TVs, need to be especially diligent in setting up their WDH, sway control, and being aware of their tongue weight percentage so maybe these types of things don't happen.

[rockwood06]

Thanks for sharing that vidio, It's important for people to see. As I watched it my heart started to beat harder...NO BULL...One thing I noticed is that there were no brake lights and this the first thing people do is hit the brakes, so was he connected electricly. It did not look like he had a bow out, it look like he had reach a speed to where he had started to sway and could not get it under control due to bad hitch work.
The reason I say this is because this is what I had experienced on Rt 76 the PA Turnepike and I had posted this thread a while ago. It's one thing to watch it and it is another thing to be behined the wheel.
My hitch was installed by the dealer " the ones that know what they are doing" Ha! When I reached 51 mph in a 65 mph highway I started to sway and just kept on getting worse with out increasing speed. I explained this here on the Forum. Hitch work is important a long with the right tow vehicle. I will say I did not end up in the middle of the road jackknifted as he did.

[locknload]

I know this is an old post but I've seen this video before. Wouldn't it have helped him if he grabbed a handful of trailer brake, in the begining of the sway anyway?

[revrnd]

Unless the LH lane was blocked I can't imagine the driver in the vehicle the video was shot from just riding along in the same lane.

I caught up to a girl that looped out in front of us where we had 4 lanes. I looked left & right to see if the lanes were clear in case she came my way. I made it but someone in a very small SUV obviously wasn't paying attention & collided w/ her just as she got her car stopped.

[Herk7769]

Looks like a classic PIO to me.
Pilot Induced Oscillation.

Small amount of sway.
Pilot overcorrects to sway.
Sway in opposite correction is worse than initial sway.
Pilot overcorrects again.
Repeat until sway induced crash inevitable.

Solution.

Same as aircraft.

Freeze the controls.
Stabilize and fly out of it.

Hang on to steering wheel and resist urge to "Do Something!"
Squeeze the trailer only brakes.
When stabilized; slow and pull over and clean trousers (or skirt).

[locknload]

Pretty scary... for everyone on that road. I've powered out of minor sway before but then thought I could have just grabbed some trailer brake just the same. Thanks.

[acadianbob]

There is no shortage of dufus'es out there. On our recent 2,000 mile trip, two stood out in particular. I'm towing at about 60 mph, blowing by me comes a pickup pulling a tandem axle 30 foot travel trailer. Nose up, rear ending down, back end swaying constantly; doing about 70 mph. Not much later came a mini van pulling a trailer larger than that behind our F150. Blows by me at about 65 mph. You could see the rear end of the van sagging and hitting the bump stops on the axle. I kept expecting to see these knuckleheads in the median with their wheels in the air. Bad enough if they take themselves out but there are lots of other people who could become involved in their lack of safety.

[Herk7769]

I so agree.

Oh and there is a clasic F-22 video of a crash during testing when the pilot got into a PIO during a low pass down the runway. The more he pumped the stick the wilder the ride got until he pancaked into the runway.

YouTube - f-22 raptor crash landing

This should work...