I'm not going to pretend to be a trailer expert, nor did I stay at a Holiday... never mind.

Anyway, having grown up in a family with travel trailers (campers), I noticed that the larger ones always seem to have contraptions for stabilizing the trailer (anti-sway, levelers, etc.). I think others have mentioned that too. Is that something that can be retrofitted onto this trailer?

My guess is that the tow ratings have more to do with horsepower, torque and braking (presumably all on dry ground). I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but a heavier tow vehicle with a longer wheel base for that huge trailer certainly couldn't hurt.

Again, the most important thing is that everyone is OK. But, it would be terrible if this were to happen again.

Mike

I cringe everytime I see a 1/2 ton pickup pulling a skid loader. All I can think is poor pickup.


The most important things to question yourself about when it comes to towing:

1. Can I stop this thing? Either with adequate trailer brakes or vehicle or both (should be both). Going down a steap grade with out brakes is something I haven't had to experience yet, and I don't want to. One of the reasons I want to add an exhaust brake to my pickup.

2. Can I handle the weight? Can my suspension handle the load, either from a nasty crosswind from throwing the tow vehicle around or from the weight pushing forward in an emergency braking situation.

3. Is my running gear up to the task? Least important will your vehicle survive the tow? Will my tranny get fried, (why I only buy manual transmissions), do I have enough power to pull the hills. Are my tires up to spec to support the additional weight and stress?


I have a 24' enclosed car trailer that is a bumper mount, with torsion bars. They do help alot. They control some of the side to side sway when passing semi's, or a bad crosswind, but they also work well to tranfer more of the trailer weight onto the tow vehicle by leveling things out. Properly set up it makes a world of difference. Still not as nice as a 5th wheel though, but 6000lbs doesn't really justify that in this case. Just my opinion but even a 1/2 ton pickup wouldn't be adequate for that trailer. Fully loaded that's pushing the limits harder than I like to. My next pickup will be a 1 ton, more than likely a dually.

I think you are all missing the point. The driver was just going too fast for the conditions or maybe had his cruise control on. If you have your cruise control on in heavy rain and the rear wheels start slipping the motor keeps applying more power to try and build speed causing the vehicle to start sliding. I don't think his tow vehicle is too small or trailer too big. I was hauling my F18 on it's own trailer with a Ford F250 diesel 4x4 on a wet highway (after a storm came through). The truck started to hydroplane all four wheels and the trailer started to jack knife I let the truck drift a little and lifted a little on the gas and the wheels regained traction and I kept on my way. The tires on my truck were not the best but did just past inspection. I think I had the cruise on and I was in the right lane where the road had depressions from wear holding water and I was going to fast. My truck weighs 7,500lbs and my trailer weighs about 1,200lbs. Only the driver will really know what happened.

To add to Brucat's comment, a trailer dealer I speak with regularly does confirm that those load limits are for properly equipped trailers. This statement means you can't just hook up some huge trailer and drive off, you need the proper load distributing stuff on the trailer and hitch.

Dave, I think you're spot on. I've been hauling trailers since before I was licensed to drive. I've seen it all (and experienced some) but everything can be controlled if you know your situation and your vehicle. Too much information for me to try to pass on, and I'm not as eloquent with my literary skills nor as long winded.

2 things: Preparation, observation. Will carry you through.

Clayton

OR, if it's pouring rain, you could always slow down a bit...that's saved my fish-tailing boat many a time. I have a strict "65 or less" speed limit when I'm dragging the love of my life behind me, 55 or less in heavy rain. And that's with just one boat.

But 6 of them stacked? I think 55 might be the max on a dry road, less in rain. And then there is the cross wind issue too, on a stack like that, was it blowing hard when this happened and from what direction?

I heard one of the drivers (on the way out to IA) say that the mega-trailer's top speed was 60 mph. Started getting squirrelly above that.

The wind was from the rear quarter - SW as I recall. On my rig, I remember going from 11 mpg to about 15 as soon as I "turned the corner" and headed east at Iowa City on I-80.

The attached pic is the scariest thing I've ever pulled. With a 30mph crosswind, and a driven out road I didn't like anything above 65. My boat, (on the back), was going past line to line more times than I'm comfortable with. Short distance I wouldn't care, 4 hours of white knuckling it across Nebraska in high winds is not my idea of fun.

Wouldn't attach, wierd.

linky no worky

The last sentence is the wisest thing you posted. Unless and until the driver weighs in, few of us will ever really know.

I've known Ken for several years since first meeting him at a Spring Fever regatta. He is one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. Beyond that, he is no wild man on or off the water. I personally find it hard to believe that he was knowingly driving too fast for conditions or in a reckless or unsafe manner. For all we know, another driver's unsafe actions may have contributed to, or caused the accident. I think we should all be grateful that property damage and possibly soiled shorts were the only damages incurred.

Is that legal????? Exactly how would you back that rig up?

It is legal in some states to tow two trailers. It's not in South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida - mostly mid-west farming states. And you don't back it up.

I don't know if it's legal in Florida, but I do know I have seen many large RV's in Florida, towing a large vehicle (I once saw a full size Hummer being towed, with a pontoon boat behind that!) and a boat behind the vehicle, behind the RV! I thought it wasn't legal too but I've seen plenty of them down here. Lots of "double" trailer UPS trucks too.

BTW, I was not trying to blame the driver in the above post, we don't know what happened, maybe someone cut him off. I'm just saying when it gets windy or wet, or both, I always slow down.

I did tow a 25' long box trailer once, with an airplane inside, and it was fine up to about 65mph. As soon as I got much above that, and on a dry road, it would start to sway, and the longer I let it sway, the larger the occilations got. Needless to say, I didn't go over 65 after I figured that out.

And someone up above mentioned cruise control on a wet road. I had a scare with that once too, so now I don't use the cruise when towing unless the roads are dry. It can cause the tires to break loose on a wet road and that can get sporty.

In california the double trailer is only legal if the first trailer is a fifth wheel hook up and the tow is eguipted with brakes. Also the length limit is 75' I believe.

We passed by alot of Troopers on the way out and back, so it must be legal in Nebraska. In Minnesota for non commercial the first trailer must be a 5th wheel, and I think the 2nd trailer has to be a boat. I know in Montana I've seen semi's pulling three trailers, that's gotta get interesting in inclimate weather.

I wish I would've tried to back it up in a parking lot. It can be done, you just have to think about 40 steps ahead. I've seen it done with two hay wagons, and those are by far the hardest thing to back up.

We double-trail all the time in TX, legal limit is 65' and a hearty helping of judgment.

I may be wrong, but I think the total length (car + trailers) has to be less than 55' in FLA.

I've seen a car, a pop up camper, and a bass boat all tied together.

That would only leave room for a 2' truck to pull a 53' standard trailer <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Hmm. I must be mistaking... Maybe it's 75 feet total length? I was thinking 55 was the max length of trailer(s)

65'

rules of the road