CK5
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Be careful out there!
- Thread starter Kota4bye
- Start date
wow....every one o.k.?
trukker
1/2 ton status
Way to much truck and not enough trailer. Glad everybody is ok though
George_Pimpdaddy
1/2 ton status
Makes you wonder how he had it tied down 
I bet he had not near enough tongue weight, which is one of the most common causes of out of control trailer sway. Frankly I prefer a weight distributing hitch and run a little extra tongue weight. Much more relaxing and stable towing experience.
Rene
Rene
wasted wages
1 ton status
No trailer brakes ??? you can get out of a sway by applying the electric trailer brake controller in the cab..
looks like a little more tongue weight would have helped also..
looks like a little more tongue weight would have helped also..
Its hard to say for sure.
At first glance, the first picture, before the wreck, it would seem that there should have been plenty of tongue weight. Most of the truck is forward of the centerline, plus he has a big toolbox on the tongue.
But, he does not appear to have an equalizing hitch, and the wheel well heights of the front and rear of the tow vehicle seem about the same. So not much tongue weight.
Unless he has big air shocks.
Either way, he probably needs more tongue weight, plus a sway dampener if he does not want to put on brakes.
As for tie-downs, I see a chain on the trailer, but I also see lots of broken straps. Straps are a great invention, but there is still nothing like cold steel to keep something in place when it hits the fan.
I strap my lawnmower down when I am hauling it somewhere, but when I put my tractor on a trailer, its heavy chains and chain binders all the way.
At first glance, the first picture, before the wreck, it would seem that there should have been plenty of tongue weight. Most of the truck is forward of the centerline, plus he has a big toolbox on the tongue.
But, he does not appear to have an equalizing hitch, and the wheel well heights of the front and rear of the tow vehicle seem about the same. So not much tongue weight.
Unless he has big air shocks.
Either way, he probably needs more tongue weight, plus a sway dampener if he does not want to put on brakes.
As for tie-downs, I see a chain on the trailer, but I also see lots of broken straps. Straps are a great invention, but there is still nothing like cold steel to keep something in place when it hits the fan.
I strap my lawnmower down when I am hauling it somewhere, but when I put my tractor on a trailer, its heavy chains and chain binders all the way.
Well it may be to late for you but anyone else reading this it may help.
Use a weight distrbution hitch with the sway bar and trailer brakes. If you start swaying from a situation like this reach down and apply trailer brakes all the way, lock trailer tires up if that happens and just keep the trailer brake applied until you are going straight and swaying has stopped.
Yes this has worked for me when I thought I was going over for sure.
Use a weight distrbution hitch with the sway bar and trailer brakes. If you start swaying from a situation like this reach down and apply trailer brakes all the way, lock trailer tires up if that happens and just keep the trailer brake applied until you are going straight and swaying has stopped.
Yes this has worked for me when I thought I was going over for sure.
and for the love of god get rid of the 14.5 wedge lock trailer rims .
and who the hell was the person who figured no trailer brakes on a trailer that heavy by its self let alone 5k-6k lbs of load on it.
by the looks of the setup in the pics it was a wounder thay made it as far as thay did.
and who the hell was the person who figured no trailer brakes on a trailer that heavy by its self let alone 5k-6k lbs of load on it.
by the looks of the setup in the pics it was a wounder thay made it as far as thay did.
gotblazers
1/2 ton status
and for the love of god get rid of the 14.5 wedge lock trailer rims .
and who the hell was the person who figured no trailer brakes on a trailer that heavy by its self let alone 5k-6k lbs of load on it.
by the looks of the setup in the pics it was a wounder thay made it as far as thay did.
The problem was circled all along
smier
1/2 ton status
I drove flatbed tractor trailers for 12 years, straps suck in comparison to chains and good binders for hauling any type of equipment... Anytime you are using a strap against any hard material (steel or wood) you have to protect the strap from being cut if you have to swerve or slam on the brakes quickly... He was very lucky it wasn't worse!!! Also be aware that if there is any type
of Nick or fraying of a strap it will no longer perform to it's rated weight!!! DOT officers will write you a ticket for unsecured load in most states if your straps have even a small cut in them. Also straps don't like uv rays so they will wear out if exposed to the sun and the elements. Straps are quick and easy, but I once went to an accident investigation of a rollover where a tractor trailer hauling a 40,000 lb steel coil rolled down an embankment, totalling the truck and trailer, and the coil was still chained to the trailer perfectly and none of the chains broke... I've seen a lot of those tow dolly straps that cinch down over the tires break also, be careful guys!!!
You know, that is starting to worry me a little. Pulpwood prices are up right now, and there is a lot of cutting going on.
Most every morning I head to work, I am behind a pulpwood truck loaded with logs.
In the past couple of years or so, they have all switched to straps instead of chains to hold the logs on.
I realize they are pretty well jammed in, but I make a point of staying a lot farther back when I see straps than when I see heavy chains.
Most every morning I head to work, I am behind a pulpwood truck loaded with logs.
In the past couple of years or so, they have all switched to straps instead of chains to hold the logs on.
I realize they are pretty well jammed in, but I make a point of staying a lot farther back when I see straps than when I see heavy chains.
I have always thought of it as each and every attaching point should be able to support the weight of the vehicle own its own. So with four you have four times the weight. I like to do all four corners of the axles with chains, then the front and back of the body with straps.
There is a proper way to use straps to tie a car down to a trailer, and certainly NOT 3500lb straps, they make specific car tie down straps for this. I used to use 10k straps, 2 in front and 2 in the rear. Always in a straight line so they don't chaffe (sp?) on anything and sleeved axle straps wrapped around the axle for the hooks to hold on to. Plus I would run a couple safety chains, just in case. My friend used to give me crap about the length I went to tie down a derby car, "It's just a derby car..." he said. "it's not the derby car I'm worried about, it's everyone else on the road with me I'm worried about." I would reply.
And those straps have a shelf life, and come with dates on them. I replaced mine at 4 years and even that may have been too long. Nobody's perfect, and we're all glad no one was hurt. Some lessons learned will hopefully prevent seeing this in the future.
And those straps have a shelf life, and come with dates on them. I replaced mine at 4 years and even that may have been too long. Nobody's perfect, and we're all glad no one was hurt. Some lessons learned will hopefully prevent seeing this in the future.
smier
1/2 ton status
Just thinking about my previous post and some other things that are in this thread... I've got over a million miles in 15+ years experience hauling cars, equipment, and all kinds of building materials. I would never use a strap to tie down a car or any type of machinery, as a matter of fact most of the companies I hauled for strictly forbid the use of straps in this scenario. Did we use them? Occasionally when in a pinch, but always with at least 2 chains on each piece of machinery. You would be amazed that a tightened strap in good condition will slice in half like it was cut with a razor blade if the object it is holding down moves under a hard braking sulituation or you have to swerve to avoid something... I know this from experience, luckily nothing like this never happened to me.
ezoliver
Mall Crawler
That right there is why I trust chains and screw style boomers... Straps are for light duty or just a backup.
I will never tow my Jimmy on anything other than a gooseneck either. Been to the bumper pull show and didn't like it.
Glad nobody got hurt. Everything there can be replaced.
I will never tow my Jimmy on anything other than a gooseneck either. Been to the bumper pull show and didn't like it.
Glad nobody got hurt. Everything there can be replaced.
