Cautionary Note - Heavy Hauling Wreck on I-75 - Diesel Forum

Riggodeaux · 11-27-2006, 09:20 PM

I-75, northbound, just south of the Adairsville, GA, exit [no. 306] Friday, day after Thanksgiving, 1100. I was pulling my sig. horse trailer to Tennessee when we came up to traffic stopped, all three lanes. After 30 minutes or so in stop'n'go, we saw, near the bottom of a gradual, downhill curve, a late model F150 [supercab, I think] UPSIDE DOWN, unhooked from the front of a LONG travel trailer [on its side]. The new-looking trailer was easily longer than my goose, which is 27 ft+. I got only a short look passing by [and the better half wouldn't let me snap a picture with my digital, sorry, no photos ...], but it didn't appear to have any kind of sway control hitch, just yer standard under the bumper hitch. The rig was sitting across two lanes, with the trailer out into the center median and the truck at maybe a 45 degree angle to traffic. It looked to me like the trailer had swayed, rolled onto its side, and flipped the truck. I didn't see that another vehicle was involved; several local fire, rescue, ambulance on site, hopefully no serious injuries, but at least $60k of rolling stock (probably more) totalled.

Guys and gals, this is why the wiser heads who share their wisdom with us on this forum get serious when they write about complying with load limits and using common sense and proper equipment. It was obvious that this F150 was seriously overloaded and not properly equiped to pull this big trailer.

Think about your truck's limits [including mods ...] and obey them! Please don't end up like this guy!

larry_minn · 11-27-2006, 10:23 PM

Odds are speed/improper balanced trailer played as large a part as load. Long curve/likely driver used to just pickup got too much speed and it got loose and he/she panicked. I have seen a Jeep with 24' trailer blown off road and all over ditch. (nasty winds with big trucks going slow)

barrelhorses · 11-28-2006, 06:17 AM

Yesterday I saw a Ford Escape pulling a small TT right up 75 through Cincy. It was a really small trailer, maybe 12' to 14' long and probably not tall enough for an adult to stand up in. But I could tell that the Escape had more of a load than it really wanted.

OMCUSNR · 11-28-2006, 04:36 PM

Going home from work last Friday, just south of Rogue River, saw a Ranger get on I-5 & almost take out a semi. He had a bobcat on a rental trailer hooked up & as soon as he got to highway speed, it whipped him all over the right hand lane. He got it under control, and off the side of the interstate, but I bet his cab smelled pretty bad. It was close.

ipkyss · 11-28-2006, 11:49 PM

I haul a 33ft TT with the truck in my sig. I think its a hand full if its windy out. At one camp ground I was at this summer. The guy next to me pulled in with a older(heavy) 35ft TT behind a 99 F-150. The thing was actually sitting on the bump stops. I figured he was a local guy. When i talked to him he was from over 300miles a way. I run heavy and overwieght a lot, on different things, But i do still use common sense.

Riggodeaux · 11-29-2006, 03:14 PM

Good on ya, ipkyss. I expect the one I saw flipped & rolled in the original post was 33-35 ft. long. Beautiful day, sunny, no wind, so I expect he just got it swaying, perhaps a lane change downhill at too high a speed, and lost it. Made a nasty mess of the truck. The trailer, on its side, actually didn't look too bad [though I expect the side on the road was ugly ....]. The late model F-150, upside down, had the front of the cab mushed down maybe 10-12". Probably proves that the back ends of the cabs are pretty darn stiff & strong. I sure hope no one was injured; I haven't seen a press report of the accident.

TXiceman · 12-03-2006, 10:15 PM

People figure if you have a hitch on the truck, it will pull anything...after all it is a TRUCK. They never will learn that there are little trucks, medium trucks, big trucks and really big trucks.

Ken

RonRosewall · 12-06-2006, 02:15 AM

This type of situation was exactly why I traded for a dually. When we traded for the Montana 5'er we just got tired of feeling like it was pushing us around in the wind and after one trip in the wind and pouring down rain it was settled. We needed a bigger truck. Now we have no problems with the trailer pushing us around.

larry_minn · 12-09-2006, 10:33 PM

I bough a ton in bags loaded with forklift on my tandem trailer. I had them slide it forward till it was over wheels (ok slightly forward) and as I drove I noticed a guy had a two wheel (snowmobile) trailer and he had the load on BACK of trailer. IF it had been icy at all I would have bet money on his not making it home.
BTW I remove stock hitch my first thing. I will rip the frame apart before hitch fails.

dieseltool · 12-11-2006, 10:42 AM

your wife would not let you snap a pic???

Fishmanndotcom · 12-13-2006, 03:05 AM

small world! i was coming home from hunting at our cabin in NC and passed that exact accident just headed southbound on I-75!

-cutts-

Phil G. · 01-03-2007, 03:31 AM

[ QUOTE ]

Guys and gals, this is why the wiser heads who share their wisdom with us on this forum get serious when they write about complying with load limits and using common sense and proper equipment. It was obvious that this F150 was seriously overloaded and not properly equiped to pull this big trailer.

Think about your truck's limits [including mods ...] and obey them! Please don't end up like this guy!

[/ QUOTE ]
The sad part is he may not have been legally overloaded. The new 150's have a 10K trailer tow rating on them as does the Nissan Titan and the new Toyota coming out. 10K will cover off most TT's up to 35'!! I don't agree with it but the companies are in a battle for the "most capable truck blah blah blah" and lulling people into a false sense of security. Having a tow rating of 1.6x the weight of the truck is just asking for trouble. This combined with the new "ultralight construction" allowing people to tow longer trailers(read more side wall surface area in the cross wind) with less truck is a receipe for trouble. On top of that the lighter tow vehicles are usually piloted by the less experienced drivers. Not until after they get used to towing and like camping, do they move up to the heavier truck.

Leader · 01-03-2007, 07:36 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Guys and gals, this is why the wiser heads who share their wisdom with us on this forum get serious when they write about complying with load limits and using common sense and proper equipment. It was obvious that this F150 was seriously overloaded and not properly equiped to pull this big trailer.

Think about your truck's limits [including mods ...] and obey them! Please don't end up like this guy!

[/ QUOTE ]
The sad part is he may not have been legally overloaded. The new 150's have a 10K trailer tow rating on them as does the Nissan Titan and the new Toyota coming out. 10K will cover off most TT's up to 35'!! I don't agree with it but the companies are in a battle for the "most capable truck blah blah blah" and lulling people into a false sense of security. Having a tow rating of 1.6x the weight of the truck is just asking for trouble. This combined with the new "ultralight construction" allowing people to tow longer trailers(read more side wall surface area in the cross wind) with less truck is a receipe for trouble. On top of that the lighter tow vehicles are usually piloted by the less experienced drivers. Not until after they get used to towing and like camping, do they move up to the heavier truck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wonder if maybe he was doing just fine untill some old guy with more truck then he could handle cut him off? You know.... someone that bought way more truck then he needed and didn't know how to drive it.
Just because someone else has more expierance & is a better driver then you are doesn't make them unsafe. If you are scared of the load you have, STAY OFF the road. If you can handle it, enjoy your trip.

Phil G. · 01-03-2007, 10:53 AM

I guess thats always possible. We'll never know.

Albabes · 01-10-2007, 01:23 AM

I saw the same wreck "Riggodeaux" spoke of on I-75 , the day after T.G.. I was going South on I-75. I was Returning south from Elkhart after p/u our new 5th.....Wife was sleeping in the rear. Didn't tell her what was up. What a mess. The traffic was backed up at least 8 miles by the time I was passing it. It gave me new respect for everything around me for the next 600 miles.