RE: Be careful out there

[Tim5055]

 I found this posted on the [link=http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=24]Disboards Fort Wilderness Board[/link] and thought it could be a reminder to protect our families:
 
 

My DH has a business associate that was killed the other day on his way to FW with his family. He lost control because the trailer he was pulling became unstable. He and my husband had been talking about our family and his family " crossing paths"  as we came home from WDW and they would be on there way to it. The really creepy part was we passed the accident in east Texas (highway was at a complete standstill for MILES) and we had no idea it was DH s peer. We said, " Somebody must have been killed in that mess."  So very, very tragic. The funeral is tomorrow. I ve know about this for days but hesitated to post something so grim. Then, I thought it might just save one person if I tell the story and they know to stop immediately when they feel something isn t right when pulling their camper. That family was supposed to be in FW right now...

 
 As I said over there:
 
 I also feel sorry for the family and their loss.
 
 As ftwildernessguy points out, towing a trailer is serious business.  There are many things that can go wrong and you should be prepared for them.
 
 While my website deals with pop up camping (and towing) the theories can be used on almost any trailer.
 
 Here are some pages that might help out:
 
 [Link=http://www.title-3.com/Hitch.htm]Towing and Hitch Information[/Link]
 
 [Link=http://www.title-3.com/Sway.htm]Sway Information[/Link]
 
 [Link=http://www.title-3.com/BreakAway.htm]Break Away Switch[/Link]
 
 [Link=http://www.title-3.com/Safety.htm]Campsite Safety[/Link]
 
 The most common problem I see is a trailer which is too big for the tow vehicle.
 
 Remember our families are are the most precious things we have.  We need to protect them!
 
 [ul]
 

• Know the limitations of your tow combination, don t overload
• Use sway control
• Use an appropriate hitch (WD if necessary)
• Keep the speed down
[/ul]
 

[AustinBoston]

 tim5055
Thanks for a timely reminder.  It s also important to know what to do and be able to do it when things do go wrong.  Nothing seemed amiss (except perhaps between my ears) when I had my close call with severe sway.  One moment things were fine, and the next was total chaos.  Had I not known EXACTLY what to do, we would have been toast.  Had the trailer been set up right to begin with (my fault) the whole thing might never have happened.
 
 * Do your homework before you buy.
 * Don t rely on dealer statements.
 * Load properly every time.
 * Check everything before you leave.
 * Operate safely.
 
 I d also like to add that some people are afraid to go much slower than prevailing traffic speed.  Don t be.  If you are going 65 mph (105 kph) while all others are going 80 mph (129 kph), it seems like a huge difference, but it isn t.  It is the same as sitting in a parked car while others are passing at 15 mph (24 kph).  Try driving past a parked car at 15 mph.  It s fairly slow.
 
 Austin

[Danusmom]

 tim5055
Thanks so much for posting this golden info.  This is exactly why I want us to be prepared for towing through the mountains this summer.  We ll add the family to our prayers.  What an awful way to start a family vacation.
 
 Although we have never had a problem with sway, we ve also never towed through the mountains.  Add a few semi s & orange barrels.....it s got to be summer vacation time[8D][8D][8D]
 
 Peace be with you all.

[texacokat]

 tim5055
What a sobering reminder...as we were pulling towards our Memorial Day destination, we encountered a horrible backup on I-88 west out of Chicago.  Turns out, a Chevy Blazer was towing a Coachmen.  The Blazer was up on a tow truck and looked like it was flipped by the Coachmen as the windshield was smashed into the front seat.  The Coachmen was still on the side of the road, bent in half - almost into a " V"  - with parts stewn all over the road.  Not sure about injuries...but you re right -- towing is serious business.  All the more to read your informative posts, Austin and Tim, on all things Popup.  Many thanks.