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Old 05-28-2013, 04:09 PM   #1
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Question Ever had or seen a trailer and TV part ways?

Just curious if anyone has seen or had their trailer separate from the TV while traveling?
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Old 05-28-2013, 04:44 PM   #2
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Hope never to............ I have seen several accidents where the TV & trailer stayed together ....even with the trailer on its side..........could change the tires on the TV with out a jack.........
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Old 05-28-2013, 04:49 PM   #3
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Lost a utility trailer once the chains did not hold even it, I was fortunate it did not roll over so it ended in a ditch, I pulled it out and carried on, this was the result of a worn ball and coupling would have been disastrous if it was a TT.
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Old 05-28-2013, 05:15 PM   #4
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When I was much younger and super stupid, I thought an 1 7/8 ball was ok for a TT with a 2" hitch. Just say the safety chains did their job. Hitched back up in record time all by myself on the side of an on ramp. Oh, and I had my utility trailer plates on it, so it wasn't registered.
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Old 05-28-2013, 05:33 PM   #5
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A camping friend was taking their camper out for the second time and I had gone over to the storage area to help her. I was doing other things while she put the hitch in the reciever and put the trailer on the ball. She drove through the storage yard, stopped for water and then as she was pulling out of the gate, there was a huge crash as the trailer front dropped. The pin to hold the hitch in the receiver had gone behind the hitch. The safety chains caught it but not before the shaft of the hitch dug into the asphalt causing an abrupt stop. A guy entering the storage area helped us get things back up and hitched securely. Needless to say she was a bit nervous after that, but she always did a hand tug to make sure the hitch was secure after that!
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Old 05-28-2013, 06:33 PM   #6
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I saw one come off early one morning on the way to work outside of Houston. It was still fairly dark and the light show from the sparks was pretty impressive. But better than that was the controlled slow-down by the driver. It was a large utility trailer and the safety chains did their job great. The driver managed to get it all slowed down and moved over off the road. Quite a sight.
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Old 05-29-2013, 01:35 PM   #7
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When I was little dad was taking me out in the little john boat we had. Apparently on this trip he neglected to lock the clasp down to the ball. After hitting a railroad crossing close to the house the trailer came off the ball and made a terrible racket.
That has been my only experience with it, but remember it well.
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Old 05-29-2013, 01:59 PM   #8
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Lost an aluminum boat once due to a broken coupler. I hadn't hooked up the safety chains and didn't notice it come off until I arrived at my destination a couple of miles away. Just the wire dragging on the ground that had been ripped off of the boat trailer. Weird feeling... did I really have a boat when I left? It had just coasted off the road and was waiting for me when I went back to find it. The next time I was unloading a utility trailer at the dump. As I was pushing the last of the trash out it stood up on the rear of the trailer, again a broken coupler. Both trailers were borrowed. When I think of what could have happened because of broken equipment I now have a fobia about maintaining it!
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Old 05-29-2013, 02:08 PM   #9
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Just once, many years ago in Hampton VA. A 24' U-haul box trailer came loose from the pick-up towing it, at 55 mph on the freeway. There didn't seem to be any safety chains on it. The trailer went off the freeway to the right side, up a grass bank and then back down onto the road surface. I managed to avoid it as it went across my bows, but then it T-boned a car in the fast lane and the guy alongside me in the middle lane hit it broadside on. Again I dodged the mess, by going on the shoulder this time. The end result was two cars with significant damage, a wrecked U-Haul trailer, household stuff in the trailer damaged and the freeway closed for a couple of hours.

The renter sure saved money by not having movers take his stuff to the new house!
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Old 05-30-2013, 08:49 AM   #10
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had my boat come uncoupled on the first time I ever towed it. I was exited and in a hurry to get to the lake, and I forgot to flip the little latch down on the hitch. whoops. Boat came off and the safety chains held.

Funny thing is... when dragging his new boat down the hiway on the safety chains, do you know what the instinctive reaction of the human male is? You got it! stomp on the brakes. The boat came forward, hit the truck and just about knocked the tailgate into the bed. Boat was suprisingly fine with just minor scratches, tailgate was ruined.

Now, i always check the latch on the hitch. even in my garage was on fire and I wanted to pull the Roo away from it, you can bet your bippy that I will check the latch at least twice! lol

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Old 05-30-2013, 09:03 AM   #11
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last year a gentleman decided to take his boat to the launch pad which consisted of going up a hill and then down to the launch pad. on his way up the hill the boat trailer came off the ball because he didn't collapse the ball or put the safety chains on and rolled half way down the hill and flipped on its side. Needless to say, gas was gushing all over the place so there were police cars, fireman, hazmat at the scene. took 5 hours to get a crane to sit the boat upright on the trailer again to be towed away. Was severe damage to the fiberglass and some bent parts on the trailer. Owner was embarrassed because of the scene created but was a lesson everyone learned. Take the time to properly lock the ball and install safety chains.
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Old 05-30-2013, 09:06 AM   #12
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I mentioned this before I think. I was in the far left lane I81 near Harrisburg, PA when I was following a boat that seperated from an F250. We were doing at least 70 when a large nut came out from under the boat trailer - I assumed the TV had kicked up some road junk, thought nothing of it, figured out what it was a little later.

About a mile after that the boat (24' bass type boat I think) started going left then right. After 4 oscillations, away it went on its own. It scared both right lanes of traffic, then into the left break-down lane, back to the right, and finally off to the left again, just missed a guard rail for an underpass. If went down the bank of the road below and I saw the spare tire fly another hundred feet. Heck of a crash, no injuries at least.
I was surprised the chains failed, so I believe the driver may had done more things wrong that just leave the ball nut loose.
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Old 05-30-2013, 11:21 AM   #13
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also, not a "loose trailer" sort of thing, but I witnessed the awesome sight once of a brand new pontoon boat leaving its trailer, gaining about 10-12 feet of altitude, levelling off and then pancaking down perfectly flat on I-55. After first time out, the owner never put any kind of tie-down on the boat.
Quite the mess.

In addition, I have seen 3 dry-launch incidents at the boat ramp. All 3 have been roller bunks and the guy cut loose the bow line before backing up.
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Old 05-30-2013, 11:59 AM   #14
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This is a mobile link but a sad story.

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2371277
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Old 05-30-2013, 12:25 PM   #15
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was on my way to work a few years ago when I saw a concrete trailer separate from a truck and slam the concrete median. 6 lane belt expressway. It looked like a bomb went off when it hit the median, threw dust and smoke about 50-60 feet in the air. damaged a couple dozen vehicles (debris hit some cars head on.)

IIRC the truck was for a small construction company and the trailer was a rental. The driver was an illegal with no licence and the construction company insurance refused to pay.
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Old 05-30-2013, 12:46 PM   #16
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Many years ago when we were moving to the house we live in today, we bought some furniture at a warehouse place and rented a big U-Haul from the store to tote the furniture to our new house, as well as pack up the old place. Day of the move, the U-Haul place didn't have the truck we rented, so they gave us the next size down along with the biggest trailer they rent instead. Wasn't thrilled about it, but as we had deadlines we decided to go with it.

Guy at the furniture place/U-Haul rental hooked up the trailer - I was clueless. He had some trouble, but eventually said we were good to go.

I was driving the truck (with the new furniture in it) with the empty trailer behind, and hubby was following in our vehicle. We made it about 15 miles from the store and to the bridge across the Uhwarrie river (anyone from Stanly or Montgomery Co, NC knows what bridge I'm talking about). The bridge was the west bound side, which is the older and more narrow bridge.

As I came over the bump to get on the bridge @ 55 mph, the coupler came loose on the trailer. I felt the thing start swaying like crazy as the chains caught, and immediately took the foot off the gas, but didn't want to slam on the brakes as I was scared it would be a worse wreck. About that time the chains gave way and that trailer went sailing into the air. My husband said it was quite spectacular - it caught several feet of air, bounced off the guard rail and ALMOST went over the rail into the river 100+ of feet below.

Thankfully because the bridge was so narrow, I had taken the middle of the bridge (2 lanes going in same direction) to keep anyone from trying to pass me on the bridge, so nobody was hurt, but we did find out how far an empty U-Haul trailer will go. Left a gouge in the asphalt at least 75 feet long where the tongue hit the pavement.

Looking back from today I can appreciate the humor, in that nobody got hurt and my furniture was in the truck so it was OK. Sure wasn't funny at the time. I think it took a year off my life. The trailer was a total loss - axle broken, etc. We waited over an hour for law enforcement to come - the trailer was 1/2 way down the bridge, blocking both lanes of traffic and since the county line ran down the middle of the river, the two counties spent 45 minutes arguing back and forth about which sheriff's office should respond. All the time traffic backing up on a pretty major state highway, and the trailer too heavy for us to try to move it with the axle toasted. Finally we did get a couple of burly trucker guys who came over to help and we were able to move it into one lane so the traffic could sneak by in the other lane.

In the end, U-Haul comp'd us the entire rental fee to 'accommodate' our inconvenience. Apparently the deciding factor between holding us responsible was the fact that we didn't hook up the trailer - the rental guy did.

And we did get moved OK using the smaller truck - just made two trips instead of one - I told them flat out I would not EVER tow a trailer from them again.
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Old 05-30-2013, 01:54 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowracer View Post
In addition, I have seen 3 dry-launch incidents at the boat ramp. All 3 have been roller bunks and the guy cut loose the bow line before backing up.
tim
A boat ramp is honestly some of the best free entertainment a person can have.
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Old 05-30-2013, 02:09 PM   #18
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Wink

My son had a twin jetski trailer come off the hitch when he turned a corner and the trailer came off, snapped the chains and proceeded downhill into the woods. When the trailer hit a ditch, the jetskis came off and proceeded to take out a couple of pretty good size trees. The trailer was a bit hosed up, but the jetski's were fine, except for a bit of a gelcoat crack on the bow of one when it took out a 3-4 inch tree.

Yamaha jetski's are pretty tough...
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Old 05-30-2013, 02:14 PM   #19
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This past weekend I saw a 5er come unhitched as it was leaving the campground. The guys wife was nagging him hard to hurry up so they could go home and he apparently didn't get his full walk around done. They pulled out of the camp site, rounded a corner, then start up a hill, about half way up the 5er slide out of the hitch, hit the bed rails and was stopped by the tailgate. By some miracle, the tailgate held the big 5er, 35-36ft with 3 slides but looked like a big U, the middle was bent back a good 5-6 inches. The camper wasn't damaged that bad but the truck need a new bed and tailgate. We help him get hitched up and made sure it locked and he went on his way.
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Old 06-02-2013, 01:18 PM   #20
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Not a crash and burn type story, but funny to say the least. I grew up on a popular recreational lake and saw many entertaining moves on shore and in the water, but my family may have been a part of the best one.

My father and I had headed out for an afternoon fishing trip. The boat ramp we used was a very steep concrete ramp which was only accessible when the lake was very high. As usual, I was backing the boat off and my dad was set to pull up the truck and trailer to park. There was a lot of moss built up on the ramp, which caused the truck to spin out. There was what looked to be an 18-20 year old kid waiting in a boat by the dock, so my father asked if he could drive a standard shift. With acknowledgement, he hopped in the drivers seat as my dad took the position to bounce on the rear bumper to try and gain traction. Apparently, the kid wasn't skilled with a standard shift be cause as I looped around, the next thing I saw was what looked like my dad walking on water. I sped up to him and found that he was actually standing on the top of the cab, truck was sunk. The kid got out OK. A dive team and a few hours later, we were able to have a good laugh.
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